father of the future Worlde or of eternitie the Prince of Peace c. In which wordes wee see that Christ is called God But if the Iew doe cauil heare and say that El or Elohim the Hebrue wordes which we interprete God in thys place may sometyme be applyed to a creature as in Exodus once El signifieth an Angell and Elohim at other tymes is applyed to Iudges theÌ„ mark thys dyscourse of Dauid touching the Messias to whom he sayth Thou art beautifull in forme aboue the children of men grace is spred in thy lyps and therefore hath God blessed thee for euer c. Thy seate O God is for euer and euer the rodde or Scepter of thy kingdome is the rodde of direction thou hast loued iustice hated iniquitie therefore O God thy God hath annoynted thee with oyle of ioy aboue thy partners Heere the Messias is called God twyce by the same word Elohim as God his father is and therefore as the word signifieth twice God in the one so must it also in the other But to remooue all ground of thys refuge touching El or Elohim that are names of GOD which may be communicated sometimes and vppon some occasions to creatures most apparent it is that the name IEHOVA which is called Tetagrammaton and which is so peculier to God alone as neuer it may be communicated to anie other this name I say which is of such reuerence among the Iewes as they dare not pronouÌ„ce it but in place therof doe reade Adonai that signifieth Lorde is euery where almost in Scripture attributed to Christ namelie wher the Latine interpreter hath translated Lord as for example in two diuers places of Ieremie after the long description of the Messias which before I haue recited he concludeth thus Hoc est nomen quod vocabunt cum Iehoua iustus noster thys is the name which they shall call him OVR IVST IEHOVA or as the Hebrue hath word for worde Iehoua our iustice And so doe the auncient Hebrue expositors confesse vppon thys place of Ieremie namely Rabbi Abba who asketh the question what Messias shall be called then he aunswereth out of thys last place he shall be called the eternal Iehoua The like doth Misdrasche gather vpon the first verse of the twentie psalme And Rabbi Moses Hadarsan expounding a place of the Prophet Sophonie chapter 3 verse 9. concludeth thus in this place Iehoua signifieth nothing els but the Mâ—ssias Whereby appeareth that as well in scripture as also in the opinion of olde Hebrue expositors the Messias was to be true God and man And I might alleage many other testimonies of auncient Rabbines if it vvere not too-long especially if I would enter among that kind of expositours whom they call Cabalists who are more auncient and lesse brutish then are the other sorte which are termed Thalmudistes I shoulde finde many cleere manifest declarations againsâ— the Iewes doctrine and errour of later times And among other for example only of Cabalisticall expositions I referre the Reader to the discourse of Rabbi Hacadosch which in Hebrue signifieth the holy Rabine liued not long after Christ vpon the wordes of Ieremie before recited in which for that hee findeth the Messias to be called Iehoua which worde in the Hebrue is compounded of the three Letters Iod Vau and He twise repeated this Doctor maketh this discourse by arte Cabalist in thys manner Euen as saith he the Letter He in Iehoua is compounded of two other Letters named Daleth and Uau as appeareth by theyr forme so shall the Messias that is signified by thys word Iehoua be made of two natures the one diuine and the other humaine And as in Iehoua there is twyse He and consequently two Daleths two Uaus contained therein so are there two byrthes filiations or chyld-hoods in Messias the one whereby he shall be the sonne of God and the other whereby he shall be the sonne of a Virgine which Esay calleth the Prophetise And as in Iehoua the Letter He is twyse put and yet both Hâ—s doe make in effect but one Letter so in Messias there shall be two distinct natures and yet shal they make but one Christ. Thus playeth thys Cabalist vppon the Letters of Iehoua according to the manner of theyr diuinitie and draweth great misteries as ye see from Letters ends In which kinde of reasoning albeit we put no ground of strength at all yet is it sufficient to shew that among the elder Iewes it was a knowne and confessed doctrine that Christ shoulde be both God man and haue two natures conioyned dâ—stinctly in one person which is the same that we Christians doe aâ—â—iâ—me Nay I wyll adde further and thys is greatly to be obserued that the selfe same auncient Iewes as some also of the later do holde and prooue by scripture that Christ shal be for alwaies they speake of the Messias to come the very sonne of God Et verbum Dei incarnâ—uum and the worde of God incarnate or made fleshe And for the fyrst that he shall be the son of God they proue it out of dyuers places alleaged by mee beâ—ore as for example out of Genesis where the Latine text hath The scepter of Iuda shâ—â— not be takâ—n away vntill hee come that is to sent The Hebrue hath vntil Silo come which Silo Rabbi Kimhi prooueth by a long dyscourse to signifie so much as Filius eius hys sonne that is the sonne of God The same they prooue by the place of Esay where the Messias is called germen Iehouae the seede or sonne of Iehoua Which the Chaldie Paraphrase termeth the Messias of Iehoua They prooue the same also out of diuers Psalmes where Christ is called plainly the sonne of God as where it is said He shall say vnto me thou art my father c. I will put him mine eldest sonne more higher then all the Kings of the earth c. Iehoua said vnto me thou art my son this day haue I begotten thee c. Kisse the son ye Kings and Iudges of the earth happy are al they that place theyr hope in him Which last words can no way be vnderstoode of the Son of any man for that it is written Cursed is the man that putteth his trust in man Wherefore Rabbi Ionathan Rabbi Selomoth Aben Ezar and others doe conclude by these and other places which they alleage that the Messias must be the verie sonne of God And for the seconde point they goe yet further affirming thys sonne to be Verbum Patris the worde of God the Father Which the fore-sayde Ionathan in his Chaldy Paraphrase dooth expresse in many translations as for example where Esay sayth Israel shal be saued in Iehoua with eternall saluation which Iehoua signifieth Christ as all men do confesse Ionathan turneth it thus Israell shall be saued by
deuils vncleane spirits Which commission howe they afterwarde put it in execution the whole worlde yeeldeth sufficient testimonie And for examples sake onlie I will alleage in this place an offer or challenge made for proofe thereof by Tertulian to the Heathen Magistrates and persecutors of hys time his words are these Let there bee brought heere in presence before your tribunall seates some person who is certainly knowne to be possessed with a wicked spirit and let that spirit be cōmaunded by a Christian to speake he shal as truelie confesse himselfe to be a deuill as at other tymes to you he wyll falsely say he is a God Again at the same time let there be brought foorth one of these your Priestes or Prophets that will seeme to be possessed with a diuine spirite I meane of those that speake gasping c. in whom you imagine your Gods to talke and except that spyrite also commaunded by vs doe confesse himselfe to be a deuill beeing affrayd indeede to lie vnto a Christian doe you shedde the blood of the Christians in that verie place c. None wyll lye to theyr owne shame but rather for honour or aduantage yet those spirits wyll not say to vs that Christ was a Magitian as you doe nor that he was of the cōmon condition of men They wyll not say he was stolne out of the Sepulcher but they wyll confesse that hee was the vertue wisedome and word of God that he is in heauen and that he shall come againe to be our Iudge c. Neither will these deuils in our presence denie themselues to be vncleane spirits and damned for theyr wickednes and that they expect his most horrible iudgement professing also that they doe feare Christ in God and God in Christ and that they are made subiect vnto hys seruaunts Hetherto are the wordes of Tertulian contayning as I haue sayd a most confident challenge and that vppon the liues blood of all Christians to make triall of their power in controling those spirits which the Romaines and other Gentiles adored as theyr Gods Which offer seeing it was made and exhibited to the persecutors thēselues then liuing in Rome well may we be assured that the enemie wold neuer haue omitted so notorious an aduauntage if by former experience hee had not beene perswaded that the ioyning heerein would haue turned and redounded to hys owne confusion And this puissant authoritie of Iesus imparted to Christians extended it selfe so far foorth that not onely their words and commaundements but euen their very presence did shutte the mouthes and driue into feare the miserable spirits So Lactantius sheweth that in his dayes among many other examples of thys thing a seelie seruing-man that was a Christian following hys Maister into a certaine Temple of Idoles the Gods cryed out that nothing could be well done as long as that Christian was in presence The like recordeth Eusebius of Dioclesian the Emperour who going to Apollo for an Oracle receiued aunswere That the iust men were the cause that hee coulde say nothing Which iust men Apollos Priestes interpreted to bee meant ironically of Christians and theruppon Dioclesian began hys most fearce and cruell persecution in Eusebius daies Sozomenus also writeth that Iulian the Apostata endeuouring with many sacrifices and coniurations to drawe an aunswer from Apollo Daphnaeus in a famous place called Daphne in the suburbes of Antioche vnderstood at last by the Oracle that the bones of Saint Babylas the Martyr that lay neere to the place were the impediment why that God could not speake And thereuppon Iulian caused the same body presently to be remoued And finally heereof it proceeded that in all sacrifices coniurations and other mysteries of the Gentiles there was brought in that phrase recorded by scoffing Lucian Extant Christiani let Christians depart for that while they were present nothing coulde be well accomplished To conclude the Pagan Porphyrie that of all other most earnestly endeuoured to impugne and dysgrace vs Christians and to hold vppe the honor of his enfeebled Idoles yet discoursing of the great plague that raigned most furiously in the Cittie of Messina in Cicilie where he dwelt yeeldeth this reason why AEsculapius the God of Physicke much adored in that place was not able to helpe them It is no meruaile saith he if this Cittie so many yeeres be vexed with the plague seeing that both AEsculapius and all other Gods be nowe departed from it by the comming of Christians For since that men haue begunne to worship thys Iesus we could neuer obtaine anie profite by our Gods Thus much confessed thys Patrone of Paganisme concerning the maime that hys Gods had receiued by Iesus honour Which albeit he spake with a malicious minde to bring Christians in hatred and persecution thereby yet is the confession notable confirmeth that Storie which Plutarch in hys fore-named booke dooth report that in the later yeeres of the raigne of the Emperour Tyberius a strange voyce and exceeding horrible clamour wyth hydeous cryes skriches and howlings were heard by many in the Graecian sea complaining that the great God Pan was nowe departed And this Plutarch that was a Gentile affirmeth to haue beene alleaged and approoued before the Emperour Tyberius who meruailed greatlie thereat and could not by all his Diuiners and Southsayers whom he called to that consultation gather out any reasonable meaning of thys wonderfull accident But we Christians comparing the time wherein it happened vnto the tyme of Iesus death passion and finding the same fully to agree may more thē probably perswade our selues that by the death of their great God Pan which signifieth all was imported the ruine and vtter ouerthrow of all the wicked spirits and Idoles vpon earth The sixt Consideration AND thus hath the Deitie of Iesus beene declared and prooued by hys omnipotent power in subduing infernall enemies Nowe resteth it for vs to make manifest the same by hys like power and diuine iustice shewed vpon diuers of hys enemies here on earth whose greatest punishment albeit for the most parte hee reserueth for the life to com yet som-times for manifestation of his omnipotencie as specially it was behouefull in those first dayes of hys appearaunce in the world he chasteneth them also euen here on earth in the eye and sight of all men So wee reade of the most infamous and miserable death of Herod the first surnamed Ascolonita who after hys persecution of Christ in hys infancie and the slaughter of the infants in Bethleem for hys sake was wearied out by a lothsome life in feare and horrour of hys owne wyfe and chyldren whom after he had most cruelly murthered was enforced also by desperation through his inspeakable greefes vexations and torments to offer hys owne hand to his owne destruction if hee had not beene stayed by hys freendes that stoode about him After him Archelaus his eldest Sonne that
if once it be manifest that there is a GOD which hath care and prouidence of all those whom hee hath created and gouerneth then must it ensue by force of all consequence that he is also to rewarde the same men according to theyr good liuing and deserts of thys life Fyrst then to prooue this principle that there is a GOD I neede vse no other argument or reason in the world but onely to referre each man to his own sence in beholding the world wherof euery part and portion is a most cleere glasse representing God vnto vs or rather a fayre Table wherin God hath drawne and imprinted himselfe in so manifest charecters and legible Letters as the symplest man liuing may reade and vnderstand the same In respect heere of saide the wise man so long agoe That vaine and foolish were all those who considering the workes that are seene in this worlde could not thereby ryse to vnderstande the worke-man And hee giueth this reason a magnitudine enim specâ—â—â— creaturae cognoscibiliter poterit Creator horuâ— videri For that by the greatnes of beautie in the creature may the Creator thereof be seene and knowne Which Saint Paule confirmeth when hee saith that the inuisible things of God may be seene and knowne by the visible creatures of thys world Which is to be vnderstoode in this sence that as a prisoner in a dungion may easilie by a lyttle beame that shyneth in at a chynck conceiue there is a Sunne from whence that beame descendeth and as a trauayler in the wyldernesse that falleth vppon some channell or brooke may ascende by the same to the well or Fountaine euen so he that beholdeth considereth the wonderfull workes of thys worlde may thereby conceiue also the wonderfull Artificer or worke-man that made them If a man shoulde passe by sea into some forraine strange or sauage Countrey where nothing els but byrdes and beastes doe appeare yet if he should espie some exquisite building or other worke of arte and reason in the place he would presently assure himselfe that some men dwelt or had beene in that Countrey for that such thinges coulde not be doone by beastes or vnreasonable creatures euen so in the viewe and consideration of thys world If we cast our eyes vpon the heauens we remaine astonished with the miracles that we beholde but who made them wee see the skyes of exceeding great highnesse dystinguished wyth colours and beautie most admirable adorned with starres Plannets innumerable and these so qualified wyth theyr diuers different and vnequal motions as albeit they neuer mooue or goe together yet doe they neuer giue let or hinderaunce the one to the other nor change their course out of order or season Quis enarrabit caelorum rationem concentum caeli quis dormire faciet Who is able to declare the reason of these heauens or who can make cease or sleepe the vniforme course of their motions saith GOD to Iob As who woulde say that because no man or mortall creature can doe this therefore may wee imagine of what power and perfection theyr maker is Which K. Dauid had doone when hee pronounced caeli enarrant gloriam Dei opera manuum eius annunciat firmamentum the heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament dooth preache the workes of his hands vnto vs. If we pull downe our eyes from heauen to earth wee beholde the same of an infinite bignesse distinguished with hils and dales woodes and pastures couered wyth all varietie of grasse hearbes flowers and leaues moystened wyth Riuers as a bodie wyth veines inhabited by creatures of innumerable kindes and qualities inriched with inestimable and endlesse treasures and yet it selfe standing or hanging rather with all his weyght and poyse in the midst of the ayre as a little balle without proppe or pyller At which deuise and most wonderfull miracle God himselfe as it were glorying said vnto Iob. Where wert thou when I laid the foundations of the earth Tell me if thou haue vnderstanding who measured it out or drew his lyne vpon the same Whereupon are fastened the pillers of his foundation or who laide the first corner stone thereof If we looke neyther vppe nor downe but cast our countenaunce onelie aside we espie the Sea on each hande of vs that enuironeth rounde about the land A vaste creature that containeth more wonders then mans tongue can expresse A bottomlesse gulfe that with out running ouer receiueth all Riuers which perpetuallie doe flow A restlesse fight and turmoyle of waters that neuer repose neyther day or night A dreadfull raging and furious element that swelleth and roareth and threatneth the land as though it would deuoure it all at once And albeit in situation it be higher then the earth as the Phylosopher sheweth and doe make assaults dailie towardes the same with most terrible cryes and waues mounted euen to the skye yet when it draweth neere to the land and to his appointed borders it stayeth vpon the suddaine though nothing be there to let it and is enforced to recoyle back againe murmuring as it were for that it is not permitted to passe any further Of which restraint God asketh Iob this question Who hath shut vppe the Sea vvith gates when he breaketh foorth in rage as from his mothers wombe Whereunto no man being able to giue aunswere God aunswereth himselfe in these wordes I haue limitted him with my boundes and I haue sette him both a doore and a barre and haue said vnto him hytherto shalt thou come and shalt not passe further heere shalt thou breake thy svvelling vvaues This in summe is of things without vs. But if wee shoulde leaue these and enter to seeke God within our selues whether wee consider our bodies or our soules or any one part thereof we shall finde so many strange things or rather so many seas of miracles and wonders that preach and teach theyr maker vnto vs as we shall not onely perceiue see God most euidentlie but rather as a certain olde Heathen hath written we shall feele handle him in his workes Which kinde of speech also S. Paul himselfe doubteth not to vse affirming that God hath giuen space to euerie man in this life to seeke him si forte attractent eum aut inueniant if perhaps they would handle him or finde him out Which manner of words doe signifie that by consideration of Gods creatures and especially of the wonders in man himselfe we may come to see and perceiue the Creator so cleerelie that in a sorte we may be said to feele handle him So ioyntlie doe all thinges concurre to the manifestation of theyr maker so manifestlie and effectuallie doe they teach demonstrate and paint out God vnto vs nothing being so little that declareth not hys greatnes nothing so great which acknowledgeth not his soueraigntie nothing so low that leadeth vs not vp to beholde his
Salomon that was Dauids sonne and in some sense they may so be for that King Salomon was a figure of Christ to come yet properly these words and his kingdome shall stand for euer and for all eternitie which are so often repeated in this and other places of Scripture cannot be verified in Salomon whose earthly Kingdome was rent and torne in peeces straight way after his death by Ieroboam and not long after as it were extinguishedâ— but they must needes be vnderstoode of an â—ternall king which shold come of Dauids seede as must also these other words of God in the Psalmes Thou art my Sonne thys daie haue I begotten thee I wil giue vnto thee the Gentiles for thyne inheritaunce Which was neuer fulfilled in Salomon nor in any other temporall King in Iurie after hym And much lesse these wordes which follow He shall endure with the sunne and before the moone from generation to generation There shall rise vppe in his daies peace vntil the moone be taken awaie he shall raigne from Sea to Sea vnto the endes of the world All Kings shall adore him and all Nations shal serue him for that hee shall deliuer the poore man that had no helper he shall saue their soules and delyuer them from vsurie and from iniquitie all trybes of the earth shal be blâ—ssed in him and all Nations shall magnifie him These words of Chrisâ—es eternal kingdom of hys enduring to the worldes end of hys vniuersall raigne ouer Iewe and Gentile of hys adoration by all Nations of hys deliuery of soules from bondage of iniquitie and finally of hys making blessed all Trybes of the earth cannot possibly be applyed to any temporall King that euer was among the Iewes or euer shall be vnto the worldes end but onely Christ. IEREMIES PROPHECIE OF CHRIST THIS promise made vnto Dauid for Christ to come of hys seede is repeated after hys death by many Prophets and confirmed by God as in Ieremie vvhere God vseth these wordes Beholde the dayes come on and I will raise vppe to Dauid a iust seede and he shall raigne a King and shall be wise and shall doe iudgment and iustice vppon earth And in his daies shall Iuda be saued Israel shal dwel considently and this is the name that men shall call him OVR IVST GOD. All this was spokeÌ„ of Dauids seede aboue foure hundred yeeres after Dauid was dead Which proueth manifestly that the former promises speeches were not made to King Dauid for Salomon hys sonne or for any other temporall King of Dauids lyne but for Christ who was called so perticulerlie The sonne and seede of Dauid for that Dauid was the first King of the Trybe of Iuda and not onely was Christes Progenitour in the fleshe but also did beare his type and figure in many other things EZECHIELS PROPHECIE OF CHRIST FOR which cause likewise in the Prophet Ezechiell who liued about the same time that Ieremie did the Messias is called by the name of Dauid himselfe For thus God spake at that tyme vnto Ezechiell I will saue my flocke nor shall they be any longer left to the spoyle c. I wil raise ouer them ONE PASTOR which shall feede them my seruant DAVID he shall feede them and hee shall be theyr Sheepehearde and Prince and I will be their God and will make with them a couenaunt of peace c. In which words not onely we that are called Christians but the later Iewes also themselues doe confesse in their Thalmud that theyr Messias is called by the name of Dauid for that hee shall discend of the seede of Dauid as by reason also it must needes be so for that King Dauid beeing deade foure hundred yeeres before these wordes were spoken as hath beene noted coulde not now come againe to feede Gods people or gouerne them himselfe THE PROPHECIES OF ESAY TOVCHING CHRIST ESay the Prophet who liued about a hundred yeeres before Ieremie and Ezechiel had meruailous fore-knowledge of the Messias and hys affayres and describeth him verie perticulerly beginning in thys manner In the latter daies the HILL of Gods house shall be prepared vppon the toppe of mountaines and all Nations or Gentiles shall flowe vnto him And many people shall saie come and let vs ascende vnto the HILL of our Lorde and he shall teach vs his waies and we shall walk in his pathes he shall iudge Nations c. Which very words are also repeated in Micheas the Prophet are applyed there as also here vnto the Messias can haue no other meaning by the iudgment of the Iewes and Hebrues themselues And Esay doth prosecute the same matter afterwards in diuers Chapters As for example in the fourth talking of the same Messias which before he called the HIL of Gods house he addeth these words In that day shal the issue of the Lord be in magnificence and glorie and the fruite of the earth in sublimitie and exultation to all such as shall be saued of Israell In which words he calleth the Messias bothe the issue of God and the fruite of the earth for that he should be both God and man And in the ninth Chapter he calleth him by these termes Admirable Counsâ—llour God Strong Father of the future world and Prince of Peace In the eleuenth chapter he describeth him most wonderfully in these wordes There shall goe forth a braunche of the stocke of Iesse which Iesse was Dauids father and out of the roote of that braunch therâ— shall mount vppe a flower and the spirit of the Lord shall rest vppon him the spirit of wisedome and of vnderstanding the spirit of councell fortitude the spirit of knowledge and pietie he shall not iudge according to the sight of fleshly eyes nor yet condemne according to the hearing of fleshlie eares but hee shall iudge poore men in iustice and shall dispute in equitie for the mylde men of the earth He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the spirit of his lyps shall he sley the wicked man Iustice shal be the girdle of his loynes and faith shall be the bande of his reynes c. Hetherto are the wordes of the Prophet wherin truely nothing can be more plaine and euident then that by the rodde or branche of Iâ—sse is meant the Virgine Marie who directly discended of the linage of Iesse and by the flower ascending froÌ„ this branch must needes be vnderstood Christ that was borne of her and had all those excellencies and priuiledges aboue other men which Esay in thys place assigneth vnto him Whose further graces yet and speciall diuine properties the same Prophet expresseth more particulerly in the Chapters following where he sayth Hee shall for euer ouerthrowe and destroy death he shall open the eyes of the blynde and the eares of the deafe he shall not cry nor contâ—nde nor shall he accept the person of
particular places Which is to be vnderstood such little Kings as Iosue slew thirtie in one battaile And it is to be noted that S. Matthewe maketh mention of the comming of these Kings to Ierusalem as of a knowne and publique matter whereof all Ierusalem and Iurie were able to beare him witnesse For hee talketh of theyr open comming to Ierusalem and of the inquirie for the new borne King of theyr speeche and conference had wyth Herod as also of Herods consultation with the Scribes Pharisies about the place of the Messias byrth And finally he sheweth the most pittifull murder that insued of almost infinite infants in all the circuite of Bethleem for thys matter Which could not be a thing vnknowne to all Iurie and much lesse feygned by the holy Euangelist Saint Matthew for that he should haue giuen his aduersaries the greatest aduauntage in the worlde if he had begunne hys Gospell with so notorious and open an vntrueth which might haue been refuted by infinite persons that were yet aliue Epiphanius is of opinion that the three Kings arriued in Ierusalem two yeeres after Christes Natiuitie for that Herod slewe all infants of that age But other hold more probablie that the starre appeared vnto thē two yeeres before Christes Natiuitie so that they came to Bethleem the thirteenth day after Christes birth according as the Church doth celebrate the Epiphanie Saint Basile thinketh that they were learned men and myght by theyr learning and Arte Magick wherin those Countrimen at that time were very skilfull vnderstand and feele that the power of their Heathen Gods was greatlie diminished and broken They might also be styrred vp wyth that common brute and generall prophecie spredde ouer all the Easte in those daies as both Suetonius Iosephus doe recorde That out of Iurie should come an vniuersall King ouer all the world By these meanes I say and by the prophecie of Balaam left among thē from Moses time for he was a Gentile wherby was signified that a starre should ryse and declare a great and mightie King in Israell they might be induced at the sight of this starre to take so long a iourney as they did towards Iurie Thys starre as I haue sayde was foretolde by Balaam a Heathen Prophet aboue one thousand and fiue hundred yeeres before it appeared And after Balaam again it was prophecied by Dauid that Kings of Arabia Saba and other Easterne Countries shoulde come and adore Christ and offer both gold and other gyfts vnto hym The murder also of those infants of Bethleem was presignified by Ieremie in the weeping of Rachell for the slaughter of her children which Rachell was buried in Bethleem and for that cause those infants were called her children albeit shee were dead aboue two thousande yeres before they were slaine and aboue one thousand and fiue hundred yeeres before Ieremie wrote the prophecie Amongst which infants Herod also for more assurance slewe an infant of hys owne For that as Philo noteth he was descended by hys mothers side of the lyne of Iuda Which cruelty comming to Augustus eares he sayde as Macrobius reporteth that hee had rather bee Herods swyne then hys sonne for that hee beeing a Iewe was forbidden by hys Religion to kyll hys swyne though not ashamed to kyll hys sonne The same starre whereof we speake is mentioned by diuers Heathen Writers as by Plinie vnder the name of a Comete for so they termed all extraordinarie Starres which appeared in the later ende of Augustus daies and were farre different from all other that euer appeared And therfore contrary to the nature of those kind of Starres it was adiudged by the whole Colledge of South-sayers to portende vniuersall good vnto the earth and for that cause had an Image of mettall erected to it in Rome and as Plinies words are Is Cometa vnus tota orbe colitur that onely Comete is worshipped throughout the whole world Origine also writeth of one Chaeremon a Stoike that was much mooued with the consideration of thys Starre and for that after the appearaunce thereof hee perceiued the power of hys Gods decayed tooke a iourney into Iurie in company of other Astronomers to informe himselfe further of the matter Whereunto Chalcidius a Platonicke dooth adde that the Chaldean Astronomers did gather by contemplation of thys Starre that some God descended from heauen to the benefite of mankind And finally the Sibyls talking of the comming of Christ affirmed plainlie Rutilans eum sydus mon strabit a blazing starre shall declare his cōming Which prophecie Virgill the Poet hauing reade in Augustus tyme and soone after hauing seen the same fulfilled applied it as I haue shewed before of all the rest to the flattering of Caesar and therefore he sayth in the place before alleaged Ecce Dionaei processit Caesaris astrum Behold the starre of Caesar descended of Venus hath nowe appeared Which starre indeede was the starre of Caesars Lorde and Maister After fortie daies past ouer Saint Luke reporteth how Iesus by his mother was presented in the Temple of Ierusalem therwithall recounteth two strange thinges that happened at the same time to wit that two graue and reuerend persons Simeon surnamed Iust and Anna the Prophetesse both of singuler sanctitie amongst the Iewes cōming into the Temple at the very same time when Iesus was there in hys Mothers armes tooke notice of him and acknowledged him publiquely for the Messias and Sauiour of the world Fore-telling also by the spyrite of prophecie diuers perticuler things that wer to ensue both to Christ and Christians and especially to hys Mother the blessed virgine Which things being published at that time and confirmed afterwards by the euent doe well declare that thys narration of S. Luke could not be forged as doe also the number of perticuler circumstaunces sette downe about the tyme place and persons most notoriously knowne to all Ierusalem For as for Anna she had lyued from her youth vntyll foure-score yeeres of age in the Temple and thereby was knowne to the most part of Iurie And as for Symeon he was the Scholler of the most famous Hillel and condisciple to Ionathan maker of the Chaldie Paraphrase of whō I spake before and the Iewes Thalmud confesseth that by the death of these two men especially of Simeon fayled the spyrit of the great Sinagogue called Sanhedrin which after the Captiuitie of Babylon vntyll Herods time supplyed in a sort the spirit of prophecie that was expresly in Israel before the sayd captiuitie Of Christes flight into Egipt for feare of Herode S. Luke wel noteth that it was prophecied by Ose long before that God would call his Sonne out of Egipt And the Prophet Esay describeth the same very particularlie when he sayth Beholde our Lord Iehoua shal ascend vp or ride vpon a light cloude which was his flesh or humanitie
was come vsing thys speeche vnto them When you shall see Ierusalem besieged with an Armie then know ye that her desolation is at hand for that these are the dayes of reuenge to the ende all may be fulfilled which is written Great distresse shall fall vppon thys earth and vengeaunce vpon thys people They shall be slaine by dint of the sworde and shall bee ledde as slaues into all Countries And Ierusalem shall be troden vnder feete by the Gentiles vntill the times of Nations be accomplished Thys fore-tolde Iesus of the miserie that was to fall vpon Ierusalem and vppon that people by the Romaines and other Gentiles when the Iewes seemed to be in most securitie and greatest amitie with the Romaines as also they were when the same things were wrytten and consequentlie at that tyme they might seeme in all humaine reason to haue lesse cause then euer before to misdoubt such calamities And yet howe certaine assured fore-knowledge and as it were most sensible feeling Iesus had of these miseries he declared not only by these expresse words and by their euent but also by those pittifull teares hee shed vpon sight and consideration of Ierusalem and by the lamentable speech he vsed to the women of that Cittie who wept for him at his passion perswading them to weepe rather for themselues and for their children in respecte of the miseries to follow then for him Which wordes and predictions of Iesus together wyth sundry other his speeches fore-shewing so particularly the imminent calamities of that Nation that as I haue said at such time when in humaine discourse there could be no probabilitie therof when a certaine Hethen Chronicler Mathematique named Phlegon about a hundered yeres after Christes departure had diligently considered hauing seene the same also in his daies most exactlie fulfilled for he was seruaunt to Adrianus the Emperour by whose commaundement as hath beene said before the finall subuersion of that Iewish Nation was brought to passe thys Phlegon I say though a Pagan yet vpon consideration of these euents and others that he sawe as the extreame persecution of Christians foretold by Christ and the like he pronounced that neuer any man fore-told things so certainlie to come or that so precisely were accomplished as were the predictions and prophecies of Iesus And this testimonie of Phlegon was alleaged vrged for Christians against one Celsus a Heathen Phylosopher Epicure by the famous learned Origen euen the verie next age after it was written by the Authour so that of the trueth of thys allegation there can be no doubt or question at all Other prophecies of Iesus fulfilled to his Disciples AND nowe albeit these predictions and prophecies concerning the punishment and reprobation of the Iewes fulfilled so euidently in the sight of all the worlde might be a sufficient demonstration of Iesus fore-knowledge in affaires to come yet are there many other thinges besides fore-shewed by him which fell out as exactly as these dyd notwithstanding that by no learning mathematicall reason humaine coniecture they were or might be fore-seene As for example the fore-telling of hys owne death the manner time and place thereof as also the personne that should betray hym together wyth his irrepentant ende The flight feare and scandale of hys Disciples albeit they had promised and protested the contrarie The three seuerall denials of Peter The particuler time of hys owne resurrection and ascention The sending of the holie Ghost and many other the like predictions prophecies and promises which to his Apostles disciples and followers that heard them vttered and left them written before they fell out sawe them afterward accomplished who by the falshood therof should haue receiued greatest domage of all other men if they had not beene true to these men I saie they were most euident proofes of Iesus diuine prescience in matters that should ensue Prophecies fulfilled in the sight of Gentiles BVT yet for that an Infidell with whom onely I suppose my selfe to deale in thys place may in these and the like things find perhaps some matter of cauilation say that these prophecies of Iesus were recorded by our Euangelists after the particularities therein prophecied were effectuated not before and consequently that they might be forged I wil alleage certain other euents both fore-told registred before they came to passe and divulged by publique writings in the face of all the worlde when there was small semblance that euer the same shoulde take effect Such were the particular fore-tellings of the kinde and manner of S. Peters death whiles hee liued The peculier and different manner of S. Iohn the Euangelists ending from the rest of the Apostles The fore-shewing and describing to his disciples the most extreame and cruell persecutions that shoulde ensue vnto Christians for his sake a thing at that time not probable in reason for that the Romaines permitted the exercise of all kindes of Religions and that notwithstanding all these pressures and intollerable afflictions his faithfull followers should not shrinke but hold out and dailie increase in zeale fortitude and number and finally should atchiue the victorie and conquest of all the worlde a thing much more vnlikelie at that day and so farre passing all humaine probabilitie as no capacitie reason or conceit of man might reach or attain the fore-sight thereof And wyth thys wil wee conclude our third and last part of the generall diuision sette downe in the beginning concerning the groundes and proofes of Christian Religion The Conclusion SECT 4. BY all that hetherto hath beene saide wee haue declared and made manifest vnto thee gentle Reader three thinges of great importaunce First that from the beginning and creation of the world there hath beene promised in all times and ages a Messias or Sauiour of man-kind in whom by whom all Nations shoulde be blessed as also that the particuler time maner and circumstance of his comming together with the qualitie of hys person purpose doctrine life death resurrection and ascention were in like manner by the Prophets of God most euidently fore-shewed Secondlie that the verie same perticulers and speciall points that were dissigned and sette down by the sayd Prophets were also fulfilled most exactly with theyr circumstaunces in the person and actions of Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Thyrdlie that besides the accomplishment of all the fore-sayd prophecies there were giuen by Iesus many signes manifestations and most infallible arguments of hys Deitie and omnipotent puissaunce after his ascention or departure from all humaine and corporal conuersation in thys world By all which waies meanes arguments and proofes and by tenne thousande more which to the tongue or pen of man are inexplicable the christian minde remaineth setled and most firmely grounded in the vndoubted beleefe of his Religion hauing besides all other things euidences certainties and internall comforts and assurances which are infinite these eyght demonstratiue
reasons and perswasions which insue for hys more ample and aboundant satis-faction therein Fyrst that it was impossible that so manie things should be fore-tolde so preciselie wyth so many particularities in so manie ages by so different persons of all sanctitie wyth so great concorde consent and vnitie and that so long before hand but by the spirite of God alone that onely hath the fore-knowledge of future euents Secondly that it could not possibly be that so many things so difficult strange wyth all theyr particularities circumstances should be so exactly and precisely fulfilled but in hym alone of whom they were truely meant Thirdly that it can no waies be imagined that God woulde euer haue concurred with Iesus dooings or assisted him aboue all course of nature wyth so aboundant myracles as the Gentiles doe confesse that hee wrought if he had beene a Seducer or taken vppon him to sette foorth a false doctrine Fourthly if Iesus had intended to deceiue and seduce the worlde he would neuer haue proposed a doctrine so difficult repugnaunt to all sensualitie but rather would haue taught things pleasant gratefull to mans voluptuous delight as Mahomet did after hym Neyther coulde the nature of man haue euer affectuously embraced such austeritie wythout the assistance of some diuine and supernaturall power Fiftlie for that Iesus beeing poorelie borne and vnlettered as by hys aduersaries confession doth appeare and that in such an age and time when all worldly learning was in most flourishing estate he coulde neuer possibly but by diuine power haue attained to such exquisite knowledge in all kynde of learning as to be able to decide al the doubts controuersies of Philosophers before him as he did laying downe more plainelie distinctly and perspicuously the pythe of all humaine and diuine learning within the coÌ„passe of three yeeres teaching and that to auditours of so great simplicitie then dyd all the Sages of the world vnto that day insomuch that euen then the most vnlearned Christian at that time coulde say more in certaintie of trueth concerning the knowledge of God the Creation of the worlde the ende of man the reward of vertue the punishment of vice the immortalitie and rest of our soule after thys life and in other such high poynts and mysteries of true Phylosophy then coulde the most famous and learned of all the Gentiles that had for so many ages before beaten theyr braynes in contention about the same Sixtlie if Iesus had not meant plainelie and sincerely in all hys dooings according as he professed he would neuer haue taken so seuere a course of life to himselfe neyther would he haue refused all temporal dignities and aduauncements as he did he would neuer haue chosen to die so opprobriously in the sight of all men nor made election of Apostles and disciples so poore and contemptible in the world nor if he had would euer worldly men haue followed him in so great multitudes wyth so great feruour zeale constancie and perseueraunce vnto death Seuenthly wee see that the first begynners and founders of Christian Religion left by Iesus were a multitude of simple and vnskilfull persons vnapt to deceiue or deuise any thing of themselues They beganne against all probabilitie of mans reason they went forward against the stream strength of the worlde they continued and increased aboue humaine possibilitie they perseuered in torments afflictions insufferable they wrought miracles aboue the reach and compasse of mans abilitie they ouerthrew Idolatrie that then possessed the world and confounded all powers infernall by the onelie name and vertue of theyr Maister They saw the prophecies of Iesus fulfilled and all his diuine speeches and predictions come to passe They sawe the punishment of theyr enemies and cheefe impugners to fall vpon them in theyr dayes They sawe euerie daie whole Prouinces Countries and kingdoms conuerted to theyr fayth And finally the whole Romaine Empire and world besides to subiect it selfe to the Law obedience and Gospell of theyr Maister Lastlie among all other reasons and arguments this may be one most manifest vnto vs that wheras by many testimonies and expresse prophecies of the olde Testament it is affirmed that the people of Israel should abandon persecute and put to death the true Messias at hys comming as before hath beene shewed and for that facte shoulde it selfe be abandoned of God and brought to ruine and dispersion ouer all the worlde wherein according to the wordes of Ose They shall sitte for a long time without King without Prince without sacrifice without Aultar without Ephode or Images and after thys againe the children of Israell shall returneâ— and seeke their God in the last dayes Wee see in thys age the same particularities fulfilled in that Nation and so haue continued now for these â—ifteene hundred yeeres that is we see the Iewish people abandoned and afflicted aboue all Nations of the world dyspersed in seruilite throughout all corners of the earth without dignitie or reputation without King Prince or common-wealth of themselues prohibited by all Princes both Christian and other to make their sacrifice where they inhabite depriued of all meanes to attaine to good knowledge in good litterature whereby daily they fall into more grosse ignoraunce and absurdities against common reason in theyr later doctrine then did the most barbarous Infidels that euer were hauing lost all sence and feeling in spirituall affayres all knowledge and vnderstanding in celestiall things for the life to come hauing among them no Prophet no graue teacher no man directed by Gods holy spirite and finally as men forlorne and filled wyth all kinde of miserie doe both by theyr inwarde and externall calamities preach denounce and testifie to the worlde that Iesus whom they crucified was the onely true Messias Sauiour of man-kinde and that hys bloode as they themselues required lyeth heauily vppon theyr generation for euer Wherefore to conclude thys whole discourse and treatise of the proofes euidences of our Christian Religion seeing that by so manifold and inuincible demonstrations it hath beene declared and layde before our eyes that Iesus is the onely true sauiour and redeemer of the worlde and consequentlie that hys seruice and religion is the onelie way meane to please Almightie GOD and to attaine euerlasting happinesse there remaineth nowe to be considered that the same Iesus which by so many Prophets was promised to be a Sauiour was also foretolde by the selfe same Prophets that he shoulde be a Iudge and examiner of all our actions Which latter poynt no one Prophet that hath fore-shewed hys comming hath omitted seriously to inculcate vnto vs. No not the Sibyls themselues who in euery place where they describe the most gracious comming of the Virgins sonne doe also annexe therunto hys dreadfull appearaunce at the daie of iudgment especially in those famous Acrostick verses wherof there hath been so much mention before the
of our Sauiour in the Gospell concerning the extraordinarie ioy feasting that the careful woman made when shee had found againe her grote that was lost and the good sheephearde when he brought backe the sheepe that was astray and the mercifull father when he receiued home his sonne that before had abandoned him And to the same purpose doth it also appertaine that in the Prophet Dauid God glorieth especially in the seruice of those people that before had not known him And this shal suffise for thys second poynt to shew what wonderfull meanes almightie God dooth vse in setting forth his mercie for allurement of sinners vnto repentaunce The third part what assurance God giueth to them that repent AND so hauing declared what exceeding great loue and mercie GOD beareth towards man how effectually he expresseth the same by his suing vnto sinners for their conuersion it followeth that we shold in this third place examine some what more in perticuler what certaine assuraunce hys diuine Maiestie giueth of vndoubted pardon and full remission of theyr sinnes to all such as vnfainedly shall resolue themselues to make their refuge vnto him Which thing albeit euery man by that which before hath beene treated may sufficiently conceiue yet for the importance of the matter it shall not be amisse in thys place also to adde a worde or two for more plaine and euident demonstration thereof And thys shall bee doone by setting downe both the wordes and deedes that is bothe the promisses and performance which almightie God hath vsed and exercised in this behalfe to all such as haue offended him whatsoeuer And for the first which are his promises most apparent it is as well by the thinges which before haue beene discussed as also by the whole course body and drift of holie scripture that the promises of mercy pardon which his diuine maiestie hath made to sinners whereunto by his sacred word he hath in a certain manner obliged himselfe are both manifold vehement absolute resolute and vniuersal Whosoeuer shall depart from his wicked waies and turne vnto me saith almightie GOD I will receiue him Beholde the vniuersalitie of all people and persons without excluding any And then further At what time soeuer an impious man shall returne vnto mee from his impietie his wickednes shall not hurt him saith the same Lorde God of hostes see the vniuersalitie of all tymes and seasons without exception But yet harken what God addeth besides Leaue of to do peruerselie saith he to the Iewes c. and then doe you come finde fault with me if you can For if your sinnes were as redde as skarlet they shall be made as white as snowe c. Consider the vniuersalitie of all kinde of sinnes be they neuer so greeuous so horrible or heynous And finally God talking to a soule that hath often times fallen and most infinitly offended him hee sayth thus It is a common receiued speech that if a woman depart frō her husband and doe ioyne herselfe to another man shee may not returne to her fyrst husband againe for that shee is defiled and made contaminate And yet whereas thou hast departed from me and hast committed fornication wyth many other louers doe thou returne vnto me againe and I wyll receiue thee saith almightie God By which words is expressed the fourth vniuersalitie contayning all states qualities and conditions of men how many waies or howe oftentimes or howe contemptuouslie soeuer they haue committed sinnes against hys diuine Maiestie And what may be added nowe more vnto thys was there euer Prince that made so large an offer to his subiects or was there euer father that gaue so ample and vniuersall promise of pardon vnto hys children Who can nowe mistrust himselfe to be excluded from this assurance of mercie wherein all sorts of people al kind of sinnes all times and seasons all states and qualities of sinners are comprehended O most miserable infortunate man that excludeth himselfe whom God excludeth not What is there in this generall and vniuersall promises whereof any man in the worlde shoulde haue pretence to make any leaste doubt or question Of the meaning perhaps and intent of him that promiseth O deere brother it is onely loue and charitie and consequently can not deciue vs. Of the trueth and suretie of his promises It is infallible and more certaine then heauen and earth put together Of the power that hee hath to performe his promisses It is infinit and not restrained by any bounds or limitation whereof then may wee doubt or in which of these three poynts may we not cōceiue most singuler consolation heare the comfortable meditation that blessed S. Bernard made vpō thes three particulers which we haue now mentioned Tria considero saith he in quibus tota spes mea consistit charitatem vocationis veritatem promissionis potestaetem redditionis c. That is I doe consider three things faith this holy man wherin all my hope consisteth wherby it is made inuinsible First the exceeding loue charitie of him that calleth me to him by repētance secondly the infallible truth and certainty of his promise which he maketh to me of pardon and mercie thirdly the endlesse power and abilitie he hath to performe whatsoeuer he promiseth This is that triple or threefold rope and chaine which holy scripture sayth is hardly broken for that by this rope lette downe vnto vs from heauen which is our Countrey into this world that is our prison we may ascend and mount vp if we wyll euen vnto the sight and possession of Gods eternall kingdome heauenly glorie Thus farre that blessed father But now to the second poynt if we consider howe faithfullie almightie God hath put in execution those promisses of his frō tyme to tyme and howe no one man vpon earth so many ages as the world hath continued was euer yet frustrate of his hope in making his conuersion vnto his Maiestie if he made it from his hart we shall finde further cause for vs to confide For so much as it is not probable or in reason to be imagined that he which neuer failed in times past will breake his promise for the time to com especially seeing now in Christianitie when we haue this aduantage aboue other former times as Saint Iohn doth also note that he who was and is our iudge is become also our aduocate to pleade our cause Cast backe thine eyes then my louing deere brother and take a viewe of all ages times and seasons past gone Begin from the first creation of the worlde and come downeward euen vnto this day examine indifferently whether in all this wyde compasse of times persons places and most greeuous offences cōmitted against hys diuine Maiestie there were euer yet any one sinner vpon earth that returned vnfainedly was not receiued The sinne of our first Parents was presently forgiuen vnto