vs by the hand of Mosheh beeing assured by the scriptures that the Ierusalem which we shal be restored vnto is the kingdome of heauen from which wee were cast through vnbeliefe and are againe restored vnto it as manie of vs as beleeue in this our Immanuel by the same God with vsâ— whose bloud hath opened vs the waye anâ— not the bloud of our goates calues whicâ— were figures of this true and perfect sacrifice wrought by this man vpon the crosse by vertue whereof they were auaylable to so many of our fathers as did beleeue for the remissâ— of sinnes and deliuerie out of that thraldoâ—â— of the soule and not out of the captiuitie â—â—ther of Egypt or Babylon or this wherâ—â— we and our forefathers haue iustly bene euâ—â— since the vnrighteous shedding of this riâ—â—â—teous mans bloud Moreouer I confesse with my mouthe 〈◊〉 beleeue in my heart that this same man Iesus the sonne of that virgin is not onely 〈◊〉 but God both God and man so called by our Prophets Immanuel God with vs God not made in time nor after a season but God from the beginning and without beginning who was before the sunne shal be after the sunne as our Prophet Dauid sayth by whoÌ„â—s al things were made from the beginning so are they preserued by his mightie power and of his kingdome there shal be none ende Who as he is called the word of God his father so were all the Prophets giuen and sent â—y him the onely true interpreter and messenger of his Fathers will which he reueaâ—â—d from time to time to his people by the handes of his Prophets as he thought best ordering the measure of the reuelatioÌ„ of him selfe as might best stand with the time of his comming when he was to be presented vnto the world And therefore he opened him self â—nto our fathers in the times and dayes of â—ur Prophetes but darkely vnder types and â—igures laying a vayle as it were ouer our eyes to the end we should be more earnest painefull in seeking after him But in the fulâ—es of time when the season appointed hy his Father was come then he reuealed him selfe fully and plainly preaching both him selfe the kingdome of heauen and sending forth his Apostles to do the same vpon whom therefore he powred out the holy Ghost which is called his Spirit so performing that which our Elders set downe as a proper marke of the comming of our Meshiach to witte that in that daye our Prophets should cease thâ— holy Ghost should be giuen to ignorant anâ— vnlearned men which we haue seen fulfilled in the eyes of all Israel And therefore I receiue this word of God which hath been froâ— those daies called the New Testament as the true vndoubted word of God vttered by y same Spirit which spake in our Prophets Againe I confesse with my mouthe and beleeue in my heaâ—te that that holye Ghost and Spirit who was the directour of all our Prophets and was also promised by this mâ—â—â— Iesus our Immanuel to be alwayes with 〈◊〉 people to leade them into all trueth vnto 〈◊〉 worldes ende is also verie God one in sâ—â—â—stance and nature with God the Father 〈◊〉 God the Sonne but an other in persone◠〈◊〉 the Father the SoÌ„ne differ in person 〈◊〉 that there are not three Gods but one Goâ—â— neither one onely person but three personâ—â— Which person of the holy Ghost as he hath bene from the beginning of the world by the euerlasting counsel and determinate purpose of God the directour and gouernour of his Church that is to say the assemblie and companie of his people agreeing together in vnitie of faith and doctrine and did therefore for the bringing and maintenance of them into the vnitie of this faith and doctrine deliuer them from God diuers rites ceremonies diuers in outward shewe but one selfe same in effect and substance hauing onely for their ground and matter this man and God Iesus Christ our Immanuel So doth he continue still to nourishe vs vp in the same and therefore commendeth to vs to be kept for 〈◊〉 euerlasting couenant two sacraments the one of Baptisme the other of the Lordes supper which two the will of our Lord God was and is should be in place of the circumcision and Passeouer coÌ„manded to our forefathers Which I stedfastly beleeue and religiously confesse and therefore renouncing the former as also al other rites and ceremonies of the Lawe being but shadowes of the bodie which is now performed and come I most humbly desire to be receiued into the fellowship of these Sacramentes that as it hath pleased our Lord God and heaueÌ„ly 〈…〉 ther to reueale his sonne vnto me to 〈◊〉 me againe into the stocke of my father Abâ—â—â—ham from whence I was cast out throâ—â—â— vnbeliefe with my forefathers the stifneck 〈◊〉 and disobedient So I may through Bâ—â—tisme be receiued and taken for a membe◠〈◊〉 this our Meshiach whom I confesse and 〈◊〉 knowledge to be the â—â—â—ly promised Chrâ—â— in whome whosoeuer will haue life must 〈◊〉 saued whereof I â—â—â—ke and trust to be 〈◊〉 taker in the 〈◊〉 of the righteouâ— which shal 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 agaiâ—â— of this our Immanâ—el when hee shaâ— come to iudge the â—uâ—cke and the â—eaâ— FINIS To his beloued Mother I. K. sendeth greeting in the Lorde THE desire that I haue to heare of your continuaÌ„ce which Christ Iesus in the day of this his battell which shortly shall end to the confusion of his proud enimies neither by tong neither yet by penne can I expresse beloued Mother Assuredly it is such that it vanquisheth and ouercommeth all remembrance solicitude which the fleshe vseth to take for feeding and defence of herselfe For in euery realme and nation God wil stirre vp some one or other to minister those thinges that appertaine to this wretched life and if men wil ceasse to doe their office yet will hee sende his rauens so that in euery place perchance I may finde some fethers to my body But alas where I shal finde children to be begotten vnto God by the worde of life that can I not presently consider And therfore the spiritual life of such as somtime boldly proâ—essed Christ god knoweth is to my hearte more deare then all the glory riches and honour in the earth And the falling backe of such men as I heare dayly Fides implicita Luke .24 Act .17 The theame out of the xi to the Romanes The summarie effect of Paules discourse câ—mprehâ—nded in few words The first isâ—ues of Gods promise The Oliue tree consisteth of three members the roote the stocke the braunches The Church how it standeth and groweth Augustin putat non amputat The authoritie of the person that speaketh I wil magniâ—ie mine office Rom. 11. Galat. 5. An expositioÌ„ of the matters here treated vpoÌ„ The first part concerning the Iewes and Gentiles The second part concerning the reiection of the one and receyuing of the other
not giue his glorie to an other and what is more glorious to him than to be acknowledged of his creatures to be the onely fountayne of all goodnesse to be our lightening and saluation that wee may dwell confidently vnder the shadowe of hiâ— winges who will be called vpon in the daye of our necessitie and he will heare vs. And therefore as that doctrine is contrarie to the doctrine of our Prophet is cast away of you which in this countrey beleue in the man Iesus So I haue more willingly and with a more readie minde hearkened to the wordes of your teachers and learned by Gods good working to knowe more of our promised Messhiach thaÌ„ our fathers beleue but no more than our scriptures most truely conteine Being assured that seing you haue the wordes of our Prophets and do not followe strange gods you are to be hearkened vnto For by our Lawe no Prophet may bee reiected but the false prophet who seketh to turne vs awaye from the Lorde our God to serue other gods And therefore as I haue learned by the wordes of your teachers conferring them with our Lawe and Prophets that our promised King Messhiach is not a Prince of this worlde as one that hath to establishe a temporal kingdome amongst vs but a spirituall whose power and might consisteth in gouerning vs by his Spirit and forgiuing the sinnes of Israel and taking awaye the iniquities of Iacob bearing in his owne bodie the chastisement of our peace that is the chastisemeÌ„t that worketh and getteth vs peace as our Prophets tell vs So I confesse acknowledge that he is already come and that it is he of whom our Prophet spake Behold the dayes come sayth the Lord that I wil raise vnto Dauid a righteous branche and a King shall raigne and prosper and shall execute iudgement and iustice in the earth in his daies Iudah shal be saued and Israel shal dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnes And therefore being heartilie sorie for my so long going astraye from the faith of this man Iesus after the euill leading of my countrie men and kinsmen after the flesh for whose speedie turning to the Lorde I most earnestly praye and giuing the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob heartie thanks for the working of his grace in me by bringing me from the darkenes wherein my fathers haue walked these fifteen hundreth yeres into his marueilous light to beholde the face of his Christ our true and onely Meshiach I protest vnto you that I vtterly forsake my former wayes and the steps that my nation walketh in leauing with them not only that false looking for an other Christ but my name also which was giuen me at my circumcision being Iehuda though in it selfe it be honourable desiring that as I haue receiued a new gift from the Lord so in token thereof I may be called Nathanael the summe of which gifte so farre forth as he hath as yet reuealed vnto me I here confesse acknowledge before you that you may be witnesses with me of my faith in Christ that Meshiach whom you beleeue in and I receiue for my redeemer I confesse with my mouthe and beleeue from my heart that the man Iesus Christ borne of the virgin Marie according to the foretelling of our Prophets and so by the flesh he toke of hir descending of the seede stocke of Dauid for the continuance of his kingdome for euer ouer his people Israel is the vndoubted Meshiach promised to our fathers for the redemption and deliuerie of vs his people out of the captiuitie wee are in which is not the captiuity of Egypt or Babylon or the captiuitie of the Romanes Empire which we haue iustly deserued by the shedding of his innocent bloud through betraying and deliuering him into the handes of the wicked to be crucified but the captiuitie of sinne death and damnation prefigured vnto vs by our Prophets vnder the shadowe of the foresaid captiuities of Egypt and Babylon Which things because our fathers vnderstoode not through ignorance of our scriptures they did all those thinges which they wrought against that holy one our only redeemer sauiour haue by that meanes estranged them selues and their posteritie from the common wealth in deede of Israel that is to saye from the communion of the sainctes and childreÌ„ of God which make pâ—â—fession of this mans name beleeue in trueth that he is the verie Christ and only anoynteâ— sauiour of the world which was so forepromised from the beginning of the world And therefore in full assurance of this full and perfect and last deliuerie wrought for all them that are both nigh and farre of that is for all that beleeue by that man Iesus whom our Prophets forenamed Immanuel which is by interpretation God with vs resting reposing my selfe in this horne of saluation I looke for no other Messhiach and Christ to come hereafter as the rest of my kindred anâ— people do blinded through vnbeliefe beeing my selfe throughly perswaded by the Prophets that this is that Shiloh which was to come that Angel of the Lord whom Elias the Thesbite as we cal him was to go before that is to say Iohn the Baptist whom soâ—e of our Prophets call the voyce in the wildernesse sent to prepare the wayes of this our King and holy one our redeemer conuerting by his preaching the fathers hearts vnto the children and the simple and vnbeleeuers to the obedience of the righteous For which cause also as our wordes meane he was by our fathers called Thesby which is by interpretation the seruant of God to worke repentance by And because this man who was appointed from the beginning to be our redeemer deliuerer out of the captiuity of sinne was to worke that great and marueilous redemption by his owne death as was prefigured vnto vs by our Passeouer and all our sacrifices and also declared by our Prophets which he performed in his time appointed being deliuered into the handes of Pontius Pilate by our Scribes and Pharisies to be put to that shamefull death of the Crosse whereof it is written in our lawe Cursed be the man that hangeth on the tree which is so well knowen to al the house of Israel that they call him euen to this daye in despite Talui which is by interpretation Hanged Therefore I also confesse and beleeue that our sacrifices commanded in our Law by the hand of Mosheh are at an end not to be vsed any more being in deede but shadowes of this bodie and truthe which was performed in and by this our Immanuel God with vs And therefore I most willingly and freely renounce that doctrine of our Elders which teacheth vs that our deliuerie forespoken 〈◊〉 by our Prophets is or shall be a restoring 〈◊〉 vs into our countrey and land of Iudea theâ— to keepe such ordinances and statutes toâ—ching sacrifices of goates and calues as werâ— commanded
imprinted And although my meaning was at the first to haue the same directed to the behoof of the Iewes chiefely yet I trust it vvil not be altogether vnprofitable to the Christian readers First because it may so be yea I feare me may also iustly be feared lest amongst the nomber of theÌ„ which say that they beleue in Christ some happely vvil be found in vvhose lippes onely this faith rolleth at large and hath not yet pearced any deeper nor taken roote in their heartes nor are as yet so sufficiently learned as if matter come to tryall and proofe they can render a true and vndoubted reason of this their faith Moreouer admitte that a man stande assured and stedfast in the certeintie of his faith yet vvhat faith is there so sure constant and vnuanquiâ—â—able but may be made more stable and perfect For if S. Paul did see sometime as in a darke ryddle if the Apostles notvvithstanding so many miracles vvrought in their sight needed yet the interpretation of Scriptures if those vvhich receaued the vvoorde by the preaching of Paul did neuerthelesse coÌ„ferre his doctrine vvith the Scriptures to see whether they agreed togetherâ— as is recorded in the Actes of the Apostles vvhat shoulde let vs to doe the like that by this meanes vve also myght encrease dayly from fayth to faith Finally for as much as our auncient deadly enemie doeth not more cruelly maligne nor more outragiously assaile any one thing so much as this our faith in Christ surely I iudge this aboue all other most requisite that euery of vs haue especial regard to be as much as is possible armed and garded vvith this target of faith that vve may couragiously encounter all attempts and assaults of the deuill vvhereunto hovve auaylable this litle Sermon vvill be I knovv not that let Christ our Lorde him selfe see vnto and giue his mercifull ayde therein I for my slender capacitie haue perfourmed vvhat I vvas able and as much as the Lorde graunted me vvhome I most heartily beseeche to blesse and encrease thy holy studies godly Reader and to direct the same to the honour glory of his name Amen A Sermon of the true and gladsome Oliue tree mentioned in the Epistle of Sainct Paul to the Romanes chap. xi preached at London by a faithfull Minister of God Iohn Foxe at the christening of a certaine Iewe translated out of Latine into Englishe FIrst as duetie requireth I do yeeld most humble thaÌ„ks to our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesu whome it hath pleased of his vnsearcheable mercie and bountifull loue towardes vs to minister so notable an occasion of our assembly this present day place and so fruitefull an argument for mee to empart vnto you all Secondly I doe no lesse heartily thanke then woorthily commend in the Lord all you that are present who according to your accustomed maner are so willingly and ioyfully gathered together enduced hereunto not through any vayne delight of fonde noueltie but of a seryons and studious zeale of godlinesse not as gazers of friuolous fantasticall fables but as willing witnesses of this great and inestimable benefite of almightie god Lastly I do from the bottome of my heart reioyce in the behalfe of this person for whose cause we are as nowe mette here together who being transported from out the vttermost parts of Barbarie into England and conuersant amongest vs by the space of sixe whole yeeres renouncing nowe at the last the naturall contumacie of his natiue country doth with so earnest bent affection of voluntarie wil chearefully desire to become a member of Iesu Christ and to be made partaker of his holye congregatioâ— through faith and Baptisme And withall I most humbly beseeche Almightie God that he will not onely vouchsafe his gracious encrease to this glorious worke begunne with this Israelite stranger but also to allure the whole remnant of the circumcised Race by this his example to be desirous of the same communion So that at the length all nations as well Iewes as Gentiles embracing the faith and Sacramentes of Christ Iesu acknowledging one Shephearde vnited together in one sheepefold may with one voice one soule and one generall agreemeÌ„t gloâ—ifie the only begotten sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ be glorified againe of him And that it may please him of his singular clemencie to graunt the same as also to blesse these our dayes with quiet calme and ioyfull tranquillitie which we doe nowe enioy vnder the gouernmeÌ„t of our most gracious Souereigne and her most honorable Magistrates I beseeche you of your charitie to ioyne with me in heart and minde vnto the eternall God father of vs all with the same prayer which his onely begotten sonne taught vs in the Gospell The Prayer Our father c. Forsamuch as in the administration of the Sacraments of the Church I doe well perceiue that both by the word of God and by an auncient and solemne custome amongst many it hath bene an vse to haue somewhat for the better instruction of their auditories read and expounded out of the bookes of holie scripture and deliberating likewise with my selfe what course I might best keepe at this present as well to serue the offred opportunitie as also to satisfie the publique commodity of you al chiefly I could not determine vpoÌ„ any one text of the whole scripture to be opened vnto you more profitable for your learning more effectuall for exhortation more applyable to our age and more agreeable for this present occasion then the sentence of S. Paul the Apostle not very long but of woÌ„derfull force taken out of the xi chapter of his Epistle written to the Romanes And to the ende you may receiue the same to your greater comfort it behoueth you to yeeld earnest and heedefull attention not with your bodily eares onely but with the eares of your minde also to these things which I shal vtter vnto you Hearken ye therefore to the words of the Apostle euen as him selfe hath spoken them To the Romanes the 11. chapter I speake vnto you Gentiles in as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles I wil magnifie mine office if by any meanesâ— may prouoke them which be my fleshe and may saue some of them for if the casting away of them be the receyuing of the worlde what shal the receyuing of them be but life froÌ„ the dead For if the first fruits be holy the whole masse is holy also And if the Roote be holy the braunches will be holye also And if some of the braunches be broken of and thou beyng a wilde Oliue tree wast graffed in amongest them and made partaker of the Roote and fatnesse of the true and naturall Oliue tree boaste not thy selfe agaynst the brauÌ„ches for if thou do boaste thou bearest not the roote but the roote beareth thee Thou wilt say then The braunches are broken of that I may be engraffed in Thou sayest well for vnbeliefe sake they were broken of and thou stoodest
God and nature do bring nothing to passe vnaduisedly by howe much the more grieuously the Iewes were ouercharged with the seuere rigor of Gods Iustice for what could be more heauye then to be razed out of the booke of life so much the more haynous must the canker be that prouoked this so sharpe and bitter corryzyue which cankred contagion that wrought their perdition is most expressely declared by these woâ—rdes of S. Paul for their vnbeliefe sayth he wherby all men may easily coniecture how horrible an infectioÌ„ this fretting fistula vnbeliefe is adiudged in the sight of God. But first we must open vnto you the nature anâ— substaunce of this vnbeliefe Unbeliefe is a thing mearely opposite and aduersary to beliefe by which contraposition you may easily perceyue the right nature or definition of vnbeliefe For if faith or beliefe be a certaine infallible knowledge of Ies. Chriâ—â— the Sonne of God ensealed in our hearteâ— whereby we doe embrace him as gyuen 〈◊〉 to vs from God the Father for vs to râ—pose our whole affyaunce in the same it is euident then by the same reason in whâ—â— sorte we ought to iudge of vnbeliefe 〈◊〉 whosoeuer hath ascribed the confidence of his saluation and free remyssion of hys synnes to any other person then vnto Iesus Christ or to any other creature theâ— to the fayth which ought to be in Christ Iâ—â—su the same may well be called an vnbâ—â—lieuing person Moreouer as there be mâ—â—nie degrees amongst the faythfull and likâ— as the fayth of some persons is more abunâ—daunt and plentyfull in some others scarse rypeâ— and lesse fruitefull in manie skarse any blossome or yssue at all appearing sâ— is the manifolde varietie of vnbeliefeâ— likeâ—wise expressed in the Scriptures after maâ—â—â—ie and sundrye sortes For there is a certayne vnbeliefe vnder the which as vnder certayne embers some sparkle of fayth is raked vp be it neuer so small which is signified in that sentence of Scripture where it is sayde I do beleeue Lorde Lorde helpâ— thou my vnbeliefe There is an other kinde of vnbeliefe which although be as yet ouerspread with a certayne darkened myste of foggy Ignoraunce and is tost to and fro with many wandering cloudes doubtfull vapoures yet because it peepeth nowe and then abroade because it glyttereth and shyneth somewhat and endeuoureth by all meanes possible to expresse his oâ—yent and bryght beames it seemeth not to rest in despayred estate There is yet also an other kiâ—d of vnbeliefe which the Lorde doth reproue but forsaketh notâ— as was that whereof meâ—tion is â—ade in the Gospel And he rebuked their vnbeliefe Thomas Didymus belieued not the Disciples when they tolde him that the Lorde was rysen againe A great vnbeliefe but not shaken of yet There is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it happeneth ofteÌ„ times that the one is named yâ—â— and reproched of the other The disciples theÌ„selues also were sometimes worthily rebuked for their vnbeliefe to whom was said O ye vnfaithful peruerse generatioÌ„ Peter was once yelden ouer to the vâ—ry â—â—inke of drowâ—ing for none other cause but for his vnbeliefe sake yet our Lorde stretching out his hand afterwards saued him This was a daungerous vnbeliefe But that other example not of his distrust onely but of his faithlesse reuolting was farre more peryllâ—us when the same Peter not once or twise only but three tymes in one nyght did not onely not acknowledge but also forsware his Lord and master yet was he not therefore depryued from his Apostleshippe And it is not to be doubted but that many persones doe entrude vpon the possession of Christian Title which can gloriously vaunte of Christ with their tongues but denye him vtterly in their deeds beleeuing nothing lesse in their hearts stedfastly then that whereof they carrye an outwarde resemblaunce in their talke coâ—ragiously And because this Serpigo resteth within those persones and crauleth to no further infection of the coÌ„gregation they are not therfore barred from partaking the Sacramentes of this Church which we â—all the visible Church And what shal be sayd of theÌ„ who many times doe accuse them selues of their owne vnbeliefe beyng valiannt souldiours neuerthelesse in the campe of Christian faith when as on the contrary part manie other doe firmely beleeue them selues â—â—â—e meare straungers to infidelitie whose fayth if it should be placed in the face of the enemy wil of very cowardize forthwith flee the fielde And albeit al these examples of vnbeliefe whereof I haue made mencion may iustly be reproued as blame worthy voyd of al color of defence yet may they be borne withal after a sort But this kind of infidelitie of al others is most horrible execrable when as men do rushe headlong into such obstinate resistance that they wil not only not acquaint theÌ„selues with the trueth being layd open before their eyes but will wittingly shut vp their senses from the beholding thereof because they will not see it wil spourne thereat not in words and profession only but wil cruelly persecute the same also with al maner of outrage slaughter blood blasphemies most despiteful execrations And this is that vnbeliefe which being more noysome then any pestileÌ„t botch may rightly properly be called the Iewish Infidelitie seemeth after a certaine maner their inheritable disease who are after a certaine sort from their mothers wombe naturally caried through peruerse frowardnes into all malitious hatred contempt of Christ his ChristiaÌ„s And for this cause especially I suppose it came to passe that wheras God so many hundred yeres before had coÌ„tinually pardoned their woÌ„derful manifold wickednes impietie after his wonted maner had from time to time endured winked at their horrible rebelâ—ioÌ„ idolatrie he could now no longer forbeare their abominable crueltie coÌ„mitted against his welbe loued sonne whome they trayterously murthered and hanged on tree but must needes auenge him vpon the whole nation and roote out the remnant of the whole race altogether And not without great cause for how could it els be after that he was once reueyled vnto theÌ„ for whose cause only al that coÌ„mon wealth of the Iewes was instituted erected What cause remayned then that the Iewishe synagogue should be of any longer continuance or to what purpose might it serue afterwards what That they might perseuere still in sacrificing the blood of goates and lambes to the Lorde And where should this be done in one family only But God is not delighted with such sacrifices nor dwelleth he in Temples made by men but euen in the very hearts of men he taketh no pleasure in externall pompe and outwarde obserâ—aunces nor gorgeous garnishinges of the body the vouchsafeth those worshippers which doe worship him in Spirite trueth These olde motheaten shadowes had their tyme and not their time onely but their lawfull vse also that so vnder shadowes
throughly in him a secrete diuinitie that was hydden vnder the veyle of the fleshe bodily But if these thinges shall be but of small credit with you what wil you answere to those so greate and manifolde tokens of wonderful vertue to such supernaturall and prodigious wonders of his what say ye to so great force of his diuine operation to so great power of his miracles not wrought by him alone but by his Apostles also through the vertue of his name onely yea and long sythence nowe and then openly wrought in his Church through the effectuall operation of his glorious name What will you say to his so great maiestie in worde innocencie of life certeintie in prophecying And besides al these his marueilous signes tokens expressed in his own person What wil you say to that his incomprehensible glorious resurrection his vnspeakeable ascension into the heauens lastly to those his most gracious gifts of the holy Ghost powred vpon vs from the heauens What can you answere I saye that all these so manifolde so wonderfull yea so heauenly graces myght import els then that there was in him a certayne superexcellent Diuinitie beyond all measure surmounting all reache and capacitie of mans vnderstanding All which things being approued with the testimonie of so many witnesses viewed and beholden with so many eyes practised by the dayly experience of so many Iewes ensealed with so many handes and wrytings published to vs Gentiles by manifold reportes of so many your Rabbynes and great Doctours of your own natioÌ„ if all these things I say shal yet seeme to you but colourable fayned and vnworthy of credit why do ye not with as good reason condemne for false lyars all and euery your owne prophets Patriarches your owne Lawe yea and the Psalmes also and rase them out of remembraunce because they did many hundred yeres before most expressely foreshewe and prognosticate euidently that all those thinges ingenerall shoulde come to passe euen in the same maner and order as they haue bene already accomplished Amongst whome let Esay the Prophete be adiudged a lyar because in the name of this Christ he promiseth health to the blynde to the lame to the halte and to the maymed because he comforteth the Ostriches and venemous beastes of the fielde with prayse glorie that shoulde happen vnto them because he prophecyeth hope of freedome to them that were in chaynes to prysoners libertie plenty and fulnesse to the needy and hungry light to them that sitte in the shadowe of death bountifull fruite fulnesse to fields that were otherwise by nature barren and through want of Tyllage ouerspread with bryars and brâ—mbles vncomely yea filthy by reason of their huge desolation to ouerflowing ryuers drynes and emptines finally to the Iewes them selues extreme blindnes Let the Prophet Osee be accompted a lyar also who prophecyeth likewise that a people which was not a people should be called and obteine mercy through the inestimable blessing of that heauenly Iewel Let Ionas the Prophete be adiudged a lyar also yea and that Elias likewise that was aduaunced into heauen in the fiery charryote the first of which two did prefigure Christs glorious rising againe the thirde day after his death the other of his ineffable ascension into the heauens the fourtieth day after his passion also of the comfortable consolation and sending of the holy Ghost by the letting downe of the cloake from out his triumphaunt charryote the fiftie daye called Pentecost Besides all these moreouer let Iohn Baptist the Prophet yea more then a prophet be condemned for a lyar who did not in word only acknowledge him but poynting towardes him with the finger pronounced boldely That he wâ—â— the very Lambe of God that shoulde take away the sinnes of the world Finally let all the whole authoritie of the Propheticall Scriptures be cancelled for vntrueth because the greater parte thereof doeth nothing els but foreshew and make reporte that all those things should come to passe which the Euangelicall historie doth expressely pronounce to be already accomplished Briefly if as yet your eyes be withholden with so grosse amazed obscuritie that the things which are more resplendisant then the Sunne in midday and so throughly knowen in all the partes of the worlde do so farre eâ—ceede the common capacitie of your blundered senses and seeme so incredible vnto you that ye can by no meanes comprehend them nor will suffer so many notable testimonies of Christes resurrection preuayle to worke so much creditte in your heartes as ye may beleeue in our Lorde Iesu Christ risen from the dead as well as we why doe ye not prâ—duce then his buryed carkasse if you can or at the least bring foorth some rame or fragmeÌ„t of his precious body be it neuer so smal Or if you thinke I demaunde an impossible request of you howe happeneth that none of all your progenitours could shew the same But if neyther you nor any of all your auncestours were able to doe this why do ye not then ioyne together with vs and worshippe him that is rysen agayne Why doe ye not honour and magnifie his name who reigneth in eternitie sitting in the heauens at the right hande of God the Father Whereunto if loue of religion can not induce you let naturall reason yet obteine so farre foorth with you to graunt that which no reason can deny Wherat make ye stay is not my request reasonable doe I not giue you wholsome counsell And lest that which I haue spoken runne in at one eare with you and out of the other taking no roote in your hearts I will for your better remembrance repete once agaiÌ„ne the words that I haue spoken If he whome ye haue slayne be not the very sonne of God if ye beleeue verily that he whome ye deryde and skorne at with that your reprochefull and despitefull name Talui were but a very naturall man why do ye not thâ—refore restore his deade body vnto vs or why do not your souldiours and hired watchemen yeelde his corpes agayne for the garding whereof they receyued from you so speciall a charge If they can not what els emporteth the graue beyng founde emptie What els signified the horror and amaseâ—nesse of your armed watchemen who beyng terrifyed with straungenesse of fearefull sightes fledde awaye so tymorously but that ye may be enforced wyll ye nyll ye to confesse this Christ Iesu to be very Messchias who hauyng entred vpon the possession of the kingdome of Dauid as in the ryght of his owne peculiar inheritaunce raygneth nowe in all eternitie and hauing vanquished all power of death sytteth nowe tryumphantly vpon the throne of his Father Dauid to order and establishe his Fathers kingdome with iudgement and Iustice from henceforth euen for euer and euer I would fayne learne nowe what that your obstinate rebellion is able once to mutter agaynst this First where no mistrust of perill is