and the staffe of their shoulder and the rodde of their oppressour hast thou broken as in the daye of Mydian You haue heard a very honorable promise of the Prophet wherein he pronâ—â—Ì„ceth a woÌ„derfull triumphaunt victorie to all them that walke in the night of darkenesse and in the shadowe of death prophecying likewise that it will come to passe that the chaynes of cruell captiuitie beyng crackt asunder yoke of seruile bondage being crusht in pieces they shall once at the length enioye most happie calme of gladsome freedome Well then To whom was this promise made to the Iewes alone is he not also the God of the Gentils Then by what meanes shall this victorie be obtained by any forreine power or warlike broile No. The Prophete doth vtterly deny that pronouncing these wordes foorthwith Because euery spoyle sayth he of the warryour that is with noyse and with tumbling of garmentes in blood shall be abolished with burning and consuming fire euen as in the victorie that Gedeon obteyned agaynst the Madianites the conquest was atchieued by the onely hande of God and the presence of Gedeon mans force power litle auayling thereunto In like maner the prophet by like comparison perswadeth vs to beleeue that this victorie and freedome must be purchased by the onely blessing of God and not by any force or policie of man and that this blessing of God is sufficiently effectual of it selfe without all force of bloody battel to establish assured and vâ—doubted peace and euerlasting freedome to all creatures Go ye to nowe let me this demaunde of you when and from whence this so great blessednes shal happen The Prophet him selfe maketh answere By the byrth of a childe sayth he and by gyuing a sonne vnto vs For vnto vs a childe is borne sayth he vnto vs a sonne is giuen the Iudgement is vpon his shoulders c. Such is the excellent dignitie of the sonne so great is the maiestie of his nature proceeding from so notable a father that he needeth none other ayde in the worlde to the attainement of absolute perfection of most blessed felicitie For what can be of more excellent effectuall operation to the through cleansing awaye of all filthie contagion of corrupt nature or more presently auaylable to remoue all matter of brabble and contention then to receyue the very sonne of God him selfe into the felowshippe of this our mortall nature beeyng a Prince of so great and superexcellent Maiestie as that he may not seeme to be borne an inheritour of a kingdome to rule as a king but that the kingdome may seeme rather to spryng vp and be erected together with his byrth For so he sayeth The gouernment is layd vpon his shoulders not purchased by any his industrie or trauayle but layde vpon his backe euen from his first entry into this worlde and growyng vp together with him euen from his very swathling cloâ—tes And the same beyng so great an authoritie or principalitie raysed vp by so much aboue the compasse of all earthly empires by howe much he obtayned to be aduaunced and called by a more excellent tytle and name aboue all the princes of the worlde And nowe if you be desirous to knowe the name of this famous Prince the Prophete him selfe will forthwith declare vnto you His name sayth he shal be called Wonderfull a Counseller The mightie God The euerlasting Father The Prince of peace The increase of his gouernment and peace shall haue none ende c. Where you see mention made of the kingdome of peace and patience you may easily discerne not a kingdome onely but a distincte maner of kingly preeminence far vnlike to an earthly or worldly gouernment Nowe hearken where the place and nation is ouer which this King must exercise his dominion Hee shall sitte vpon the Throne of Dauid and vpon his kingdome to order and establyshe it with Iudgement and with Iustice. Behold here vnder these Tytles Iudgement and Iustice is excluded all blooddye tyrannie And nowe listen to the perpetuitie of thiâ— kingdome From henceforth sayth he euen for euer and euer Was euer man so froward of iudgement as to wreste and racke this place of the Prophet of releasing the yoke of the burdens of breaking the rodde of the oppressour to any other purpose appliable though he endeuor to the contrary neuer so much then to the very comming of Christ Iesu the sonne of God in whome we do beleeue who was sent of God the father giueÌ„ vnto vs for an euerlasting king For where is it possible to find a king yssuing from out so notable a parentage and of such an vndefiled life who by dying the death could crush in pieces the tyrannie of death and after he had tasted the death coulde of his owne power reuiue and rayse him selfe vp to the glorious maiestie of euerlasting kingdome this one Meschias onely except before whom all nations of the earth do shal bowe the knee Wel nowe And what buzzing will those Thalâ—â—de glosers keepe in the glose or what exposition wil they fetch out of their Thargum Wil they referre this intolerable yoke of thraldome vnto their seruitude endured in the time of Sennacherâ—â— He woulde in deede haue charged the shoulders of the Iewes with this yoke of burden rod of oppressour but he neuer pinched theÌ„ so much therewith Will they interprete the same of the captiuitie of Babylon Neyther will this hang together by any meanes For albeit it pleased that mighty king of Babylon Cyrus of his bountiful mercy to graunt free passage to the Israelites to returne into their owne countrey yet was not he able to vnloose this propheticall yoke and establishe a peace that coulde neuer be dissolued for that he was not onely a meere straunger but also voyde of all colour to clayme the throne of his father Dauid by any maner of descent from him Moreouer whereas the prophet Esay doth note here especially the vtter taking away of all occasions of warlike furie from amongst worldly men and of restoring a kingdome of peace and the same also to be endurable beyonde all ages who doth not see that by no shyft of forged circumstaunce these sayinges may be translated to your fleshly bondage syth your selues also which do beleeue and expect for an end of this brittle life a rysing againe at the last day as well as we neither wil ne can deny but that all maner things in this worlde either priuate or publique must haue an end Then if this be true howe dare yee mortall men flatter your selues with a possession of an immortall kingdome in this worlde For that which is immortall is not limited within any compasse of time Againe by what argument can ye perswade that the thing which is euerlasting may haue a last day and determined end of time Forasmuch therefore as this kingdome of Meschias and Dauid is pronounced by the mouthe of the prophets to be
redeemer and attaine eternall saluation of bodie and soule together with vs in thy euerlasting kingdom through thee our Lord and Sauiour Amen FINIS Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes Maiestie ANNO. 1578. The confession of faith which Nathanael a lewe borne made before the Congregation in the Parish church of Alhallowes in Lombard streete at London whereupon he was according to his desire receiued into the number of the faithfull and so baptized the first of April 1577. MEn and brethreÌ„ to whom God hath reuealed in these later dayes the secrete of his sonne which was hidden from you many ages it is not vnknowen vnto you how that in the dayes of our forefathers God chose vs to be a precious people vnto himself aboue all the people that are vpon the earth and he loued vs and chose vs not because we were mo in number then anie people for we were the fewest of all people but hee chose vs onely because hee loued vs and because he would keepe the othe which he had sworne vnto our fathers Abraham Isaac Iacob By vertue of which promise the same our Lord and God whose name is Iehouah brought our fathers by a mightie hande and deliuered them out of the house of bondage from the hande of Pharaoh King of Egypt that they might knowe that the Lorde their God is the God in deede the faithfull God which keepeth couenant and mercie vnto theÌ„ that loue him and keepe his coÌ„mandements euen to a thousand generations According to which great vnspeakeable louing kindnesse he kept and preserued our fathers in the land of Israel which he had giuen them vnder the obedience of his Lawe in such seruice of sacrifices and other rites as he had appointed them to be done and practised all the dayes of their liues in the citie of Ierusalem where was his Temple built vpon the mount Sion so long as they kept them selues in obedience to the same Lawe and ordinances But when they forsaked the Lord their God and cleaued vnto false gods he rewarded them to their face because they hated him and brought them to destruction by deliuering them into the handes of manie enemies as into the hands of Nabuchadnezer by whom they were caried into captiuitie to Babylon and there remained the dayes foretolde them by our Prophet Ieremie Fulfilling thereby the wordes of our Prophet Moseh foretelling vs that it should so be if we forsooke the Lord our God and leauing vs their posteritie an example thereby that if we followed like iniquitie like seueritie of punishment should ouertake vs As it came to passe and is fulfilled in the eyes of all the world by this captiuitie which we are now in and haue been in we and our forefathers euer since the death of that righteous man Iesus Christ whome the Scribes and Pharisies and Elders of our people deliuered into the handes of Pontius Pilate to be put to death being before betrayed into their handes by one of his owne disciples that sonne of perdition Iudas Ishcarioth As our forefathers then pronouÌ„ced against them selues Let his bloud be vpon our heads and vpon our children so it is come to passe by the righteous iudgement of that mightie dreadfull god For euen from those dayes vnto this present the whole house of Israel that is wee that come of the stocke of Abraham after the fleshe is are strangers out of the land of Israel our owne countrie without Lawe or Prophets without all exercise of his statutes and ordinances concerning his worshippe prescribed vnto vs by the hande of his seruant Moseh This long and weariesome captiuitie hath consumed a great number of our forefathers â—nd hath caused some of vs froÌ„ time to time through the grace and loue of God wherewith hee loueth vs for the promise sake to thinke vpoÌ„ our promised Messhiach conferring these dayes of sorowe calamitie with our former captiuities of our fathers which were nothing so many in number of yeres nor so grieuous for want of our Prophets These fiftene hundreth yeres haue we bene strangers these fiftene huÌ„dreth yeres haue we lacked our Prophets a thing not seen at any time before wheÌ„ we our fathers were caried into a strange land For in Egypt they had Mosheh Aaron and in Babylon they had Ieremie Daniel besides Ezra Nechemiah and manie other onely in this captiuitie is Israel left desolate and our Prophets cleane gone Whereof when it pleased God I should haue consideration I was lead to thinke that our Messhiach is come and that our long looking for an other was but in vaine And that rather for that I see the wordes of Iacob our father accomplished where hee sayeth The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a lawegiuer from betweene his feete vntill Shiloh come and the people shal be gathered vnto him For the Scepter and gouernement was continued in the house of Iudah as our fathers accord vntill the comming of this man Iesus in whom if it were not continued according to the woordes of our scriptures it hath failed and wanted euer since For since the dayes of that iust man there hath bene no Scepter amongest vs neither haue we or do we runne for iudgements vnto Ierusalem So that if the wordes of our father Iacob be true That the Scepter should not depart from the house of Iudah vntill Shilo came and there is no Scepter nor Lawegiuer nowe in that house then must it needes be that this man Iesus whoÌ„ you confesse and beleeue is that Shilo which was to come and is that childe of whom one or our Prophetes sayeth Unto vs a childe is borne and vnto vs a sonne is giuen and the gouernement is vpon his shoulder And hee shall call his name Wonderfull Counseller The mightie God The euerlasting Father the Prince of peace the increase of his gouernement and peace shall haue none end he shall sitte vpon the throne of Dauid and vpon his kingdome to order it to stablish it with iudgement and iustice from henceforth euen for euer The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this This man then no doubt is that Messhiach which was looked for according to promise and our fathers and people acknowledge not fulfilling in them selues the wordes of their owne mouth His bloud be vpon our heads In deede it seemed strange to me and doth to the rest of my brethren according to the flesh eueÌ„ vnto this daye in whome this blindnesse and hardnesse of heart is in part continued through occasion giuen by them that professe the name of this man Iesus And not onely in vs which are of the house of Israel but in other as the Turkes and Mahomets which are of the race of Ishmael For had it not bene for the great and manifolde Idolatrie that is committed and vsed amongst the Christians almost in all places where his Name is professed manie of our nation had repeÌ„ted in
inestimable Iewel of faith which only enricheth to the inheritaunce of eternall life or at the least are not so diligent searchers of the same as they ought to be To clime vnto honour what attemptes and toyle do some vndertake howe filthily do others turmoyle them selues in raking riches together how dayntily some men besmeare them selues in perfumes and pleasures who because they knowe they can not lyue here for euer do determine to liue godly neuer yeeld them selues wholly to liue delicately wantonly To be aduaunced in Court to aspire to prelacie and ecclesiasticall dignitie to be a magistrat ouer the multitude who doth not accōpt it matter most honorable who adiudgeth not that man to be most fortunate that by hooke or crooke hath cratcht wonderfull possessions together who thinketh not that man to be most happy that lyueth most pleasurably And what shal I say of those artes sciences which procure gaineful lucre estimation of the world wherin whyles wee sweate and swinke all our lyues long scarse one minute can bee spared no thought employed to the things which lead vnto christ I speake not of them who seme to sauour of no sappe of religion nor are endued with one drop of faith who resembling rather Diagoristes and Protagoristes then Christians are so vtterly fallen from Christianisme to Atheisme that measuring this life with the present pleasures thereof they doe beleeue nothing holy good or worthy to be embraced but those plausible workes obiects of nature wherewith our eyes senses are delyghted most There is also an other crewe company not much vnlike to these other who perceyuing Christian religion assaulted rackt and rent in sonder as they say with sects schismes and contrarieties of opinions do persuade them selues that religion to be best that will acquaint it selfe with no religion at all What shall I say of them wherof the nomber is exceeding great who with full mouth do professe true religion it selfe and will not deny but that they do beleeue in Iesu Christ but beyng demaunded wherefore they doe beleeue in him what the will of God the father in Christ is what Grace is what how great promises are layde vp in stoare for vs in Christ howe glorious the Maiestie royaltie of Christes kingdome is how inestimable the glorie of his riches be what is the breadth the length the depth the heyght thereof howe woonderfull the loue of his knowledge is how great the force power of faith is and vpon what principal pillers foundations it is buylded they can render scarse any reason at all For as much therfore as the infallible certeintie true vnderstanding of these thinges can be attayned vnto rightly from no where els then from the holy closets of sacred Scriptures it shal be very requisite and needefull that euery of vs employ al our senses povvers of the mind continually exercised in the same For howsoeuer Christian diuinitie is tossed and turmoyled to fro with innumerable intricate entangled and wandering questions yet remayneth faith one selfe same neuerthelesse both pure simple and as it is but one so ought all men necessarily be endued therewith wholly◠That is to say that we all know Christ that we repose all our ankerholde of affiaunce in Christ that we imprint Christ in the bowels of our soule as wee are commaunded by the mouth of God the father seeing there is no name besides this name giuen vnder heauen in whome the treasure hope of mans felicitie may safely shroude it selfe Let Princes therefore learne to know this Christ Let subiects attend vpon him let auncient fathers take hold of him Let yong men embrace him Let the riche enlarge their treasury with this precious Iewel let the poore seek their reliefe to be refreshed by him who in deed cā els where by no meanes be found more easily then in the very sacred wellspringes of the propheticall Scriptures notwithstanding who so is desirous to procure this ioyfull Iewel must first of necessitie make earnest and diligent searche therfore For this precious pearle is not allotted to any but vnto them that vvill searche for it nor doth this heauēly Manna feede any but the hungry The soule must be very thirstie that must taste of this liquour that gusheth frō out the cōduyte pipes of eternal life This gate is not opened to the lazy slouthfull droane but vnto him that wil knocke Knocke sayth he and it shal be opened vnto you Seeke and ye shall finde All persons without exception are graunted free accesse to the treasurie of this kingdome It is layde open for all estates but all catch it not except such as scratche and offer force for it for what I beseeche you is more forcible then fayth what more mightie if it be true faith if it be liuely faith yea if it be true Christian fayth as that which displaying banner vnder his captaine Christ doeth fight in heauen and combat in the ayre against the princes and powers of the ayre against spiritual wickednesses from aboue doeth keepe continuall warres against infinite hazards in the earth and in hell agaynst Beelzebub agaynst the furies gates of the hells yea against death fighteth for eternall life against the Law for righteousnes and against horror of conscience for freedome and peace Therefore considering this faith is of such power and efficacie yea so necessarie to be frequented in all the actions of mans lyfe what remayneth from henceforth but that all and euery of vs crye out vnto the same Christ and beseeche him to impart vnto vs the true knowledge and vnderstanding of him selfe to enlighten the glimmering sight of our dazeled fleshly eyes with the most bryght and orient beames of this gladsome saith and that he wil vouchsafe at length to bring that to passe in vs that he vsed sometimes with his Apostles when as he discouered vnto them vpon the way as they trauayled the holie Scriptures For so we reade And he beganne at Moses and at all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all the scriptures the things which were written of him And immediately after Then opened hee their vnderstanding that they might know the Scriptures said vnto them Thus it is written Whereby appeareth playnly the duetie and office that is required in the expositours of the holy Scriptures To witte that omitting all superfluous circumlocutions and vnprofitable quiddities of questions they instruct the people in those principles rules of the Scriptures chiefely which auaile most to the nourishment and encrease of faith In which kinde of argument forasmuch as in this sermon behoued me to frame my simple skill according to the estate of the present matter and opportunitie of time and that it seemed good to my friendes to haue this litle treatise published in print to the viewe of the common people as not altogether vnworthy the reading I haue yeelded to their request that it myght be
the wing the abomination of desolation and vnto the determined consummation shall powre out vpon the desolation And vpon the wing shal be abomination of desolation Vrbane Rhegius differing very litle from the common translation hath written as ensueth Seuentie weeks are shortened or finished determined vpon thy people and vpon thy holie citie that wickednes may bee finished or transgression shal be restrayned or driuen away and sinne may come to an ende or sinne then shal be shut vp or couered and iniquitie wyped away or purged euerlasting righteousnes brought in and the vision or prophesie may be fulfilled or ensealed and the holy of holy ones may bee annointed Knowe therefore and vnderstand from the going forth of the commandement that is to say from the time wherein the commandement was published that Ierusalem shal be builded againe euen to Christ the prince are seuen weekes and threescore and two weekes and the streetes and the wall shall be buylded again in the streightes of times And after threescore and two weekes Christ shall be slaine and that shall not bee his people which will denie him or that will not know him or will forsake him And the people of the prince shall come and shal scatter abroad the citie and the Sanctuarie destroy and the end thereof destruction or the end thereof with a tempest or with a flood and after the end of the battell appointed desolation or after the battel all shall remaine desolate hee shall confirme a couenant with many in one weeke and in the halfe of the weeke the offring and sacrifice shall decay and in the temple shal be abomination of desolation or vpon the wing or wings shall stand the abomination of desolation And euen vnto the end consummation shall desolation continue or it is decreed that the desolation shall continue euen vnto the end Ye men and Hebrewes you heare in this prophesie many strange wonderful things which do conuince your errours very singularly First where he saieth that your Messhias shal come whiles your common wealth floriâ—heth in most prosperous estate If this be true what hope induceth you to beleeue that your Messhias shall come now your coÌ„mon wealth being vtterly defaced and scattered Then mention is made of the benefits of your Messhias wherein is foreshewed that he shall be slaine yea the time also wherein he shal be slaine is expressely set downe And after threescore two weekes saieth he Messhias shal be cut of Veëin lo. And first herein the Iewes do agree together with vs that these weekes are not to be nombred by limitation of dayes but of yeres Wherefore these threescore two weekes spoken of by the Prophet are by computatioÌ„ accompted to amount to 436. yeres After the end of which threescore two weekes Messhias shall establish his couenant by his doctrine death resurrection in the other weeke next ensuing In the halfe whereof he shal by his owne only sacrifice and oblation wherein he shal offer him selfe to God the father in his crosse and passion dissolue and vtterly abolish all your sacrifices and offrings But here arise in the meane space manie scrupules to be resolued first to knowe at what time those weekes tooke their beginning and so also when they ended For herein the learned expositors seeme to be variable in iudgement Some are of opinion that the beginning of the weekes entred first wheÌ„ as the seuentie yeres of their captiuitie were finished That is to say from the second yere of the reigne of Darius Histaspes And of this minde are Clement of Alexandria Theodorete Eusebius Ierome and Augustine grounding as it seemeth vpon the wordes of Zacharie in the first Chapter of his prophesie Againe many do denie this vtterly supposing that the weekes beganne first at the going forth of the commaundement That is to say when proclamation was made by the commaundement of Cyrus in the first yere of his raigne that the Iewes should be released and sent home into their countrey againe In like maner they do vary also about the end and finishing of the said weekes For some that reckone the beginning of the weeks froÌ„ the first of Cyrus reigne do ascribe the end of the same to the time of Christes birth in the reigne of Augustus the Emperour of Rome Some others do drawe them longer to the Baptisme and passion of christ Others also accompting froÌ„ Darius do begin at the seconde yere of his raigne many at the sixt some others at the twentieth yere thereof Some writers also mislyking the former opinions doe make their reckoning otherwise Besides this scrupule manie seeme to bee encumbred much about the intricate and confused supputation of the yeres and reignes of the kings which succeeded Cyrus and continued vntill the comming of Alexander which thing chiefely aboue all the rest entangleth the accompt most by reason of the vncertaine limitatioÌ„ of those times There is also no lesse disagreement in the order and obseruatioÌ„ of the yeres betwixt them which do nomber from the raigne of Cyrus amongst whome those which applie to the byrth of Christ do recompt the nomber of yeres to be 540 some reckone 501 some otherwise either more or lesse Finally albeit the most approued writers do verifie that foureteene Persian kings or at the lest thirteene succeeded eche other in the kingdome of Persia vntil the conquest of Alexander yet the Iewes make accompt of foure only But these buzzards vnacquainted altogether with forreine gouernements are to be reiected vtterly as vnmeete arbyters of this controuersie Some be of opinion that Cyrus after the conquest of Babylon reigned twentie yeres some others seuen yeres only Some report that betwixt Cyrus Darius the Assyrian only Cambyses reigned and that by the space of twentie yeres There be others that making no mention of Cambyses at all do enterlace betwixt Cyrus and Darius one named Assuerus and vnto him they allowe twentie yeres of holding the kingdome likewise So great is the varietie of opinion also concerning the continuance of the Persian Empire yea euen amongst the learned whiles some do attribute to that gouernement vnder the PersiaÌ„ Kings 130. yeres ful others 200 lacking two some other there bee which otherwise make their calculation But as concerning the succession of the Persian kings many of our writers suppose that the Temple began to be builded at Ierusalem in the reigne of Longimanus who as they say was the fourth after Cyrus in successâ—on which fourth place Ierome ascribeth to Darius and driueth this Longimanus to be the seueÌ„th in nomber after Cyrus Briefly there is no one thing amoÌ„gst the Historiographers that moueth more doutful matter of controuersie aswel among the Grecians as the Latinists Wherein as it would seeme troublesome to recite the names of al the authors that write of this matter so would it be ouer tedious to recompt al their seueral opinions and reasons alledged thereunto Neither wil I take vpon me to determine
is here determined vpon that nation and people of yours The which same weekes the Angel gathering again together deuideth into three seuerall distinct orders The first order comprehendeth seuen weekes the second three score two weekes the third one weeke only which was the last and the seuentieth in nomber In which last weeke he signifieth that it should come to passe that the holie of holie ones should be anoynted slayne and make an ende of sinne and sinne offrings appointed in the lawe of Moyses which things beeing accomplished and the full nomber of yeeres completed and finished the citie afterwardes should come to vtter ruine and destruction And because the Prophet shoulde the better conceiue the verie disposition and distinct proportion of tymes in which those things should be brought to passe the Angel doeth as it were leading by the hande instruct him by this deuided partition of weekes as if this were the purport of the prophesie For so much O Daniel greatly beloued of God as thou art so carefull and zealous for the estate and safetie of thy people it pleased Almighty God to heare thee euen in the beginning of thy prayers and withall to empart his heauenly will vnto thee by mee his messenger sent to this effect to make thee vnderstand the things that apperteine to thy nation and the whole estate of that kingdom For the Lorde hath so decreed by his secrete determination that this people beyng nowe in captiuitie shall returne agayne into their natiue country and the citie and Sanctuarie shal be restored and aduaunced to his ancient dignitie and estimation And if after the restitution and establishment thereof thou wylt further enquire of the continuaunce and durance of the same and withall what great enterprises and manifold successes shal happen therein vnderstande thou That seuentie weekes are concluded and determined vpon this people which beyng recompted by the Sabbathes of yeeres or reduced into tenne Iubiles wil make the nōber of seuen times seuentie to witte 490. yeeres for so many yeeres fully shall that common wealth prosper vntill wickednes be finished all curse of sinne be remoued al sinne offrings abolished and euerlasting righteousnes be brought in and all things be accomplished whatsoeuer were foretold by the prophets visions finally vntil the holy of holy ones be annoynted For as the administration of that common wealth was erected at the first for the Messhias his sake it could not be that kingdome vtterly to be abolished before the same Messhias was manifested in the fleshe I haue somewhat declared vnto you concerning the seuentie weekes For the better perceiuerāce of the orderly proceedings and enterchaunged successes whereof a threefold distinction of tymes ought seuerally to bee considered Namely Seuen weekes then three score two weekes and one weeke In the first seuen weekes all that entercourse of time is comprehended that must grow betwixt the laying the fundation of the seconde temple building therof vntil the ful finishing of the same for so many yeres are accompted from the first yere of Cyrus reigne vnto the vii or viii yere of Darius before the buylding of the Temple was throughly perfourmed which will amount to 49. yeres Agayne the three score two weekes doe note vnto vs the remnant of the time wherein Messhias the Lorde shoulde be borne in the citie of Dauid after that the citie Temple were repayred buylt againe which building was cōpleted in the 32. yere of the reigne of Darius the Assyrian or Artaxerxes Now that other one week which remained doth signifie vnto vs the annoynting preaching reuealing suffering of the same Meschias of those other things which were to ensue after his death In the middle part of which week shal Meschias be slayne to wit three yeres an halfe after his baptisme and annointing By which death he shall accomplishe the mysterie of mans redemption wherof the prophets did so oft prophecie and prognosticate long time before The residue of the weeke doth appertayne to the preaching of the Apostles to the calling of the Gētiles to the establishing of the couenant with many to the abolishing of the old circūcision external sacrifices of the ceremonial Law to the confirmatiō of free remissiō of sins to the performāce of the promise of rising againe life euerlasting All which were of al parts cōpleted ended in y last weeke that is to say in those 7. latter yeres wherein the Meschias shal be annoynted slayne ryse from death to lyfe ascende vp into heauen endue his Churche with the inestimable benefites of the holie Ghost and allure the Gentiles to the free mercy pronounced by his Gospel which weeke being added to the former will make the iust nomber of 70. weekes to wit 490. yeres For so many yeres did the mercifull God of Israel of his vnspeakeable bountie preserue that nation in peaceable tranquillitie not for any their deseruings but for his deare sonnes sake onely which was to yssue out of that seede generation It remaineth now that we make a proportionable comparison of the nomber of those yeres with the records of the continuall proceedinges and successes therof First this is a matter confessed That the deliuerie of the Iewes from their captiuitie was by the Proclamation of Cyrus the first yere of his reigne at what time the fundation of the Temple was layd which being hindered with sundry interruptions was yet at the last brought to full perfection in the sixt or seuenth yere of Darius reygne The Temple beeyng thus perfited in all fourniture commission was giuen at length to Nehemias in the xx yeere of the reygne of the same Darius with absolute authoritie to repaire their citie againe The same yere in the 25. daye of the moneth Elul the wall was erected and finished the whole doing whereof lasted 52. dayes only as Esdras reporteth in his sixt chapter But houses were not builded as yet as appeareth in the seuenth chapter for accomplishment whereof were allowed xii yeres more as appeareth playnely in the fift chapter of the same where you may heare what Nehemias him selfe speaketh after this maner From the twentieth yere sayth he euen to the xxxii yere of king Artaxerxes that is xii yere I and my brethren haue not eaten the bread of the gouernour c. So that it is euident that whiles the citie was buylding so many yeeres passed ouer For so we reade the Nehemias gaue his promise to returne to the king and queene as soone as the work was finished Thus much touching the ix chapter of Daniel neither is this al that Daniel reporteth of the Messhias for besides this many other his prophecies doe foreshewe and as it were directly leade vs by the hande to the kingdom of Messhias yea to the very distinct time thereof as is that of the Stone which being hewen out of a great hill without mās hande smote the image that represented
fulnes of time shall returne vnto the fayth For speedy good successe whereof this one thing doth minister plentiful matter of good hope that our Lord Iesu Christ hath vouchsafed to cleanse his Churches euery where almost so happily in these our daies purged them froÌ„ al offences stumbling blocks which occasioned the Iewes to withdraw themselues so long from the participation of our faith And here I might vse offred opportunitie to exclame against the presumptuous boldenesse of those persons whatsoeuer they were which presumed to thrust into Temples and Churches of Christians images and counterfaites of hee saintes and shee saintes at the first and to conueye the pure worshipping of the inuisible God to the representations of visible things contrary to the prescript ordinance of the Law of God coÌ„trary to reason nature contrary to the approued custome of the elders coÌ„trary to al example of the Patriarches Prophets Apostles out of which puddle as issued wonderful stench so amongst al other nothing more noysome theÌ„ those pestilent Botches of imageworship breadworship wine-worship crosseworship signes pourtraictes of visible creatures the view wherof caused the true and sincere professioÌ„ of the christians to be lothsome to the Iewes to their great hinderaÌ„ce and preiudice For what maruel was it if the Iewes that were taught by the prescript rule of gods law to abhorre worshipping of images entring into the churches of christiaÌ„s beholding the walles pillers al the corners â—hereof bedawbed with painted carued idoles besides innumerable other bables of imagery perceiuing also opeÌ„ market to be made not only of the picture of the crosse but of the sacrament of bread wyne also displayed blazed abroad not after the maner of coÌ„municating but gloriously vaunted with singular magnificence to be honoured and kneeled vnto what maruel was it I say if they being offended with this open idolatrie did so long refraine from vs and from the discipline of our faith But it is wel now thaÌ„ked be Christ that these offensiue baggage image worshippings are for that more part defaced scraped out of christian churches the ancient puritie of christiaÌ„ profession is begun to take so good footing that now amongst vs remaine no dregges in our temples in our religion nor in our doctrine that may minister iust occasion of offence to the Iewes or any other enemies though thei inueigh our religion neuer so much And I would to God al other that professe the name of christians would yeeld their like endeuour to the abolishment of al corruptions of religion and inciuilitie of liuing out of their coÌ„gregations which may breede any further lothsomnes to the Iewes Truly this is much to be lamented that our aduersaries can find no blemish of iust quarell in the person of Christ Iesu whose name we would seeme to professe and on the other side to wit in vs nothing consonant and agreeable to the true touchstone of Gods holy word and Christes religion whereof we beare the name but all things repugnant and vnlike the pure first patterne thereof But I wil not aduenture further vpoÌ„ this quauemire the sincke is deeper theÌ„ can be in this place or at this time scowred or lanched But sithence our present purpose is now to treate only of the conuersion of the Iewes of the good successe whereof as there is no hope at all els then by purging and cleansing the filthie puddles of our superstitions the vnsauerie stenche whereof the Iewes can by no meanes disgest what remayneth for vs to do my deare brethren and honourable fathers in the Lord but that euery of vs in our vocation employe all our endeuour facultie and power that nothing may be committed amongst vs in our default from henceforth whereby the true religion of Christ which he gaue most pure without spot or blemish may be defiled and brought into hatred and obloquie and blasphemed amongst the Iewes Turkes Pagans and vnbeleeuing infidels My meaning here tendeth not to the determining of controuersies in sects nor of doutful controuersies debated in schooles the censure wherof I commit to the great masters and doctors in diuinitie Onely my request at this time is that those grosse monuments of manifest idolatrie those fantasticall deuises and friuolous forgeries of signes and Images and those stagelike gestures and pelting trumperies frequented in Churches as are the praying for the dead worshipping of creatures signes forbidding priests marriages such like pieuish absurdities wherwith the Iewes were neuer acquaâ—nâ—ed which are manifestly repugnant to the 〈◊〉 word of God yea and contrary to common reason almost may be rooted out and vanished from Christian Churches and congregatâ—ons that so wee may open an entry to the Iewes and Turkes to conceiue an inward desire to be ioyned to the sonne of God or if we will not do this for the Iewes sake let vs yet at the least haue due regard to our owne estate We haue bene plagued sufficiently enough by the Turkes and Saracenes for our idolatrie if we respect the sundrie ouerthrowes famines slaughters and alterations of kingdomes wherewith the Christians haue bene miserably tormented manie hundred yeres to the great delight of the Iewes neither is any hope almost of redresse from great calamities like to ensue vnlesse we cast away this worshipping of idoles out of Christian congregations and Temples as I said before and by this meanes enter vpon a new course of better conuersation and purer worshipping of God. But forasmuch as this notable enterprise of reformatioÌ„ of life and purer discipline hath ouer many aduersaries at this daye such as will by no persuasion suffer themselues to be allured froÌ„ their accustomed impietie that this wicked age ministreth no hope of recouerie by exhortation and that nothing can auaile now to bring this to passe but supplications and praiers Let euery of vs most humbly ioyne together in earnest heartie praier to the eternall God father of our Lord Iesu Christ beseeching him for his dearely beloued sonnes sake that as he hath shut vp all vnder vnbeliefe because he will haue compassion on all so he will vouchsafe to deliuer the Iewes from their infidelitie all Christians from superstition and idolatrie and withall gouerne and sanctifie his Church in the same pure synceritie wherewith he did beautifie it at the beginning For which cause we humbly beseech thee also most mylde Sauiour which art appointed King ouer thy holy hill Sion to manifest thy selfe a redeemer vnto thy people out of that thy holy hil Sion and to turne away vngodlines froÌ„ Iacob Then shal that come to passe which thou didest promise long ago by the mouth of the Prophet that the children of Iudah and the children of Israel being gathered together vnder one head shal al together with vs with one soule one voyce and one mouth acknowledge thee to be the true sonne of the liuing God shall magnifie thee our