Nero sought the destruction of the Christians within all the Empire of Rome Achab was not so greedie to haue his wrath and anger satisfied vpon the Prophet Micheas nor Iezabel vpon the Prophet Elias as Nero was to haue Paul the Apostle and Peter slaine in Rome who fild all the streets of Rome with the blood of Christians as Manasses king of Iuda filled all the streets of Ierusalem with innocent blood so that Nero could not be satisfied vntill he had ended his tragedie killing his mother his wiues his sisters and after himself as Mithridates king of Pontus had done before him The second message of Moses was to command Pharao to let the Hebrues depart out of Egipt which being refused denied the Lord vsed a stratagem began to vexe them with a second plague with an vgly armie of Frogges which assaulted Pharao and his country so fiercely that all the Riuers and all the land of Egipt were couered ouer with loathsome Frogges Pharaos Court his priuie chamber his victuals vpon euery man these Frogges scrawled climbed vpon Pharao his Peeres his States and vpon all his people without respect of persons they spared none that all the force strength of Egipt could not resist the force violence of these simple creatures but were constrained to forsake their houses their beds and to seeke to escape these filthy Frogs who left no secret place vnsought but the Hebrews in the land of Gosen were free from these plagues Pharao being dismaied and fearefull to see such vgly sights terrible stratagems was forced to yeeld himselfe to Moses the Captaine and leader of this armie at what time Moses had his second tryumph in the midst of Egipt This was the second victorie and tryumph which the Hebrewes had in Egipt by an armie of Frogs weake souldiers of themselues but there is nothing so weak that the Lord cannot cause to ouercome the greatest power of man Yet Pharaos heart was so hardned that hee answered Moses message from the Lord Quis est dominus Who is the Lord saith Pharao most blasphemously much like to the blasphemy of Nicanor who doubted of the Lord being in heauen and demaunded of Iudas Machabaeus Is there a Lord in heauen that can commaund you to keepe the Sabboth day But I haue power on earth to execute the kings commaundement Nabuchodonozer besides him there is no Lord in heauen nor in earth that can defend you out of Nabuchodonozers hand but that tongue which blasphemed the Lord was cut off and cast to the sowles of the aire to be eaten the head and the hand that fought against the Lord were cut off he being slain in the battell by Iudas Machabeus and hangd vpon the Temple in Ierusalem This secōd plague may be well resembled to the second persecution vnder Domitianus the Emperor who with no lesse crueltie persecuted the Christians in Rome then Pharao did the Hebrewes in Egipt or as Nero his predecessor did in Italy but as in Egipt all men fled from their houses their beddes their tables to seeke some rest from the Frogges so in Rome and in Italy the poore Christians fled euery where frō place to place to hide themselues in secret caues and dennes to escape the cruell sword of this swelling toade Domitianus who excelled Pharao in tyrannie Pharao saide Quis est dominus Who is the Lord I know not the Lord. But Domitianus named himselfe Lord and god Domitianus and by a decree commanded so to be named of all mē in Rome and throughout the Empire of Rome and therwithall caused his Image to be set vp in the Temple at Ierusalem This cruell and blasphemous Emperour Domitianus so persecuted the Christians and so vexed the whole Empire that not only the Citizens of Rome but also all Italy sought other places in other countries as banished men to seeke to auoyd the sword of this bloodie Emperor who passed Pharao in blasphemy and Nero in tyrannie but his end was no better then Neroes for as Nero slue himself with his own hand so was Domitianus in his owne house murthered slain by his owne seruants for he that killeth many must of some be kild and so Domitianus was for blood is reuenged with blood and is one of those foure sinnes that crieth vp to heauen for vengeance but Rome was euer full of blood betweene their forrein warres abroad and their ciuill warres at home CHAP. IIII. Of the third and fourth plagues of the Egiptians compared with the third and fourth persecutions of the Christians MOyses againe after two denialls marcheth with his armie against Pharao to his third battell which was with more simple and weake souldiers then the second battell was for the Lord commaunded Moses to smite the dust of the earth with his rod that all the dust of the earth became Lice throughout all the land of Egipt and these were the armies of the Lord the which crept vpon euery man and vpon euery beast and went as in battell raie and well instructed souldiers vpon Pharao his Lords and his Courtiers and ouer all the land of Egipt this armie spared no place feared no man but the land of Gosen and the Hebrewes there dwelling To this were Iamnes and Iambres and all Soothsayers and Charmers of Egipt publikely forced to say that it was digitus dei the finger of God and Pharao after them was as afore twise now the third time constraited to yeeld to Moses but still without grace or repentance Thus euery victorie had his triumph and euerie triumph was solemnized without either a stroak giuen or a sword drawne but with a white rod in Moses hand so that it seemed rather a combat betweeene Moses and Pharao then a set battell betweene the Hebrewes and the Egiptians The third persecution vnder Traiane in Rome in all points is to be likened to the third plague vnder Pharao in Egipt for the bloud of the Christians in Rome and the plague of the Hebrewes in Egipt crie for equal vengeance and iustice vpon wicked Tyrants and murtherers vnto heauen Though Traiane was wrote vnto by Pliny the second to admonish him to mittigate the vehement persecutidus of the Christians certifying Traiane that the Christians liued soberly and quietly not offending the Romane lawes but by professing their religigion and the name of Christ. Notwithstanding Pliny could do litle good with his Letters to Traiane the Emperour in the behalfe of the Christians at Rome no more then Philo could do with his perswasions to Nero for the Iewes in Alexandria though Philo himselfe being learned and graue and of great authoritie with the Iewes spake in person to Nero and yet Appian the Egiptian being but a schoolemaister in Alexandria a man of no reputation had audience of Nero which was denied to Philo so much Rome hated the Christians Egipt the Hebrews that their plagues
Mambre where he feasted them and intreated them on the behalfe of Zodome that if ten godly men might be found in it the citie might be saued but none was found there but iust Lot at this verie time vnder the oake of Mambre Isaac was promised to Abraham for so the Lorde named him at that time Sarah his mother being 90. yeares old So Samuel was borne of Anna his mother so Iacob and so Ioseph his sonne were borne of barren women as Isaac was foure also were named before they were borne Ismael the sonne of Abraham by Agar Isaac Solomon and Iosias Now againe to Abraham after Lot was rescued by him Lot dwelt againe in Zodom among reprobates and wicked vngodly men being named iust Lot hard it was for Lot to liue honest or iust among such wicked Zodomites and yet in Zodom Lot saued himself but in Zoar Lot was ouerthrowne Abraham could rescue Lot at the battell at Dan from 4. kings the Angels could saue Lot from the fire brimstone in Zodom yet could not Lot saue himself from drunkennesse in Zoar so fowle a fact by so iust a man may not be much spoken off Hence grew the first beginning of the Moabites and Ammonites enemies vnto God so much may be spoken of Ismael Abrahams sonne by Agar who grew so great so mighty on earth that they would not be called Agareni from Agar the bond-woman their mother from whence they tooke their beginning but they would be called Saraceni as borne of Sarah the true wife of Abrahā as the Ammonites and Moabites were left to plague the Hebrewes as pricks in their sides and needles in their eyes so the Saracens Turkes are now left to plague the Christians with sword and fire Before the battell at Siddim no battels in a manner haue bene fought but what was by Nimrod don who liued within a hundred thirtie yeares of the flood at what time people liued not knowing the name of a king vntill Nimrod grew so mightie and so great that hee brought the people vnder subiection in such feare and awe of him that they rather worshipped him as a God then obeyed him as a king whereof Nimrod waxed so proud that it grew to a prouerbe that if any Monarke or King should waxe too insolent or proud he should be noted named hic alter Nimrod for now Nimrod hauing obtained the Monarchy into his hands without resistance he called the people together to make a Tower frō the earth vnto heauē to reuenge the iniuries of his predecessors and to defend himselfe his Empire and to resist the violence of any further deludge He for want of men to fight withal on earth made a Tower that he might ascend vp to goe fight with the host of heauen So Cyrus imitating Nimrod hauing subdued all nations and kingdomes about him went for want of men to fight against him to fight against women into Scythia Alexander also imitating Cyrus after he had subdued all men and that no king would fight against him he went vnto India to fight with Elephants Leauing Nimrod to build his Towers in the aire Cyrus to fight with women in Scythia and Alexander the great to fight with Elephants in India we come to Ninus who tooke vpon him to be the first Monarch ouer the Assirians 150. yeares after Nimrod who after hee had ioyned his force with Aricus king of Arabia hee went with his army against Babilon subdued it and brought it into Assyria led his army vnto Armenia gaue battell to the Armenians subdued them also tooke their king Barsanes and went conquering all the kingdomes about vntill he came vnto Medea where the king fought with Ninus and the battell was equally fought of both parts but after that in another battell Ninus ouerthrewe the Meades and tooke their King in the battell and hangd him his wife and his seuen children in his owne kingdome So that within seuenteene yeares Ninus subdued all Asia and became so great that if the authors write truth hee had such an armie as none is read to haue the like especially at that time when the world was not populous within 50. yeares after the flood Before Ninus the Greeke nor the Romane writers make no mention of any warre or battell who proceeded forward and marched after he had conquered Arabia Medea and Babilon vnto the Bactrians and fought with Zoroastes their king who is said to haue first found the Art of Astronomy and Magique but this Zoroastes was slain in the field by Ninus and Ninus himselfe slaine with an arrow as Orosius saith others say that hee was slaine by his wife Semyramis It is written of this Zoroastes that when all other Infants weepe at their birth he laught In Ninus time we reade of the first Idolatry in scripture and that by Ninus himselfe who set vp the Image of Belus his father in a Temple which Ninus made dedicated to his father Belus after his death in Niniuie where all the countries and people came to worship and reuerence the name of Belus which grew in such credit in Asia and the East kingdomes that there was no lawe nor religion but what by Baals Priests and Baals Prophets were allowed And at that time that Nabuchodonozer raigned in Babilon a thousand yeares after Ninus Baal was so reuerenced and honored in Babilon that if any man should speake words against Baal or not kneele to him or worship him should die for it So was Sydrach and his fellowes throwne into a hot fierie fornace to be burned So was Daniel throwne into a denne to be deuoured of Lyons but neither Lyons nor fire had power to hurt the seruants of the Lord. This Baal was the onely Idoll in the East countrey vntill Elias found out the shifts of the false Prophets of Baal in the time of Achab King of Israel who first nourished Baals prophets in Israel After Elias Daniel found out in Babilon the falshood of Baals priestes how they cousoned Nabuchodonozer for his great allowance of bread wine and meate Leauing Belus to be the first Idoll and Ninus the first Idolater after whom little mention is made of the most part of the kings of Assyria sauing a catologue of their names though the Greekes as theyr manner is speake more then needs of them for the which Berosus the Chaldean writer doth much reprehend them for it and Plato their owne countrey man called them children for that they are addicted vnto fables and not giuen to learne antiquities but letting the Assirians to sleepe in silence I will returne to the marching of the Hebrewes vnder Moses out of Egipt CHAP. III. Of the calling of Moses and Aaron to lead the children of Israel out of Egipt THe Hebrewes which were 430. years bōdmē slaues vnto Pharao in Egipt vntil they multiplied to be such in number as Pharao doubted either to let them goe
gaue audience out of the citie to any forraine Embassador especially in matters of peace and after they would conduct the Embassadors to shipping to preuent practises and pollicies vnder colours of peace The Romanes in this imitated the Athenians who entertained the Embassadors of the Lacedemonians in like sort but Rome and Athens were much deceiued for the cities of Italy often rebelled against Rome and the cities of Greece against Athens Much murther and slaughter was euer found in the breach of faith and much mischiefe committed vnder colour of peace Godolias being made gouernour by Nabuchodonozer ouer the rest of Iudea after Ierusalem was destroyed was deceiued by the faire words of Ismael who came with ten men with him that were sworne to him to do what he would haue them to do in Mazphah to the house of Godoliah where he was well entertained but Ismael slew Godoliah all the Iewes and all the Chaldeys that Ismael found waighting on Godoliah and the next day after that Ismael had slaine Godolias certaine men came from Sychem from Siloh and from Samaria to the number of fourescore which had shaued their beards and rent their cloathes with meate offering and incense to offer in the house of the Lord. And Ismael went weeping out of Mazphah to meete them and said Come and goe to Mazphah to see Godoliah the Gouernour where Ismael slue them in the midst of Mazphah as hee did Godoliah in the one he deceiued Godolias with faire words in the other hee deceiued them with teares to come to Mazphah to see Godoliah whom he slue all sauing tenne and threw their bodies into one pit Triphon one of Ismaels broode after he had taken Ionathan by deceit he sent him to Ptolomeu where hee tooke Ionathans children for hostage and money for his redemption So Triphon promised to deliuer Ionathan but Triphon killed Ionathan and his children against his faith and promise and the law of armes of all nations Alexander king of Syria fled to Arabia to be defended from Ptolomeu his father in lawe king of Egipt but Zabdiel the Arabian slue him most treacherously and sent his head to Egipt to Ptolomeu Bacchides and Alcinus Gouernors vnder the most cruell king Demetrius slue threescore Assideans that came to entreat Antiochus for peace against the lawe of armes In like sort Nicanor thought to deceiue Machabaeus as Antiochus did vnder colour and pretence to seeke peace Met. Suffetius Generall of the Albaines promising by oath his faith and truth to the Romanes and that his friendship should not faile to be readie at the Romaines commaundement yet breaking his oath in the same practising his treachery against the Romane armie he was bound to two toppes of trees both hands and feete and terribly pulled in peeces by the trees The breach of faith by the lawe of armes set downe was euer among the Romaines most seuerely punished in so much that the Romaine souldiers stoned Posthumius for that he denied the spoile which he promised to the souldiers The like is read that the Embassadors of the Lacedemonians being sent to the king of Persia to haue his aide against the Athenians being in league with the Lacedemonians were taken and brought to Athens and by the Athenians slaine The Embassadors of Carthage and Macedonia because they did conspire against the Romaines contrary to their league were taken and by the law of armes iustly slaine Diuers Embassadors were slaine for breaking theyr leagues against the lawe of armes as the Embassadors of the Romanes were slaine by the Illyrians the Embassadors of the Athenians by the Persians the Embassadors of the Persians by the Macedonians the Embassadors of Dauid king of Iudah by the Ammonites not slain but ignominiously abused for Dauid sent his Embassadors to Ammō the king to comfort him for the death of his father in kindnes of good will but they had halfe their beards shaued and their garments cut off at their buttocks thus were they turned back in reproach without thankes to Dauid So were the Embassadors of the Romanes without cause against the lawe of armes most iniuriously slaine by the Illyrians who were gouerned vnder a woman to the great reproach of the Romaines but the Romane Embassadors being thus slain had their statues put vp in the Oratory and their names written vpon their Images P. Iunius T. Coruncanus but the Romanes reuenged it to the losse of their kingdome Thus euery where trechery and murther was committed in all countreys vnder colour of leagues and lawes broken and most time without eyther lawe or league but with violence and trecherie practised by many false stratagems among all nations As Zopyrus practised by a dissembling stratagem to bring the Persians into the hands of Cyrus though some say it was Darius by cutting deforming his face and mangling his body in this pittiful sort cōming to Babilō saigning and dissembling that he had hardly escaped frō Cyrus army promised the Babilonians to do them great seruice to reuenge his wrong if they would vse his seruice By these subtill and craftie meanes he brought Cyrus to be king of Babilon of this Zopirus Cyrus was wont to say that he wished as many friends like Zopirus as a Pomegranate had kernels The like stratagem vsed the Grecian Sinon for Agamemnon in the warres of Troy therefore Agamemnon said he had rather haue tenne Nestors or tenne Vlixes then tenne Achilles or tenne Aiax for more doth counsell and pollicie profit in warre then force or courage and therefore when Achilles dyed Aiax made claime to his armour as one that might claime it best by the lawe of Armes clayming a combat if any one would say the contrary Aiax being warned by his olde father Telamon when he went with Agamemnon from Greece to Troy to fight valiantly to aske at the gods hands good successe and fauour but Aiax more proud then wise answered his father that slouthfull men and cowards seeke helpe at Gods handes but said hee could ouercome without Gods helpe Vlixes also made claime to Achilles armour saying that his pollicie and counsell did profit more the Grecians in the warres at Troy then the sword of Aiax Agamemnon knowing how much pollicie and wise counsell auailed in wars gaue to Vlixes the armor of Achilles for Agamemnon said had he had but ten such councellors as Nestor was he doubted not but soone to subdue Troy So Cyrus spake of Zopirus and so Pirrhus spake of Romane souldiers Plus praestant senes consilio quam inuenes armis Thus the Polymarchies of the earth seeke to cōquer another world like Alexander being not cōtented with one and couer all the seas with their sailes like Xerxes and to build castles high vnto the heauens like Nimrod who wold build Babel to reach vp to heauen to reuenge the iniury done to his predecessors by the vniuersall deludge resembling much the battell of
hee was called but Agesilaus without any surname of addition among the Grecians neither other great captaines of Greece as Milciades Themistocles Cymon and others had no such surnames by their victories as the Romanes had The Hebrues also had but proper names some had their fathers name added vnto it so our Sauiour in the Gospell named Peter Simon the sonne of Ionas so was it oftentimes spoken to Esay the Prophet Esay thou sonne of Amos so all the Iewish Rabines were named after their fathers names as Iuda the sonne of Dama Simeon the sonne of Gamaliel Ismael the sonne of Elizei but among the old Hebrewes as you heard they were so named as pleased the mothers The Egiptians vsed also Greeke additions to their names as Pto. surnamed Euergetes for his good deeds and benefites to his countrey Pto. surnamed Ceraunos that is to say lightning for his quicke dispatch Pto. surnamed Aetos an Eagle for his swiftnesse and celeritie and so Philadelphus and other kings and great men of Egipt added to their own proper names Greek surnames The surnames of the last kings of Egipt began from a souldiers name who grew so great among the Egiptians that he strengthened and established the countrey being subdued and ouerthrowne before by the Persians that the Alexandrians so hououred him after his death that all his successors the kings of Egipt were called after his name Ptholomei for as all the first kings of Egipt were called Pharaones so were the last kings of Egipt called Ptolomei So Arsaces a poore Scythian borne a great souldier with a great armie of poore banished men of the Parthians ouerthrew king Zaleucus and restored the Parthians to their libertie for the which benefites he was made king and all the kings his successors were named Arsaces after his name These men seeke name and fame on earth where they haue no citie nor place permanent but houses made of clay and forget to builde immortalitie and eternitie in heauen they make sumptuous and durable tombes for their bodies like the Egiptians which make pyramides for their dead bodies to dwel for euer Some againe like the Agrigentines which build them such strōg houses as though they shuld liue alwaies and yet eate drinke as though they should die the next day But we leaue these builders that build towers in the aire with Nimrod and Iuorie houses with Achab and would lose immortalitie with Vlisses for Ithaca his country and come to Paul who would be losed from the bodie and be with Christ and with Ioshua to fixe our triumphes and tropheys in Heauen with the euerlasting Ioshua Christ Iesus the sonne of God who purchased vnto vs eternall habitations and went in bodie before vs to prepare for vs a dwelling place to him therefore with the father and the holy Ghost be all honor glory and praise for euer FINIS A Table containing a briefe summe of the whole Booke Matters contained in the first Booke THirtie nine kings ouerthrown by Moses Ioshua page 2 Of diuers combats pa. 3 Of the vow of Cherim pa. Ead. Adam rescued by the seed of the woman pa. 5 Elizeus leadeth the army of Benhadad blinde pa. 6 They that mourned in Ierusalem were marked with the letter Tau Ead. Of diuers and seuerall markes pa. 7 The time that barbours were first seene in Rome pa. 9. Abraham the first man marked pa. Ead. Abrahaham feared Abimelech and Pharao for his wife pa. 10 Abraham read Astronomie in Egipt pa. Ead. Abraham rescued the fiue kings and Lot his nephewe pa. 11 The victory and stratagem of Gedeon ouer the Madianites pa 12 Dauids victory at Bezor in rescuing his two wiues pa. Ead. Three Angels feasted at Mambre with Abraham pa. 13. Foure named before they were borne pa. Ead. The Ismaelites would not bee called Agareni of Agar but Sarazeni of Sarah pa. 14. The Tower of Babell builded by Nimrod pa. 15 Ninus the first Monarch pa. ead Alexanders voyage to India pa. Ead. Zoroastes laughed at his birth pa. 16. The first Idolatry by Ninus pa. ead Baall the first Idoll pa. 17 The male children of the Hebrews throwne to Nilus pa. 18 The tyrannie of Pharao pa. Ead. A comparison betweene the Egiptians and the Romanes pa. 19 The armies of the Lord in Egipt vnder Moses pa. Ead. The first plague of Egipt pa. 20 The comparison of the first plague with the first persecution vnder Nero pa. 21 Nero slew himselfe pa. 22. The second miracle and triumph of Moses in Egipt pa 23 The blasphemy of Nicanor punished pa. Ead. Domitianus Image set vp in the Temple at Ierusalem pa. 24 Domitianus slain in his owne house by his seruants pa. 25 Iamnes and Iambres Phoraos soothsayers pa. ead The third persecution vnder Traiane pa. 26 Philo was not heard of Nero. pa. ead The fourth army of the Lord in Egipt was swarmes of flyes pa. 27 The fighting of the Iewes with wild beasts pa. 28 The yeelding of tyrants pa. 29 Pharao and Esau compared pa. 30 Septimus and Antiochus murthered pa. 31 The tyrannie of Antiochus against the Iewes pa. ead Antiochus cōfessed the great wrong he did to the Iewes at Ierusalem pa. 32 The fable of Manetho and others concerning Moses whom he named Osarphis pa. 33 The persecution of the seuen bretheren pa. 34 The seuenth plague of Egipt 35 The comparison of the seuenth persecution vnder Decius with the seuenth plague pa. 36 Great plagues and sicknesses vpon the Romanes pa. 37 Hipocrisie of Pharao pa. ead Pericles made a lawe in Athens against straungers pa. 38 The eight persecution vnder Valerianus pa. ead Valerianus the Emperor of Rome vsed as a blocke by Sapor king of Persia pa. 39 The ninth plague of Egipt pa. 40 The dissimulation of Pharao pa. ead The ninth persecution vnder Aurelianus pa. ead Christ denied among the Romanes pa. 41 A golden target sent by the Senators pa ead The euill end of cruell Emperors pa. ead The tenth plague of Egipt pa. 42 The tenth persecution vnder Dioclesian pa. ead When persecution ended heresie began pa. 43 Arius with diuers crewes of heretiques pa. ead The foure generall Councels pa. 44 The marching of Pharao after the Hebrewes pa. 45 The drowning of Pharao in the red sea pa. ead Appians impudent lies against Moses pa. 46 The education of Moses in Egipt pa. 47 Moses chosen captaine for Pharao pa. ead Moses death sought by the Priests of Egipt pa. ead The victories of Moses in Aethiopia pa. 48 The marriage of Moses to Tharbis the king of Aethiope his daughter pa. ead Appians lyes pa. 49 Philo his speech of the Hebrewes pa. 50 The law of Armes set downe by the Lord to Moses pa. 51 The stratagems of Archidamus Epaminondas and Pericles pa. 52 Of the lawe of Armes pa. 53 Of the Priests Mantes in Athens c. pa. 54 The remoouing of the Arke pa. ead The numbring and mustering of the Hebrew army by Moses pa. 55 The Hebrewes