virgin And Isai appointeth this to Achaz for a wonderfull straunge signe from God therefore sayth he the Lord himself will giue you a signe behold which he could not haue done in reason if the Hebrewe word in that place had signified a young woman onely as some later Rabbins will affirme for that is no such signe nor straunge thing but verie common and ordinarie for young women to conceiue and bring forth children and so did the Elder Iewes understand it as Rabbi Simeon noteth And Rabbi Moses Haddersan upon those words Truth shall bud forth of the earth sayth thus Here Rabbi Ioden noteth that it is not sayd truth shall be ingendred but truth shall budde forth to signifie that the Messiah who is meant by the word truth shall not be begotten as other men are in carnall copulation To the same effect and after the same maner to be interpreted is that of Ieremie The Lord hath created a newe thing in the earth a woman shall compasse a man And Rabbi Haccadosch proveth by cabalâ— out of many places of Scripture not onely that the Mother of the Messiah must be a virgine but also that her name shall be Marie Now â—he birth of Iesus Christ was thus c. that is to say after this straunge and extraordinarie maner therefore must he needs be the true and undoubted Messiah The Messiah by the Scripture was to be borne at Bethlehem in Iudâ—a for so it is written by the Prophet And thou Bethlehem Ephrathah are litle to be among the thousands of Iudah yet out of â—hee shall he come forth unto me that shall be the ruler in Israel c which place the chief Priests themselues quoted to that purpose to Herod demanding of them where Christ should be borne and they answered him at Bethlehem in Iudea for so it is written by the prophet as before So also Dâ—vid afâ—er much restles studie and industrious search to finde out this mystâ—rie c. I will not enter into the tabernacle of my house nor 〈◊〉 upon my pallet or beâ—de nor suffer myne eyes to sleepe nor myne eye ledds to sâ—â—â—ber untill I finde out a place for the Lord c. At length the mysterie being reveiled unto him he doth 〈◊〉 it were point to the verie place in the words following Loâ— we heard of it at Ephrata which is Bethlehem Gen. 35.19 and found it iâ— the fiâ—lds of the forest Then addeth We will enter unto his Tabernacle worâ—hip before his footstool foreshewing that divine worship there afterwards done to Iesus by those Mags or wisemen who came froÌ„ the east to worship him in that place euen in the cratch and before his footstool presenting unto him gifts gold frankincense myrh as was also prophecied in another place that presents and gifts should be brought unto him from farre countries by great personages The kings of Tarshish and of the yles shall bring presents thâ— kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts Cyprian sayth it is an old tradition of the Church that those Magi or wisemen were Kings or rather litle Lords of particuler places which is to be understood such litle Kings as Iosuah slewe thirtie in one battaile howsoever it is manifest they were men of place reputation in their countries neither are prophecies alwaies so strictly and litterally to be understood They brought with them a great treasure gold frankincense and myrrh yea both Herod and all Ierusalem tooke notice of their comming They had private conference with the king as touching the starre that appeared unto them leading theÌ„ to that most bright morning starre whereof Balaam long before prophecied saying I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not neere there shall come a starre of Iaakâ—b c. Iesus then being borne at Bethlehem in Iudea as was prophecied long before the Messiah should be and indeed it standeth with great reason that he that was to be the sonne of David should also be borne in the citie of David the circumstances also of his birth duely considered both before and after first the Angels salutation to his Mother Marie foretelling that his name should be Iesus before ever he was conceiued So Esdras prophecied in the person of God himself saying Behold the tyme shall come that these tokens which I haue told thee shall come to passe c. for my sonne Iesus shall appeare c. and after thesâ— same yeeres shall my sonne Christ dye Here is both his birth and passion both his names Iesus Christ plainly expressed Which book though it be not canonicall yet was it extant in the world before ever Christ was borne Also Rabbi Haccadosch proveth by art Cabalist out of many places of Scripture that the name of the Messiah at his coÌ„ming shal be Iesus and among other he addeth this reason that as the name of him who first brought the Iewes out of bondage into the Land of promise was Iesus or Iosua which is all one so must his name be Iesus that shall the second tyme deliver them Secondly the Angels appearing to the shepherds in the night of the nativitie with this joyfull message from heauen Behold I bring you tydings of great joye that shall be to all people that unto you is borne this day in the citie of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And this shal be a signe unto you yee shall finde the child swadled and layd in a cratch Thirdly the starre that appeared notifying his comming into the world whereof not onely the wisemen before mentioned but also generally all the Astronomers soothsayers of that age took speciall notice adjudging it to portend universall good to the earth some gathering thereupon that some God discended from heauen to the benefite of mankind and for that cause had that starre an image erected to it in Rome and as Plinies words are Is Cometa unus toto orbe colitur That onely Comet in all the world is adored Fourthly his presentation in the temple according to the Lawe of Moses where openly came old Symeon by the motion of the spirit for he had a revelation from God that he should not see death till he had seen the Lords Christ took the child in his armes acknowledged him for the Messiah prophecied that he should be a light to be revealed unto the Gentiles appointed for the fall rising againe of many in Israel with other events which afterwards came to passe So did likewise Anna the Prophetesse as it is in the same chaptâ—r Fiftly that most pitifull murder of all the Infants in and about Bethlehem upon this occasion as was prophecâ—ed by Ieremie saying A voyce was-heard on high mourning and bitter weeping Rahel weeping for her children and refused to be comforted because they were not Rahel was buried in the way to Ephrath which is Bethlem for that cause those infants were called her childreÌ„
of the preaching of the Gospel which began at Ierusalem and from thence was spread over all the world Which the same Isay foresawe when talking of the Messiah he sayth In that daie shall five cities in the Land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan c. In that daie shall the alter of the Lord be in the middest of the Land of Egypt and a piller by the border thereof unto the Lord. And the Egyptians shall knowe the Lord in that daie and doe sacrifice and oblation and shall vowâ— vowes c. which could not be verified of the Law of Moses for by that Law the Egyptians could haue nether alter nor sacrifice but it was fulfilled upon the coÌ„ming of Christ when the Egyptians were made Christians Also in another place and the yles shall waite for his Law The same was likewise foretold by God in Malachie where he sayth to the Iewes and of the Iewish sacrifices I haue no pleasure in you neyther will I receiue an offring at your hands for from the rising of the sunne untâ—ll the going downe of the same my name iâ— great among the Gentiles and in everie place incense shal be offerâ—d 〈◊〉 my name and a pure offering for my name is great among the Gentiles sâ—â—th the Lord of Hosts Wherein we see first a reprobation of the Iewish Sacrifices consequently of the Law of Moses which dependeth principally thereupon Secondly that among the Gentiles there should be a pure maner of Sacrifice more gratefull unto God then the other not limited eyther in respect of tyme or place as the Mosaicall Law sacrifice was For so sayth God in Ezechiel I gaue them statutes which were not good and judgments wherein they shall not liue that is not good to continue perpetually nor shall they live in theÌ„ any longer but til the time by me appoynted Of which tyme he determineth more particularly by Ieremie in these words Behold the dayes come sayth the Lord that I will mak a newe covenant with the house of Israel and Iudah not according to that covenant which I made with their Fathers c. where you see a new covenant or Testament promised different from the old whereupon I conclude the old Law of Moses by the Messiah must be changed into a new The tyme of his manyfestation with all other circumstances NOw for the tyme of his manyfestation with all other circumstances of his birth lyfe death resurrection ascension and those things also that fell out afterwards if we shall consider how particulraly precisely they were all foretold by the Prophets and how long before some hundreths some thousands of yeares before they fell out as also how exactly they were all fulfilled in the person of our blessed Saviour all directed like so many lynes to one center we shall as it were in a mirrour see and behold both the truth of Christian religion setled vpon a most firme unmovable center as also the vanitie of all other religioÌ„s whatsoever especially this most vain expectatioÌ„ of the Iewes to this day of their Messiah yet for to come as vaine and fond altogither as was that opinion of one of the Phylosophers which the word center hath put me in mynd of that the earth forsooth did move and the heavens stand still how far they are degenerate not onely from all true light vnderstaÌ„ding in heavenly matters but also even from coÌ„mon sense and reason it selfe in things of that nature tending therevnto And first for the tyme. Daniell who lived in the first Monarchie foretold that there should be three monarchies more the last the greatest of all to witt the Romane Empire and then the eternall King or Messiah should come his 〈◊〉 are these In the dayes of these Kings shal the God of heaven set vp a kingdome which shall never be destroyed Dan. 2.44 And just according to this tyme was the Messiah born namely in the dayes of Augustus Caesar Luk. 2. as both we Christians account and the Iewes acknowledge even in those halcyon dayes of peace when the temple gates of Ianus were commannded to be shut and vpon that very day when Augustus commaunded that no man should call him Lord was this Prince of peace borne Therefore to him agreeth this circumstance of tyme very fitly most vainly therefore doe the Iewes after this tyme expect for another Secondly Iacob who lived many yeares before prophesied of this tyme very precisely as already hath bene aleadged that the Mesâ—iah whom he there calleth Shilo should come at that tyme when the scepter or goverment regall was departed from the house of Iudah which was in the dayes of Herod and never till then who first vsurped that government his father in law King Hircanus with all his ofâ—pring of the blood royall of Iuda togither with the Sanhedrim put to death The genealogies of the Kings and Princes burned A new pedegrie for himselfe divised In a word all authority regall whatsoever belonging to that tribe at that tyme quite extinguished And just according to this tyme was our Saviour borne namely in the dayes of Herod Math. 2.1 Therefore to him agreeth this circuÌ„stance of tyme very fitly most vainely therefore doe the Iewes after this tyme expect any longer Thirdly God himselfe saith by his Prophet Haggaâ— that the Messiah whome he there calleth the deâ—ired of all nations shall come in the tyme of the second temple which was then but new built farr inferior in statelynes and glory to the former built by Solomon which the old men in the book of Ezra testify by their weeping when they sawe this second temple and remembred the glory of the first The words of the Lord by his Prophet Haggai are these Speake vnto Zerubbabel who is left amonge you that saâ—e this housâ— in her first glory and how doe you see it now is it not in your eies in comparison of it as nothing yet now be of good cheere ô Zerubbubel for thus saith the Lord of hosts yet a litle while and I wil shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the drie land And I will move all nations and the desire of all nations shal come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hostes The glory of this last house shal be greater their the first c. which must needs be vnderstood of the coming of the Messiah to wit his personall presence in this second temple in whom is the fulnes of glory therefore could he and none other fill it with glory being himselfe indeed the King of glory Lifte vp your heads ô yee gates and be yee lift vp yee everlasting dores and the King of glory shall come in So doth Mallachie prophesy in these words The Lord whom yee seeke shall speedily come to his temple even the mâ—ssenger of the covenant whom yee desire behold he shall come sayth the Lord of hosts c.
albeit she were dead aboue two thousand yeeres before they were slayne aboue one thousand and fiue hundreth before Ieremie wrote this prophecie Among which Infants Herod also for more assurance slewe an infant of his owne for that he was descended by the mothers side of the line of Iuda Which crueltie comming to Augustus his eares he sayd he had rather be Hâ—rods swine then his sonne for that he being a Iewe was prohibited by his religion to kill his swine though not ashamed to kill his sonne Sixtly his flying into Aegypt herevpon as also to fulfill that prophecie out of Aegypt have I called my sonne which I say inlargeth further saying Behould the Lord rideth vpon a light cloud which is his flesh or humanity and shall come into Aegipt and all the Idols of Aegipt shall tremble at his presence which later pointe Eusebius sheweth was fulfilled most evidently in the sight of all the world for that no nation came to christian religion with so great celerity and fervour as did the Aegyptians who threwe downe theire Idols before any other nation And as they had beene the first in Idolatrie to other countries so were they the first by Christ his coÌ„ming vnto them that afterwards gave exaÌ„ple of true returne vnto their creator It followeth in Isay I will deliver the Egiptians into the hands of cruel Lords these were the Roman Lords and Princes Pompei Caesar Antonie c. a mightie King shall raigne over theÌ„ c. this must needs be Augustus the Emperor who after the death of Cleopatra the last of the blood of the Ptolimies tooke possession of all Egypt and subjected it as a province to the Romaine empire But after these temporall afflictions threatned against Egypt behold a most Euangelical promise of deliverance In that day shall fiue cities of the land of Egypt speake the language of Canaan c. In that day shall the altar of the Lord be in the middest of the Land of Egypt c. They shall crye unto the Lord because of their oppressors and he shall send them a Saviour and a great man and shall deliver them c. The Lord of Hosts shall blesse them saying Blessed be my people of Egypt c. This blessing I say the Egyptians obteyned by our Saviours being in Egypt whom here the Prophet calleth by his owne name Iesus a Saviour a great-man Finally the comming of Iohn Baptist his forerunner or Messenger as was propheciâ—d Behold I will send my Messenger and be shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seeke shall speedâ—ly come to his temple And againe I will send you Eliah the Prophet that is to say Iohn the Baptist in the spirit and power of Eliah as an angell from heauen expoundeth it appearing to Zacharias his father in the temple sent to foretell him both of his birth as also by what name he should call him euen Iohn saying thou shalt call his name Iohn he shal be great in the sight of the Lord c. he shall goe before him in the power and spirit of Eliah And therefore our Saviour in plaine termes he calleth him Eliah Mat. 11 14. And if you wilt receiue it this is that Eliah which was to come he that hath ears to heare let him heare And as our Sauiour gaue him his due before a multitude then assembled calling him Eliah So did this Eliah also giue our Saviour his due in acknowledging him for the Messiah not assuming unto himself that honour offered unto him by the Iewes but refusing it absolutely and laying it upon Iesus our Saviour the true owner Then this is the recorde of Iohn when the Iewes sent Priests and Levites from Ierusalem to aske him who art thou and he confessed and denyed not and sayd plainly I am not the Christ I am not the Messiah I baptise you with water but there is one among you whom ye knowe not he it is that commeth after me which is preferred before me whose shoe lâ—tchet I am not worthie to unlose These things were done in Bethabara beyond Iordan where Iohn did baptise The next day Iohn seeth Iesus câ—mming to him and sayth behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world This is he of whom I sayd after me coÌ„meth a man that is preferred before me for he was before me and I knew him not but becâ—usâ— he should be declared to Israel therefore am I come baptizing with water So Iohn bare record saying I sawe the spirit come downe from heauen lâ—kâ— a doue abiding upon him And I knewe him not but he that sent me to baptise with water he sayd unto me upon whom thou shalt see the spirit come downe and stay still upon him that is he which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost And I sawe and bare record that this is the sonne of God According as it is in the other three Euangelists more at large expressed how that Iesus when he was baptised came strait out of the water and loe the heauens were opened unto him And Iohn sawe the spirit of God discending lâ—ke a doue and lighting upon him And loe a voyce came from heaven saying This is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased The next dâ—y Iohn stood againe and two of his disciples and he beheld Iesus wâ—lking by and sayd Behold the Lambe of God and the two disciples heard him speak and followed Iesus All this was done at Bethabara beyond Iordan in the sight and hearing of a number of people there present as three of our Euangelists doe report which they would never haue presumed to haue done had not the matter beene most evident and without all compasse of denyall or contradiction And truely no one thing in all this storie of Iesus life doth more establish the certaintie of his being the true Messiah then that Iohn the Baptist whose wisedome learning vertue and rare sanctitie is confessâ—d and recorded by the writings of all our adversaries should refuse the honour of the Messiah offered unto himself and lay it upon Iesus and also should direct those disciples that depended upon him to the onely following and imbracing of Iesus doctrine which is most evidently proved that he did for that somany followers and Disciples as himselfe had not one appeared ever after that was not a Christian. These circuÌ„stances I say of the birth coÌ„ming of the Messiah into this world so loÌ„g before foretold by the Prophets fulfilled so exactly in the person of our blessed Lord Saviour wel considered I may at length conclude Heaven and earth concurring men and Angels with all other creatures applauding therevnto yea God himselfe from heaven pronouncing it this is my beloved sonne in whome I am well pleased That therefore as sure as God is God and cannot lye nor give testimony to any vntruth so sure is Iesus Christ the sonne of God the true Messiah and
behold him whom they haue pierced and smite their brests prickâ—d in their hearts like those Iewes in the Acts and crye out Men and bretheren what shall we doe and returne to the Lord and be baptised everie one in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes which God grant And the Lord powre upon them the spirit of grace and of compassion that in soul spirit they may look upon him whom they haue pierced and lament for him as it is in the prophet everie tribe and familie apart His Resurrection FOr his Resurrection it was also foretold by the prophets and prefigured in Ionas David sayth in the person of the Messiah of whom he prophecied in divers places and was a type I haue set the Lord alwaies before me c. Wherefore myne heart is gladde and my tongue rejoyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue nor suffer thyne Holy one to see corruption Also Hosea sayth After two dayes will he revâ—ke us and in the third day he will rayse us up Vs in the plurall number poynting as it should seeme both at the Resurrection of our Saviour the third day as also the raysing of a number of the Saincts together with him at the same tyme prefigured in Ionas together vvith the tyme of his abode in the sepulchre foreshevved many tymes by our Saviour himself to his disciples such and such things shall be donne to the sonne of man He shall be apprehended evill intreated mocked scourged put to death but the third day he shall rise againe Also to the Ievves demanding a signe he ansvvered Destroy this temple and in three dayes I will rayse it up againe And at another tyme An evill and adulterous generation seâ—keth a signe but no signe shall be giuen them saue the signe of the prophet Ionas for as Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the whales bâ—llâ—e so shall the Sonne of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth Which prophecie of his they full vvell remembring and fearing the event immediatly upon his burial they vvent to Pilaâ— saying Sir we remember that deceiver sayd while he was living within three dayes I will rise againe commaund therefore the sepulchre to be made sure till the third day least his disciples steale him away by night say unto the people he is risen from the dead so the last error be worse then the first All which was done according to their desire a strong watch appointed the Sepulchre sealed up all things made so sure by the Iewes as might be for they had gotten from Pilate a speciall commission for that purpose to whom he was as forward to grant it as they to aske it and that in as large and ample maner as themselues knewe or could devise All which notwithstanding after a most miraculous maner The angel of the Lord discending from heauen with an earthquake and rolling back the stone from the doore of the sepulchre the keepers astonied and become as dead men Iesus our Saviour according to the former prophecies is risen againe and hath appeared to his Apostles and disciples his faithfull witnesses a number of them at divers severall times to whom he presented himself aliue as S. Luke writeth by manie infallible tokens being seene of them by the space of fortie dayes and speaking of those things which apperteyne to the kingdome of God how soever the Iewes suborned the soldiours giving them largely to say his disciples came by night and stole him away while they slept which saying is noysed among the Iewes to this day How probably the former circumstances considered let the world judge Therefore I will conclude this point also with that of Paul touching the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour He hath declared himself mightily to be the sonne of God by the Resurrection from the dead and consequently that Messiah promised before by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures as the same Apostle urgeth His Ascention FOr his Ascention it was also foretold by the Prophets and necessarily followeth upon his Resurrection to be believed to wit that having finished the worke of our Redemption here on earth he ascended up into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of God David sayth Thou art gone up on high thou hast ledde captivitie captiue and received gifts for men c. And in another place The Lord said to my Lord sitte thou at my right hand c. which is the place alledged by our Saviour wherewith he put the Iewes to silence both as touching the Dietie and the humanitie of the Messiah for sayth he if David call him Lord how is he then his sonne where we may see David acknowledgeth him his Lord and consequently his God euen the sonne of God sitting at the right hand of God for the present as touching his divinitie afterwards to be accomplished also in his humanitie which David believed as verely should come to passe and forsawe by the eye of fayth as did Thomas when it was come to passe putting his hand into his side and crying My Lord my God so sayth David here my Lord The Lord sayd unto my Lord c. I say this article of our fayth as touching his Ascention it followeth necessarily to be concluded upon his Resurrection it needeth no other proof For that whosoever seeth and acknowledgeth that Iesus being dead could raise himself to life againe will easily belieue also that he was able to ascend up to heauen at his pleasure And hereof we haue also all his Apostles and Disciples for witnesses eye-witnesses in whose presence and sight he ascended as it is in that place they looked stedfastly towards heauen as he went And in witnesse thereof gaue up their liues and sealed the same with their blood Therefore I conclude vpon all these premises so necessarily following and depending one apon an other to witt his birth life doctrin actions death resurrection and ascention seing nothing hath happened in the same which was not foretold by the Prophets of God nor any thing foretold by the same Prophets concerning the Messiah which was not fulfilled most exactly in the person of our Saviour We may most certainly assure our selves that as God is truth and therefore can neither foretell an vntruth nor yeeld testimonie to the same so it can not be but that these things which have beene shewed to be so manifestly foreprophecied and so evidently accomplished in the person of this our blessed Lord and Saviour must needs I say assure vs Christians that he was indeed the true Messiah quite confound the Iewes in theire vaine imagination and expectation of another The sending of the Holy Ghost with the first plantation wonderfull increase of the Church NOw for those things that followed after his ascention as argumeÌ„ts effects of
in worshipping of Images and such like tromperie I am perswaded haue beene two maine obstacles to their conversion hitherto as some of them in Barbarie objected to me saying the Christian Religion could not be the true Religion for that it alloweth the worshipping of images which is expresly against the Law Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image And if we say they crucified Christ and therefore we hate and abhorre them even to the third and fourth generation that is to say their posterity for ever so doe we daily by our crying sinnes euen crucifie againe the Lord Iesus they but once and unwittingly as Saint Peter testifieth we often and that both wittingly and willingly to our greater condemnation in respect of the fulnesse of knowledge we haue in the Messiah This is that fulnesse of the Gentiles already come in whereof the Apostle long since prophecied as in knowledge abounding so in sinne super-abounding and that generally through out all Nations Of whom I doubt much whether I may say as it was said in times past of the Amorites as touching their fulnesse it was not yet come for I am sure the fulnesse of the Gentiles as touching sinne is already come fulnesse of Bread and aboundance of Idlenesse as in Sodome yea fulnesse and loathsomnesse even of Manna it selfe as the children of Israel in the end waxed wearie of that heavenly foode so is it with us in respect of the foode of our soules Else what meaneth so many Sects and Schismes in our Church at this day Diseases arising from some bad humours and corruptions in the body as all diseases doe which therefore ought to be purged Surely the varietie of the one argueth a fulnesse and sacietie of the other We are fallen from the names of Christians given to the Primitiue Church to be baptized into new names Anabaptists Arminians id genus farinae Corne I may not call them but chaffe yea rather tares sprung up with the good Corne over-spreading and over-topping it too in many places but both must grow together till the harvest Yea our fulnesse and nicenesse is such as we can taste no maner of meat almost but what some curious cookes for the nonce provide for us every one must have a cooke for his owne palate We are fallen into that time fore-prophecied by the Apostle 2. Tim 4. For the time will come when they will not suffer wholesome Doctrine but having their eares itching shall after their owne lusts get them a heape of Teachers We are even wearie of Manna as the children of Israel were And therefore now that they haue fasted so long time and that fulnesse of the Gentiles come upon us it standeth both with the Lords justice and his mercie both to us and them to doe to them as he did to us at the first and to us as he did to them Behold therefore the bountifulnesse and the severitie of God toward them which have fallen severitie but toward thee bountifulnesse if thou continue in his bountifulnesse or else thou shalt also be cut off and they also if they abide not still in unbeliefe shall be graffed in for God is able to graffe them in againe Of which gâ—orious worke of the conversion of the Iewish Nation and finishing of that mysterie of godlinesse if you most hâ—gh and mightie Lords shall be the first beginners in your owne Countrie as you haue already playd your parts against the mysterie of Iniquitie both at home and abroad both by Sea and by Land as the chiefe bulwarks of Christian Râ—ligion at this day against the power of Antichrist and all his adhaerâ—nts whereof you have borne the brunt as Tully saith of the Scipioes they were propugnacula belli punici and therefore deserve the prize aboue all other Nations you shall not onely highly advance your honour in this World as you have done already both in those your martiall affâ—ires and otherwise also by a generall eye of policie or rather so many Argus eyes watching over all estatâ—s to keepe them upright and in order especially those extraordiâ—ary and magnificent I may well call them so workes of Chariâ—ie towards the poore in those your stateâ—y Hoâ—pitals and Guest-houses and such lâ—ke places of provision no crying for bread nor complayning in your Streetes but also in the World to come you shall aâ—vance your selues in honour and glory aboue the Heaveâ—s where you shall shine like so many Starres in the â—irmament and as the Sunne in his strength for so it is said They that turne many to Righteousnesse shall shine as the Starres forever and ever And they that honour me saith the Lord I will honour then the which what greater incouragement And so humbly craving pardon for this my boldnesse being a Stranger or wherein otherwise I have erred I commit you according to your high and eminent Places Estates and orders which in my heart more I honour than eyther my tongue or Penne can worthily expresse not so well knowne vnto me to the Almighty To whose service I rest devoted IOHN HARRISON To the Reader I Must confesse Christian Reader that a great part of the proofes following together with the methode I have borrowed out of a Booke called the Christian Directorie or Resolution in English which I had with me in Barbarie none else of that argument but the Booke of Bookes which is the Bible And therefore least any one should accuse me hereafter of secret theft I doe ingeniously acknowledge before hand with the Poet Fateor me transtulisse But yet with many additions and alterations of my owne I have made it of right as it were my owne without any wrong to the Author And so I referre it to thy Christian censure THE MESSIAH ALREADIE COME First for the promises and prophecies of old as touching the coming of a Messiah whom we call CHRIST both they and we agree both of us reading dayly in our Churches Synagogues teaching holding for canonicall the verie self same Scriptures euen the Law and the Prophets In so much that the Gentile is oftentymes enforced to marvile wheÌ„ he seeth a people so extreaÌ„ly bent one against another as the Iewes are against Christians and yet doe stand so peremptorily in defence of those verie principles which are the proper causes of their disagreement But in the interpretation application thereof ariseth all the controversie they understanding and applying all things literally and carnally to their long looked for Messiah yet for to come we after a spirituall maner understanding all those promises and prophecies to be most truly and really fulfilled in the person of our blessed Mesiah alreadie come they expecting a temporall King to rule and conquer in this world we acknowledging a spirituall King whose kingdome is not of this world as himself did many tymes protest while he was in the world My kingdome is not of this World To beginne with Adam and so forward Gods
plaine confession that Iesus was he of whom a prophet sayd divers ages before He shall consume all the Gods of the earth and everie man shall worship him from his place euen all the yles of the Heathen This confessed also the wicked spirits themselues when at Christs appearing in Iewrie they came and did their homage to him and besought him not to afflict or torment them before the time nor command them presently to returne to hell but rather to permit them some litle time of entertainement in the sea or mountaines or among heards of swine or the like which confâ—ssion they made openly before all men and declared the same afterwards by their deeds For presently upon Christ his death upon the preaching of his name Gospel throughout the world the oracle in all places ceased whereof the Poets themselues beare witnes Cessant Oracula Delphis Whereupon Plutarch that lived within one hundreth yeeres after Christ made a speciall Treatise to sifte out the causes why the oracles of the Gods as they deemed them were ceased in his time And after much turning and winding manie waies at length resolved upon two principall points or causes thereof The first for that in his tyme there was more store of wisemen then before whose answers might stand in steede of Oracles and the other for that perhaps the Spirits accustumed to yeelde Oracles were by length of tyme growen old and dead Both which reasons in the common-sence of all men must needs be false by Plutarch himself cannot stand with probabilitie For first in his books which he wrote of the liues of auncient famous men he confesseth that in such kind of wisdome as he most esteemed they had not their equals among their posteritie Secondly in his Treatise of Phylosophie he passeth it for a ground that Spirits can not dye or waxe old And therefore of necessitie there must be some other cause yeelded of the ceasing of these Oracles which can not be but the presence and commandement of some higher power according to that saying of S. Iohn for to this end and purpose appeared the sonne of God to wit that he might destroy the works of the divel Neyther did Iesus this alone in his owne person but gaue also powre and authoritie to his disciples and followers to doe the like according to that their commission in the Gospel Then called he the twelue Disciples together and gaue them powre and authoritie over all divils c. And not only to these twelue did he giue this absolute powre and authoritie over uncleane Spirits but to the rest likewise as may appeare in the next chapter following upon the returne of their commission And the seauentie returned with joy saying Lord euen the Divils are subdued to us through thy name And he sayd unto them I sawe Sathan like lightning fall downe from heaven and so renueth their commission saying Behold I giue unto you powre to tread on Serpents scorpions and over all the power of the enemie that is to say the Divil neverthelesse sayth he in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subdued unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are are written in heauen And this authoritie over the spirits infernall given by Iesus to his Disciples in the primitive Church extended it selfe so far that not onely theire words and commaundements but even theire verâ—e presence did shut the mouthes and drive into feare the miserable spirits as both Lactantius and others doe witnesse whence it proceeded that in all sacrifices conjurations and other mysteries of the gentiles there was brought in that phraise recorded by scoffing Lucian exeant Christiaâ—i let Christians depart for that while they were present nothing could be well accomplished And that professed enemie of Christianitie Porphyrie who of all other most earnestly endeavoured to empugne vs Christians to hold vp the honour of his enfeebled Idols yet discoursing of the great plague that reigned most furiously in the citie of Messina in Cicilie where he dwelt yeeldeth this reason why Aesculapius the God of physick much adored in that place was not able to help them in that extremitie It is no merveile saith he if this citie so many yeares be vexed with the plague seeing that both Aesculapius and all other Gods be now departed from it by the comming of Christians for since that men have begun to worship this Iesus we could never obtaine any prophet by our Gods Thus much coÌ„fessed this patrone of paganisme concerning the mayme that his Gods had received by the power and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ which albeit he spake with a malicious minde to bring Christians in hatred yet is the confession notable confirmeth that storie which Plutarch in his forenamed book doth report that in the latter yeares of the reigne of the Emperour Tiberius a strange voice and exceeding horrible clamor with hideous cries skryches and howlings were heard by many in the Graecian sea complayning that the great God Pan was now departed And this afâ—irmeth Plutarch that was a gentile to have been alleadged and approved before the Emperour Tyberius who merveyled greatly thereat and could not by all his diviners and southsayers whom he called to that consultation gather out any reasonable meaning of this woÌ„derfull accident But we Christians comparing the time wherein it happened vnto the time of Christ his death and passion and finding the same fully to agree we may more then pabablie perswade our selves that by the death of their great God Pan which signifieth all was imported the vtter overthrow of all wicked spirits and Idols vpon earth according to that vision of our Lord saviour before mentioned I saw Sathan like lightning fall down froÌ„ heaven c. againe in an other place now is the judgment of this woâ—ld now shall the Prince of this world be cast out even this great God Pan who in an other place is called the God of this world the Prince that ruleth in the ayre therefore may well be said by our Saviour to fal down froÌ„ heaveÌ„ being before time worshiped in those Idols oracles and heathenish prophanations as a God in all the world and exalted as it were into the highest heavens But behold as Dagon that idol of the Philistims â—â—ll flat on his face and that twice his head and hands dismembred before the arke of God in Ashdod so did Sathan this great God Pan the God of this world the Prince of the ayre c let me give the Divil his due yea rather more then his due as doth the hoâ—y scripture so did Sathan I say immediately vpon the comming of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ into this world and preaching of his Gospel the ark of his everlasting covenant fall flat one his face to the ground his head and hands dismembred according to that first promise and covenant to our first parents which was this that
he to wit the Messiah should breake the serpents head c. which he hath done not onely in his owne person by subduing Sathan with all his whole legions of Divills and power infernall traÌ„pling them vnder his feet but also in his members to whom also he gave lyke authoritie as before he gave them power and authoritie over all Divills yea over all the power of the enemie which argueth againe the power and omnipotencie of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ who not onely in his owne person here on earth but also in his servants disciples and followers was able to conquer and subdue even the Devills themselves as they themselves acknowledge Iesus I acknowledge and Paul I knowe c. And thus much of the subjection of spirits The punishment of enemies NOw resteth this his divine power and omnipotencie yet further to be manifested by an other consideratioÌ„ of his justice severitie shewed from heaven upon divers his greatest enemies here on earth after his departure out of this world As we may read in Iosephus of Herod the first who persecuted Christ even in his cradle and slue all those infants in and about Bethlehem And that other Herod Tetrarch of Gililie who put Iohn Baptist to death and scorned Iesâ—â— before his passion himself scorned afterwards by the Emperour and disgracefully sent into exile first to Lions in France and after that to the most desert and inhâ—bitable places in Spaine where he with Herodias wandred up downe in extreaâ—e calamitie all their life time and finally ended their dayes as forlorne and abandoned of all men In which miserie also it is recorded that the dâ—uncing daughter of Herodias who demaunded Iohn Baptists hâ—ad being on a time to passe over a frosen river suddenly the yce brake and she in her fall had her head cut off by the same yce without hurting the rest of her bodie So likewise it is recorded in the Acts of Herod Agrippa who stretâ—hed forth his hand to vexe certaine of the Church killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and imprisoned Peter howe immediately thereupon as it is in that chapter going downe to Cefarea he was there in a solemne assemblie striken froÌ„ heaven with a most horrible disease whereby his bodie putrified and was eaten of wormes as also Iosephus maketh mention Pilate that gave sentence of death against our Lord and Saviour we read that after great disgrace received in Iurie he was sent home into Italie and there slewe himself with his owne hands And of the very Emperours themselves who lived from Tiberius under whom Iesus suffered unto Constantine the great under wâ—om Christian Religion took dominion over the world which contayned the space of some three hundred yeares or there abouts very fewe or none escaped the manifest scourges of Gods dreadfull justice shewed upon them at the knitting up of their dayes Whereas since the tyme of Constantine whiles Emperours have bene Christians as one hath observed fewe or no such examples can be shewed except upon Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian haeretique or some other of lâ—ke detestable and notorious wickednes And thus much of particular men chastised by Iesus But if we desire to have a fuâ—l exampâ—e of his justice upon a whole nation together let vs considâ—r what befel Ierusalem and the people of that place for their barbarous crueltie practised vpon him in his death and passion And if we beleeve Iâ—sephus Phylo the Iewish historiographers wâ—o lived in those times it caÌ„ hardly be exprâ—ssed by the toÌ„gue â—r pen of maÌ„ what insufferable calamities miseries were inflâ—cted upon that people presently after his assension First of all by Pilate their governour under Tibeâ—ius and then againe by Petronius under Caligula after that by Cumanus under Claudius and lastly by Festus and Albinus under Nero. Through whose cruelties that nation was inforced aâ— last to rebell and take armes against the Roman Empire which was the cause of their utter ruine and exterpation by Titus and Vespasian At what time besides the overthrowe of their citie burning of their temple and other infinite distresses which Iosephus an eye witnes protesteth that no speach or discourse humane can declare the same authour likewise recordeth xj C. M. persons to have beene slaine and fourescore and seventene thowsand taken alive who were either put to death afterward in publique triumphes or sold openly for bondslaves into all partes of the world And in this vniversall calamitie of the Iewish nation being the most notorious and greevous that ever happened to any people or nation eyther before or aftâ—r â—hem for the Romanes never practised the like upon others it is singularly to be observed that in the same time and place in which they put Iesus to death before that is in the feast of the Pascha when their whole nation was assembled at IerusaleÌ„ from all parts Provinces and contries they received this theire most pittifull subversion and overthrowe that by the hands of the Romane Caesar to whom by publique crie they had appealed from Iesus not long before Wee have no king but Caesar. c. Yea further it is observed that as they apprehended Iesus and made the entrance to his passion upon Mount Olivet where â—e vsed much to pray and meditate so Titus as Iosephus writeth upoÌ„ the same Mount planted his first siege for their finall destruction And as they led Iesus from Caiphas to Pilate afflicting him in their presence so now were they themselves led up and down from Iohn to Simon two seditious Captaines within the citie and were scourged and tormented before the tribunall seates Againe as they had caused Iesus to be scoffed beaten and villanously entreated by the soldiours in Pilates Pallace so were now their owne principall rulers as Iosephus writeth most scrornefully abused beaten and crucified that by the soldiers Which latter point of crucifying or villanous putting to death upon the crosse was begun to be practised by the Romanes upon the Iewish gentrie iâ—mediately after Christ his death and not before And now at this time of the warre Iosephus affirmeth that in some one day fâ—ve hundreth of his nation were taken and put to this opprobrious kind of punishmeÌ„t in so much that for the great mulltitude he saith nec locus suâ—ficeret crucibus nec cruces corporibus This dreadfull and unspeakeable miserie fell upon the Iewes about 40. yeares after Christs assention when they had shewed themselves most obstinate and obdurate against his doctrine delivered unto them not onely by himself but also by his disciples of which they had now slaine S. Steven and S. Iames and driven into baniment both Peter and Paul and others that had preached unto theÌ„ This theÌ„ was the providence of God for the punishmeÌ„t of the Iews at that time And ever after their estate declined froÌ„ worse to worse and their miseries daily multiplied throughout
that man of sinne the sonne of perdition that wicked one c. with all other adjuncts and circumstances so liuely described as if he had been then alreadie come for euen in these daiâ—s as the Apostle speaketh did this mysterie of iniquitie beginne to worke See then I say 2 Thes. 2. 1 Tim 3. 2 Tim. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 1 Iohn 2 18. chap. 4 1. 2 Ioh. ver 7. yea the whole Revelation is nothing els but a continued prophecie of all such things as should happen to thâ— church militant euen from the Apostles tymes to the ende of the world All which prophecies we see accomplished except bâ—fore excepted the finall destruction of Babylon and the calling of the Iewes whereof both our Saviour himself as also Paul hath prophecied Rom. 11. both which we dayly expect and then as it is in the Revelation Come Lord Iesus Of which second comming or generall doome with the maner of it and all other circumstances we haue also sundrie prophecies both of Christ his Apostles which here I will joyne in one as proceeding all from one and the same spirit for here all prophecies must come to a full period nil ultra I will onely quote them as formerly Mat. 16 27. chap. 19 28. chap. 20 1. chap. 24. chap. 25. chap. 26.64 Iohn 5 25. c. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes. 4 14. chap. 5 1. Iam. 5 8. 1 Pet. 4 7. 2 Pet. 3. Iude ver 6. 14. Rev. 21. where you shall see a new heaven and a new earth c. New Ierusalem descending from God out of heauen prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband Thus haue I brought you at length as after a long and tedious passage by sea to see land and as it were the sea-mark whereunto after so many variable winds and so often tacking to and againe we haue directed our course euen from the first prophecie made to Adam in Paradise Gen. 3 15. to the verie last period of all prophecies in the Revelation shutte up in the second Adam Iesus Christ who is the first and the last Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending in whoÌ„ all prophecies kisse each other haue their consummation These are the words sayth he which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all must be fulfillâ—d which are written of me in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes c. Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the third day and that repentance remission of sinnes should be preached in his name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem I say from this Ierusalem which now lyeth desolate I haue brought you to the New Ierusâ—lem comming downe from heauen as a bride adorned for her husband from an earthly to a heauenly paradise and there I leaue you FINIS A COLLECTION DEMONSTRATIVE OR Summe of the former proofes The Messiah must be a spirituall King to conquer the Divill death and sinne both by scripture as also by the interpretation of the ancient Iewes themselves vpon that place of Genesis he shall break thine head Therefore not a temporall King as the later Iewes imagine The Messiah must be King over the Gentiles as well as the Iewes both by scripture as also by theire owne writers Therefore not a teÌ„porall King to reigne over theÌ„ onely much lesse to subdue the Gentiles to the servitude of Iurie as some of them imagine The Messiâ—h must be both God and man the sonne of God the Word of God incarnate The second person in Trinitie both by the scriptures as also by their owne writers Therefore no such earthly Monarch as they exspect The Messiah at his comming being to be King both of Iew and Gentile must change the lawe of Moses to wit the ceremoniall and provinciall proper to the Iewes onely and insteed thereof give a generall law to both absolute and perfect to serve for all persons times places to indure euen to the end of the world therfore no such temporall monarchie to be expected as they looke after For one and the same conclusion followeth vpon all the premisses beating vpon theire mayne ground to wit a temporall or earthly kingdome which being once shaken the rest falleth to the ground All prophesiâ—s whatsoever with everie particular circumstance foretold by the Prophets of the Messiah were both substancially circumstancially fulfilleâ— in the person of our blessâ—d Saviour both as touching his birâ—h life doctrine myracles death resurrection ascâ—ntion and oâ—her effects afterwards of his divinâ— power in sending of the Holy Ghost and the myraculous increase of his Church c. Therefore was he in deed the Messiah no other to be expected The Messiah by Daniels prophecie was to appeare immediatly vpon the establishment of the Roman Empire for saith he in the â—ayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set vp a kingdom which shall not be destroyed Dan. 2.44 which must needs be vnderstood of the kingdome of Christ or the Messiah And in these dayes was our Saviour borne even in the dayes of Augustus Caesar Therefore in him is the circumstance of time verified The Messiah by Iacobs prophecie was to appeare imediately when the rod or scepter was departed from the house of Iuda Then appearred that state of Iacob our Lord and Saviour ergo The Messiah by the prophesie of Haggai as also by theirâ— owne Thalmud was to come during the second temple then came our Lord and Saviour ergo And consequently the Ievves after this time to wit the destruction of the second temple in vaine expect for another The Messiah by the true account and calculation of Daniels Hebdomades or weekes of yeares was to come just according to the times before mentioned So did our Saviour as is aforesaid therfore to him doth this circumstance of time beare witnes And consâ—quently the Iewes after these times by God himselfe appointed for the Messiah or rather one the same time for there is no other difference but onely in adjuncts and circumstances expecting yet for an other besides their vaine expectation make God himselfe a lyer The Messiah by the scriptures was to be borne of the tribe of Iudah of the house of David so vvas our Saviour Therefore he alone the legitimate and true borne Messiah by birth-right as I may say as also by praescriptioÌ„ â—fter so long time of peaceablâ— possession no other to be expected The Messiah by the scripture as also by theire ovvne Rabbins was to be borne of a Virgin so vvas our Saviour ergo All other particulars foretold of the Messiah see them fulfilled as followeth To wit That the place of his birth should be Bethlehem That at his birth all the infants thereabouts should be slayne That Kings or great personages should come adore him offer gold other gifts unto him That he should be presented in the
natioÌ„ or people under which you live not onely in Barbary but in al other parts of the world besides as a fatal effect of that heavie curse laid on you by your own forefathers long agoe vpon the death of Christ when Pilate the judge washed his hands saying I am innocent of the blood of this iust man looke yee to it they cried with one consent his blood be vpon vs on our children As also of that prophesie of our Saviour in his life time when he wept over Ierusalem saying ô if thou haddest even knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hid froÌ„ thine eyes c. And more particularly to his Disciples he renueth it over againe when yee shall see Ierusalem besieged with soldiers then know yee that her desolation is at hand For these be the dayes of vengaâ—ce to fulfill all things that are written For there shall be great distresse in this land and wrath over this people And they shall fall one the cadge of the sword and shall be lead captive into all nations c. Which heavie curse of your owne forefathers and prophisie of his how truely they have been fulfilled both the one the other all the world seeth and yee your selves feele the effect as before The Lord in mercie take away the vayle from your hearts that at length ye may know those things which beloÌ„g to your peace which now are hid froÌ„ your eyes for why will ye dye ô ye house of Israel These considerations I say and reasons with some others have moved me and partly in recompence of those your definaes and dainties wherof I tasted so often while I was amongst you to send you here a smal banket of such dainties as Christendome can afford wishing you would but tast some part of mine as I did of yours being indeed Sabbath dayes dainties tast I say and see how sweet the Lord is And the rather doe I invite you to this banket yea rather provoke you therevnto even to your owne salvation which through your fall is come to us Gentiles to provoke you as it is that place for that now the time of your redemtion draweth neare with ours much nearer now theÌ„ wheÌ„ we beleeved foretold also both by Christ and his Apostles as was your desolation and shall one day as surely and certainely come to passe the one as the other For God that hath promised is of power to performe it he will doe it he is able to graffe you in againe into your owne olive tree Verely I tell you saith our Saviour to the Pharisies ye shall not see me vntill the time come that yee shall say blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Therefore such a time shall coÌ„e with out all doubt whearein ye shall so say that is to say most willingly obey the Heavenly calling without any more resisting the Holy Ghost as did your forefathers Also in an other place and Ierusalem shall be troden vnder foote of the Gentiles vntill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled So long and no longer there is the period And Paul the Apostle in a most fervent manner both prayeth and prophesieth to this effect brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved Then prophecieth at large in the chapter following and that most divinely as of their fall so of their generall call in due time with many arguments and reasons to that purpose Which praier and prophesie of his proceeding from a divine instinct and revelation no doubt shall one day take effect For it can not be but that the word of God should take effect For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Iew first and also to the Grecian To the Iew first thereis the promise there is the priviledge Lift up your heades now therefore ó ye Iewes sonnes of Abraham children of the promise to whom pertayneth the adoption and the glorie and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises of whom are the fâ—thers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came I say lift up your heads and listen to the heavenly call of Christ and his Apostle Paul for your redemtion draweth nere This is the generation of them that seeke him of them that sâ—eke thy face Iaacob Silah Lift up your heads ye gates be ye liâ—t up ye everlasting doores and the King of glorie shall come in And let us Christians also upon whom the ends of the World are come lift up our heads and knowe remembring that parable of the figtree when wâ— sâ—e these things beginne to come to passe that the kingdome of God is near eueâ— at the doores Verely I say unto you this generation shall not passe till all these things be donne Heauen and earth shall pâ—sse away but my Words shall not passe away They are the words of our Saviour And now bretheren to returne to Paul I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to buyld you up and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Be favourable unto Sion for thy good pleasure build the walls of Ierusalem Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of righteousnes euen the burnâ—offring and oblation then shall they offer calues upon thyne altar Oh giue salvation unto Israel out of Sion when God turneth the captivitie of his people then shall Iaakob rejoice and Israel shall be glad When the Lord brought againe the captivitie of Sion we were like them that dreame then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with joye then sayd they among the Heathen The Lord hath dâ—ne great things for them The Lord hath done great things for us wherof we rejâ—ice O Lord bring againe our captivitie at the rivers in the south Saue us O Lord our God and gather us from among the Heathen that we may praise thyne holy name and glorie in thy praise Comfort us according to the dayes that thou hast afflicted us according to the yeeres that we haâ—e seene eâ—el Thou wilt arise and haue mercie upon Sion for the time to haue mercie thereon for the appointed time is come For thy servants delight in the stones thereof and hâ—ue pitie on the dust thereof Then the Heâ—then shall â—eare the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth thy glorie when the Lord shall buyld up Siâ—n and shall appeare in his glorie and shall turne unto the prayer of the desolate not dispisâ— then pâ—ayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord for he hath looked downe from the height of his sanctuarie out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth thâ—t he might