the â—â—iâ—â—e â—râ—m thâ—nâ—â— proceeded th se great 〈…〉 Heâ—aclituâ— Dâ—mâ—crit â— Empeâ—â—cles Pâ—â—â—â—niâ—â—â— Anaâ—â—goras who a little 〈◊〉 the Pâ—lopâ—â—â—sian War discover'd the World tâ— be made by an Eternal Spiâ—â—â— Sâ—â—r t s in a short time after reduced Pâ—ilosoâ—hy to the study of good manners and was the Father of Moral Philosophy Plato his Disciple chief of the Academy Aristotle Plato's Disâ—iple and Master of Alâ—xander chief of the P ripatetick under the Successors of Alexander Zâ—nâ— sirnamed Citian from a Town in the Isle of Cyprus where he was born chief of the Stoicks and Epicurus the Athenian chief of those Philosophers that bear his name if likewise we may count those Philsophers who openly deny a Providence and who being ignorant what duty was defined Vertue by Pleasure We may also reckon among the greatest Philosophers Hippocrates the Father of Physick who was eminently famous amongst others in those happy times of Greece The Romans had at the same time another sort of Philosophy which did not consist in Disputes nor in Discourses but in Frugality in Poverty in the labours of a Countrey life and in those of War wherein they made their Glory to consist in that of their Countrey and of the Roman Name which made them at last the Masters both of Italy and Carthage IX Epocha Scipio or Carthage conquâ—â—ed In the Year 552. from the Foundation of Rome about 250 Years after the Foundation of the Persian Monarchy and 202 Years before Jesus Christ Carthage was made subject to the Romans Hannibal never Years be ∣ fore J. C. 202 ceased underhand to stir them up Enemies Years of Rome 552 wheresoever he could but he only ensnared all his old and new Friends in the ruine of their Countrey and his own too By the Victories of the Consul Flaminius Years be ∣ fore J. C. 198 Philip King of Macedonia an Ally of the Years of Rome 556 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 196 Carâ—haginians was overcome the Kings of Years of Rome 558 Macedonia brought to great straits and Greece freed from their Yoke The Romans attempted to destroy Hâ—â—â—nibal whom they found to be still feared notwithstanding his losses That Great Captain forced to Years be ∣ fore J. C. 15 save himself from his Countrey stirred up the East against them and brought their Years of Rome 559 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 193 Arms into Asia By his powerful Arguments Years of Rome 561 and Perswasions Antiochâ—s sirnamed the Great King of Syria became Jealous of their Forces and made War with them but in doing so he followed not the Counsels of Hannibal who had engaged him in it Beaten both by Sea and Land he receiv'd the Law which the Consul Lucius Scipio the Brother of Scipio Africanus imposed upon him and he was shut up in Mount Years be ∣ fore J. C. 182 Taurus Hannibal fled for refuge to Prusias Years of Rome 572 King of Bythinia escaped the Romans by Poyson They are feared by all People and will not suffer any other Power besides their own Kings were obliged to give them their Children as Hostages of their Faith Antiochus since called the Illustrious or Epiphanius the second Son of Antiochus the great King of Syria continued a long while at Rome in that Quality but about the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 176 end of the Reign of Seleucus Philopater Years of Rome 578 his elder Brother he was restored and the Romans would have in his Room Demetrius Years be ∣ fore J. C. 175 Soter the Kings Son then about ten years of Years of Rome 579 Age. In this time of Convulsion Seleâ—cus died and Antiochus usurped the Kingdom over his Nephew The Romans were taken up in the affairs of the Macedonians where Perseus was troubling his Neighbours and would no longer keep to those Conditions that were imposed upon King Philip his Father Then began the Persecutions of Gods People Antiochus the Mighty reigned Years be ∣ fore J. C. 173 like one inraged all his Fury was bent Years of Rome 581 against the Jews he endeavoured to destroy the Temple the Mosaick Law and indeed Years be ∣ fore J. C. 171 all the Nation The Roman Power kept Years of Rome 583 him from making himself Master of Aegypt They entred into a War with Perseus who Years be ∣ fore J. C. 168 being more ready to attempt than to execute Years of Rome 586 lost his Allies by his Covetousness and his Armies by his Baseness And being conquered by the Consul Paulus Aemilius he was forced to fling himself into his Arms. Gentius King of Illyria his Ally being utterly routed in thirty days by the Praetor Anicius had just then met with the same Fate The Kingdom of Macedonia which had continued for seven hundred years and for near two hundred of them had not only given Masters to Greece but also to all the East was now no more than a bare Roman Province The outragious Furies of Antiochus daily incrâ—ased against the Jews Then appeared the Resistance of Mattathias Years be ∣ fore J. C. 167 the High-Priest of the Race of Phineas Years of Rome 587 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 166 and an Imitator of his Zeal his dying Years of Rome 588 Orders for the Salvation of his People the Victories of Judas the Maccabee his Son notwithstanding the infinite number of his Enemies the Advance of the Family Years be ∣ fore J. C. 165 of the Asmonians or Maccabees the new Years of Rome 589 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 164 Dedication of the Temple which the Gentiles Years of Rome 590 had profaned the Prelacy of Judas and the Greatness of the Priesthood re-established the Death of Antiochus suitable to his Impiety and his Pride his pretended Coversion during his last Sickness and the fierceness of Divine Vengeance upon that I solent King His Son Antiochus Eupator tho' much under Age succeeded him under the Guardianship of Lysias his Governour During this his Minority Demetrius Soter who was under Hostage at Rome thought he might have been able to re-establish himself but he could not obtain of the Senate to be sent back into his own Kingdom The â—â—man Polity rather chose to have a young Infant Under this Antiochus Years be ∣ fore J. C. 163 Eupator the Persecution of the Jews and the Years of Rome 591 Victories of Judas the Maccaâ—ee continued Years be ∣ fore J. C. 162 A Division was set asoot in the Kingdom Years of Rome 592 of Syria Demetrius escapes from Rome is acknow edged by the People and the young Antiochus is slain with Lysias his Tutor But the Jews are nâ— better trâ—ated under Demerius than they were under his Predâ—cessors He takes the same Course his Generals are beaten by Judas the Maccabee and the Hand of the proud Nicanor whose Temple he had so often threatned is joyned with Years be ∣ fore J. C. 161 him But a little after Juâ—as overwhelmed Years of Rome 593 by the Multitude was killed as he was
for him and so he became a Prisoner to the Parthians Tryphon who then thought himself safe by the Calamity of that Prince found of a sudden that he Years be ∣ fore J. C. 140 was abandoned by his own People They Years of Rome 614 could no longer bear with his insulting Pride During the Imprisonment of Demetrius their legitimate King they submitted themselves to his Wife Cleopatra and to his Children But however they were obliged to look out for one that might be a Guardian and Defender to those Princes being yet but young and under Age. That Care did naturally belong to Antiâ—châ—s Sidetes the Brother of Demetrius Cleopatra made him to be owned throughout all the Kingdom she also went further Phraates the Brother and Successor of Mithridates treated Nicator as a King and gave him his Daughter Roâ—ogâ—na in Marriage And in hatred to this Rival Cleopatra from whom she took away the Crown with her Husband married Antiochus Sidettes and was resolved to Reign tho by all the Crimes imaginable The new King set Years be ∣ fore J. C. 139 upon Tryphon Simon joyned with him in Years of Rome 615 that Assault and the Tyrant being in all places subdued met with that Fate in his Years of Rome 619 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 135 End which he justly deserved Antiochus now Master of the Kingdom soon forgat the Services that Simon had done him in that War and caused him to be killed Whilst he was collecting against the Jews all the Forces of Syria Johannes Hyrcanus the Son of Simon succeeded to the Pontificat of his Father and all the People yielded to him He sustained the Siege in Jerusalem with a great deal of Valour and the War which Antiochus was designing against the Parthians for the Delivery of his Captive Brother made him agree with the Jews upon very easy and supportable Terms At the same time that this Peace was concluding the Romans who began to grow mighty rich met with Enemies that were not a little to be feared in the vast Multitude of their Slaves Eâ—nus a Slave got them to make their first Insurrection in Sicily and to reduce them no less than the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 133 whole Power of Rome was employed A Years of Rome 621 while after the Succession of Attalus King of Pergamus who by his last Will made the Roman People his Heir put the City into an unhappy Division The Troubles of the Gracchi began The Seditious Tribunalship of Tiberius Gracchus one of the primier Citâ—zens of Rome became his Destruction For the whole Senate killed him by the hand of Scipio Nasica and they saw no other means whereby to prevent the dangerous distribution of Mony wherewith that Eloquent Tribune flattered the People Scipio Aemilianus re-established the Military Discipline and that great Man who had destroyed Carthage ruined Numantia in Spain the second Terror of the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 132 Romans The Parthians found themselves Years of Rome 622 weak against Sidetes His Troops though they were corrupted by a prodigious Luxury yet had most surprizing Successes Johannes Hyâ—canus who had attended him with his Jews in that War made there his Valour signally Famous and the Jewish Religion to be had in regard stopt a little to give himself the leisure to celebrate the * â—â—ur â—e â—â—â—e Sabbath-day Every one submitted and Pâ—raates saw his Empire reduced to its antient Bounds and Limits But yet he was so far from despaâ—ring at these disastrous Circumstances that he verily believed his Prisoner would be a means to set 'em right again and enable him to invade Syâ—ia Whilst things were in this pâ—sture Demetriis met with a very odd Adventure and Fate He was several times released and as often retained according to the Ascendant of his Father in Laws Hopes and Fears At last a happy Moment wherein Phraates found no other Refource than in the Divertion which he resolved to make in Syria by his means set him at absolute Liberty At this Crisis there was a new turn Years before J. C. â—3â— of things Siâ—etâ—s who could no longer Years of Rome 624 keep up his prodigious Expences but by Rapines insupportable was on a sudden overwhelmed by a general Rising of the People and he fell with that Army which he had found so oft Victorious In vain now did Phraates seek to o'retake â—emetrius that time was past and the Prince was got into his Kingdom His Wife Cleopatra who was resolved to reign did soon return with him and Roâ—oguna was as soon forgot Hyâ—â—nâ—â—s made use of his time He took Sicâ—em from the Samaritans and utteâ—ly destroyed the Temple of â—erazim two hundred Years after is had been built by Sanballat It s Ruine hindred not the Samaritans from continuing their Worship upon that Mountain and the two People remained irreconcileable The Year after all Years be ∣ fore J. C. 129 Idumea united by the Victories of Hyrcanus Years of Rome 625 to the Kingdom of Judea received Moses's Law with Circumcision The Romans continued their Protection to Hyrcanus and caused a Surrender of the Towns to him which the Syrians had dispossessed him of The Pride and the Violences of Demetrius Years be ∣ fore J. C. 128 Nicator left not Syria long in Repose The Years of Rome 626 People revolted And to keep up their Revolt the Enemy Aegypt gave them a King Years be ∣ fore J. C. 125 It was Alexander Zebina the Son of Balas Years of Rome 629 Demetrius was beaten and Cleopatra who thought to Reign more absolutely under her Children than under her Husband caused Years be ∣ fore J. C. 124 him to be taken out of the way And she Years of Rome 630 gave no better a Treatment to her eldest Son Seleucus who would needs Reign in spight Years be ∣ fore J. C. 121 of her Her second Son Antiochus called Years of Rome 633 Grypus had defeated the Rebels and was returned Victorious Cleopatra presented to him in Ceremony the poisoned Cup which her Son being advertised of her pernicious Designs made her to drink At her Death she left an eternal Seed of Divisions among her Children which she had had by the two Brothers Demetrius Nicator and Antiochus Sidetes Syria thus in Convulsions was not long in Condition to trouble the Jews Years be ∣ fore J. C. 109 Jâ—hannes Hyrcanus took Samaria tho' he Years of Rome 645 could not convert the Samaritans Five Years after he dyed Judea continued quiet under her two Children Aristobulus and Alexander Janeus who both Reigned one after the other without any Disturbance Years of Rome 650 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 104 from the Kings of Syria The Romans left Years of Rome 651 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 103 that rich Kingdom to waste and consume by it self and were content with inlarging themselves Years be ∣ fore J. C. 115 forwards to the West During the Years of Rome 629 Wars of Demetrius Nicator and of Zebina
of the Ancient People all the Particularities of Time and every thing else concurring as much as possibly can be expected in so remote and distant an Antiquity II. Epocha Noah or the Deluge 2. Age of the World After the Flood is observable the shortning of Man's Life and a change and alteration of the way of Living and a New Nourishment substituted in stead of the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 2348 Fruits of the Earth some Precepts given Years of the World 1656 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 2347 to Noah only viva voce the Confusion of Years of the World 1657 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 2247 Tongues at the Tower of Babel the first Years of the World 1757 Monument and Mens Weakness the Division of Noah's three Sons and the first Distribution of Lands The Memory of the three first Authors of Nations and People is preserved among Men. Japhet who Peopled the greatest part of the West continues there in great veneration under the Name of Japhet Cham and his Son Canaan have been no less known among the Aegyptians and Phoenicians and the Remembrance of Shem has been always held Sacred among the Hebrews who came from him A little after this first Division of Mankind Nimrod a Wild Man became by his violent Humour the first of Conquerors and this was the Origine of all Conquests He established his Kingdom in Babylon Gen. x. 9 10 18. in the same Place where the Tower was begun and had been carried up to a strange height but yet it seems not up to that stature the Vanity of Man intended or desired it Round about it much-what at the same time Niniveh was built and some other ancient Kingdoms setled They were but small in those first and early Times and there was even in Aegypt it self Four Dynasties or Principalities that of Thebes that of Tine that of Memphis and that of Tanis which was the Chief of Lower Aegypt To much about this time may be referred the beginning of the Laws and Policies of the Aegyptians that of their Pyramids which remain to this day and that of the Astronomical Observations of as well those People Years be ∣ fore J. C. 2233 as of the Chaldeans We may likewise Years of the World 1771 bring up to about this time and no higher the Observations which the Chaldeans for they were without dispute the first Observers of the Stars gave in Babylon to Callisthenes for Aristotle Porphyr ap Simp. l. ii de Caelo Every thing begins There is no antient History wherein there appears not only in these first times but a long time after some manifest Vestigia of the newness of the World We see Laws were to be made and established Manners to be amended and Empires to be formed Mankind coming out by degrees from Ignorance Experience instructs them and Arts are either invented or perfected Accordingly as Men multiplyed the Land was populated and Inhabitants came to live nearer to one another Mountains and Precipices were passed over Rivers crost and at last the Seas and Men established new Habitations The Earth which in the Beginning was but a wild Forest now took another Form the grub'd-up Trees gave way to Fields Pasturages Hamlets Burroughs and at length to Cities They began then to have the Art and Cunning of taking some kind of Beasts of tarning others and bringing them up to Labour and Service At first they were used to ingage and fight with wild Beasts The first Heroes made themselves signal in these sort of Exercises Gen. x. 9. This gave occasion to the inventing of Arms which afterwards Men turned one against another Nimrod the first Warrior and first Conqueror is called in Scripture a mighty Hunter But Man's Skill lay not only in Beasts he knew also how to bring up Plants and ripen Fruits He likewise reduced Metals to his use and by degrees made them serviceable to all Mankind And as it was but natural that time should invent and find out a great many things so likewise time made several other things be forgot at least to most Men. Those first Arts which Noah had preserved and which are always kept up in some Countries where â—ver there is a first Establishment of Mankind that is to say in new Plantations are lost proportionably as they are distant from that Country For either they must be learned over again with time or else those who had preserved them must carry them over to those others Wherefore we see all things to come from Lands that have been always inhabited where the Grounds and Foundations of Arts remain in their Perfection and there also is to be learned every day things very considerable The Knowledge of God and the Remembrance of the Creation was preserved there but it did daily degenerate and grew weaker and weaker The Ancient Traditions were either quite forgot or at least obscure and dim The Fables and Stories that have succeeded them retain'd only the gross Ideas of them False Deities multiplied and became more numerous and that gave occasion to the calling of Abraham III. Epocha The Call of Abraham 3. Age of the World Four hundred twenty six Years after the Deluge as every Body walked after their own ways and never were mindful of that God that made them this great Creator to hinder the Progress of so abominable a Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1921 Wickedness in the midst of their Sins began Years of the World 2083 to set apart to himself a chosen People Abraham was elected to be the Father of the Faithful God called him in the Land of Canaan where he resolved to establish his Worship and to settle the Children of that blessed Patriarch whom he said he would multiply as the Stars of Heaven and as the Sand on the Sea-shore To the promise that he made of giving this Land to his posterity he joyn'd another far more great and illustrious and that was that mighty blessing which was to extend to all the people of the World in Jesus Christ coming forth from his off-spring Heb. vii 1. 2 3 c. This was that Jesus Christ whom Abraham honoured in the Person of the great High-Priest Melchisedeck unto whom he gave the tent of the Spoils which he had got returning from the slaughter of Kings and by whom he was blest In the midst of these vast Riches and of a Power commensurate to that of Kings Abraham still kept to his old ways and customs he ever led a plain simple and pastoral Life which yet had its due Magnificence and the Patriarch made it principally appear in his generous Hospitality to all People Heaven Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1856 at last was pleased to send him Guests Years of the World 2148 the Angels revealed to him the Counsels of God he believed them and appeared in all things full of Faith and Piety In his time Inachus the most antient of all Kings known by the Grecians founded
whole Nations boast that they descend This Epocha therefore is proper to recollect whatsoever the Fabulous Times had that was most certain and most eminent But what is seen in the Sacred History is in all Points most remarkable Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1177 the prodigious Strength of Samson Years of the World 2887 and likewise his marvellous Weakness Eli Years of the World 1176 the High-Priest Venerable by his Piety Years of the World 2888 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1095 and unhappy by the Guilt of his Sons Samuel Years of the World 2909 an irreproachable Judge and a Prophet chosen by God to anoint Kings Saul the first King of Gods People his Victories his presumption to Sacrifice without the Priests his Disobedience pitifully excused under the pretence of Religion his Reprobation his fatal Fall About this time Codrus King of Athens gave up himself to death for the safety of his People and by his Death they got the Victory His Sons Medon and Nileus dispute for the Kingdom Upon this occasion the Athenians abolish all Regality and declare that Jupiter was their only King They created Governours or perpetual Presidents but they were subject to render an account of their Administration These Magistrates were called Archontes Medon the Son of Codrus was the first who exercised this Magistracy and it continued a long while in his Family The Athenians extended their Colonies into that part of Lesser Asia which was called Ionia The Aeolick Colonies were set up much-what about the same time and all the Lesser Asia was filled with Greek Towns Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1055 After Saul came David that admirable Years of the World 2949 Shepherd the Conqueror of the fierce Goliah and of all the Enemies of the People of God a great King a great Conqueror and a great Prophet worthy to sing out the Praises and wonderful Works of his great Creator in a word a Man after God's Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1034 own Heart as he himself stiles him and Years of the World 2970 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1014 who by his Repentance did even turn his Years of the World 2990 Offences to the Glory of his Maker To this Pious Warriour succeded his Son Solomon Wise Just Peaceful whose Hands Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1012 undefiled with Blood were accounted worthy Years of the World 2992 to build the Temple of God VI. Epocha Solomon or the Temple finished 5. Age of the World This was about the year 3000. of the World the year 488. since the Departure out of Aegypt and to adjust the Times of Sacred History with those of the Profane 180 years after the taking of Troy 250 years before the Founding of Rome and 1000 years before Jesus Christ when Solomon Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1004 finished that stupendious Edifice He Years of the World 3000 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1003 celebrated the Dedication of it with an extraordinary Years of the World 3001 Piety and Magnificence And this famous Action was followed with several other Wonders of the Reign of Solomon which ended in shameful Weaknesses He gave up himself to the Love of Women which debased his Mind made his Heart grow wavering so that at last his Piety degenerated into Idolatry God tho' justly provoked yet spares him for the sake of David his Servant however he would not suffer his Ingratitude utterly to go unpunished he divides his Kingdom after his death under his Son Rehoboam The Brutish Pride of that young Prince causes Ten of his Years be ∣ fore J. C. 975 Tribes to be cut off from him which Jeroboam Years of the World 3029 separated from their God and from their King For fear lest they should return to the Kings of Judah he forbids them going to Sacrifice at the Temple of Jerusalem and he sets up his Golden Calves to which he ascribes the Name of the God of Israel that so the Innovation might appear less strange The same Reason made him retain the Law of Moses which he interpreted according to his own Will and Pleasure but almost all the Politie of it he caused to be observed as well the Civil as Religious so that the Pentateuch remained still in veneration among the separated Tribes Thus was the Kingdom of Israel set up against the Kingdom of Judah In that of Israel Impiety and Idolatry reigned and triumphed But Religion tho' it was several times clouded in that of Judah yet it was always preserved there About this Years be ∣ fore J. C. 971 time the Kings of Aegypt were very powerful Years of the World 3033 The Four Kingdoms had been re-united under that of Thebes It is believed that Sesostris that famous Conqueror of the Aegyptians is that Sesac King of Aegypt whom God made use of to chastise the Impiety of Rehoboam In the Reign of Abijah the Son of Rehoboam is observable that great and mighty Victory which the Piety of that Prince gained him over the Schismatical Tribes Hâ—s Son Asa whose Piety is commended Years be ∣ fore J. C. 917 in Scripture is taken notice of there Years of the World 3087 to be a Man who in his Sicknesses relied more upon the Humane Help of Medicines than of the Goodness and Power of God Years be ∣ fore J. C. 924 In his time Amri King of Israel built Samaria Years of the World 3080 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 914 where he established the Seat of his Years of the World 3090 Kingdom This Time is followed with the admirable Reign of Jehosaphat wherein flourished Piety Justice Navigation and the Military Art Whilst he appeared in the Kingdom of Judah another David Ahab and his Wife Jezabel who then reigned in Israel joyned to Jeroboam's Idolatry all the Impieties Years be ∣ fore J. C. 899 of the Gentiles They perished both of Years of the World 3105 them miserably God who had bore with their Idolatries was resolved to revenge upon them the Blood of Naboth whom they had caused to be slain because he had refused as the Law of Moses required to sell them the Fee of his Paternal Inheritance Their Sentence was pronounced by the Mouth of the Prophet Elijah Ahab was killeâ— some time after notwithstanding all Years be ∣ fore J. C. 987 his â—ircumspection to save himself About Years of the World 3107 this time we are to râ—ckon the Foundation of Carthage which Dido wâ—o was come from Tyre built in a Place after the Example of Tyre which was very convenient for Traffick as it was likewise for becoming Mistress of the Sea It is somewhat hard to assign the Time when it formed it self into a Republick but the mixing of the Tyrians and Africans made it become equally Warlike and Trafficking The ancient Hâ—sâ—orians who place its Origine before the Ruine of Troy seem to fancy that Dido rather enlarged and fortified it than that ever Years be ∣ fore J. C. 888 she laid the Foundations of it Affairs began
Years of the World 3116 to change Figure in the Kingdom of Judah Athaliah the Daughter of Ahab and Jezabel carried Impiety along with her into the House of Jehosaphat Jehoram the Son of so pious a Prince chose rather to imitate his Father-in-Law than his own Father Years be ∣ fore J. C. 885 The Hand of God was upon him His Years of the World 3119 Reign was short and his End dreadful In the midst of his Chastisements God wrought unheard-of Prodigies even in favour of the Israelites whom he would now recaâ—l to Repentance They saâ— without ever being converted the Wonders of Elijah and Elisha who prophesied during the Reign of Ahab Mâ—rrâ— Aâ—â—na and five of his Successors At this time Hâ—mer flourished as Hesiod had done Thirty years before The Ancient Manners aâ—d Customs which they represent to us and the Vestigia that they still keep with much Grandeur and with the ancient Simplicity does not a little serve to let us understand the Antiquities that are a great deal more remote and the Divine Simplicity Years be ∣ fore J. C. 884 of the Scripture There had been terrible Years of the World 3120 Spectacles in the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel Jezabâ—l was thrown down out of a Tower-window by the command of Jehu who valued not the painting her Face and tyring her Head but fulfilled the Word of the Lord in causing his Horses to tread her under their Feet He killed Jehoram King of Israel the Son of Ahab even all the House of Ahab was destroyed and it wanted but a little of drawing that of the Kings of Judah into its own Ruine King Ahazia the Son of Joram King of Judah and of Athaliah was slain in Samaria with his Brethren as an Ally and Friend to the Children of Ahab As soon as this News was brought to Jerusalem Athaliah resolved to cut off all that remained of the Seed-Royal without sparing her own Children and so to reign and govern by the loss of her own Only Jehoash the Son of Ahaziah a Child that then hung at the Breast was stole away from her Fury by Jehosheba his Aunt Jehosheba the Sister of Ahaziah and Wife of Jehoiada the High-Priest hid him in the House of the Lord and saved that only precious Remainder of the House of David Athaliah who thought him dead with the rest lived without fear Plat. de Repâ—◠〈…〉 Arist â—olit l. 2. c. 9. Lycurgus prescribed Laws to the Lacedemonians He is rebuked for having made them all Martial after the Example of Minos whose Institutions he had followed and for having but little provided for the Womens Modesty for that so he might make all his Men Soldiers he obliged them to a very laborious and temperate Life Nothing was stirring in Judah against Athaliah and therefore she thought her self established during a six years Reign But God raised her up an Years be ∣ fore J. C. 678 Avenger in the holy Sanctuary of his Temple Years of the World 3326 When he was come to be seven years old Jehoiada made him known to some of the Rulers over Hundreds with the Captains of the Guard and the Royal Army whom he had carefully managed and being assisted with the Priests he anointed the young King in the Temple Easily were the People persuaded to acknowledge the Heir of Davâ—d and of Jehosaphat At the noise whereof Athaliah ran to dissipate the Conspiracy but being forced without the Ranges of the Temple she there received the Reward of her Crimes As long as Jehoiada lived Joash reigneth well keeping to the Law of Moses After the Death of this holy Man of God corrupted by the Flatteries of his Courtiers he falls in with them to downright Idolatry The High-Priest Years be ∣ fore J. C. 840 Zacharias the Son of Jehoiada was resolved Years of the World 3164 to reprove him for it but Jehoash without ever being mindful of what he owed to his Father caused him to be stoned But Vengeance followed close at the heels of Years be ∣ fore J. C. 839 this for the next year Jehoash being beaten Years of the World 3165 by the Syrians and fallen into contempt was assassinated by his own Subjects and Amaziah his Son a better Man than himself was set upon the Throne Years be ∣ fore J. C. 825 The Kingdom of Israel being wasted and Years of the World 3179 depressed by the Victories of the Kings of Syria and by Civil Wars re-assumed its Forces under Jeroboam II. who was more pious than his Predecessors Hoziah otherwise called Azariah the Son of Amaziah also governed the Kingdom of Judah with no less Honour and Glory This is that Years be ∣ fore J. C. 810 Famous Hoziah that was smitten with Leprosie Years of the World 3194 and often reproved in Scripture for having towards his latter days presumed to take upon him the Priestly Office and against the Prohibition of the Law had himself offered up Incense upon the Altar of Perfumes He was to be set aside though he was a King according to the Law of Moses and Jotham his Son who was afterwards his Successor did wisely govern the Kingdom Under the Reign of Hoziah the Holy Prophets the Chief of whom at that time were Hosea and Isaiah began to publish their Prophecies in Writing and in particular Books the Originals of which they deposited in the Temple to serve as a Monument to Posterity The Lesser Prophecies which were given only vivâ voce were as was usual registred in the Rolls of the Temple with the History of the time The Years be ∣ fore J. C. 776 Olympic Games instituted by Hercules and Years of the World 3228 long discontinued were re-established and from that re-establishment came the Olympiades by which the Grecians counted their Years Aboâ—â— this time ended that which Varro calls thâ— Fabulous because the profane Histories then were full of confusion and falsities and the Historical times began wherein the affairs of the World were reported with more exactness and fidelity The first Olympiad is marked out by the victory of Corebus They were renewed every five years and after four years Revolution There in the Assembly of all Greece at Pisa first and afterwards at Elida those famous Combats were celebrated where the Conquerors were crowned with incredible Applauses The Exercises likewise were in great honour and Greece every day became more strong and more cultivated Italy as yet was almost all over savage The Latin Kings of Aeneas's Race reigned at Alba. Phul was King of Assyria 'T was believ'd he was the Father of Sardanapalus called according to the Eastern Custom Sardan Pul that is to say Sardan the Son of Phul. 'T was also thought that this Phul or Pul had been King Years be ∣ fore J. C. 771 of â—ineveh who joined with his People in Years of the World 3233 Repentance at the Preaching of Jonas That Prince invited by the Confusions of the Kingdom of Israel went to invade it but
being come to an Agreement with Manahem he established him in the Throne that he went to Usurp by Violence and received by way of acknowledgment the Tribute of a thousand Talents Under his Son Sardanapalus and after Alcmaeon the last perpetual Archon of the Athenians that People whom his humour led insensibly to affect a popular Estate lessened the Power of their Magistrates and in ten years wholly overthrew the Archontick Administration The first of this way was Charops Romulus and Remus sprung from the antient Kings of Alba by their Mother Ilia re-established in the Kingdom of Alba their Grandfather Numitor of which his Brother Amilius had dispossest him and presently after they founded Rome whilst Jotham Reigned in Judah VII Epocha Romulus or Rome founded That City which was to be the Mistress of the World and in futurity the chief Seat of the Romish Religion was founded toward the end of the third year of the sixth Years be ∣ fore J. C. 754 Olympiad 430 years after the taking Years of the World 3250 of Troy from whence the Romans believed their Ancestors to be sprung and 753 years before Jesus Christ Romulus being bred up hardly with Shepherds and always Years of Rome 1 engaged in Warlike Exercises consecrated this City to the God of War who he Years be ∣ fore J. C. 748 said was his Father About the time of Years of Rome 6 Rome's Birth through the effeminate Luxury of Sardanapalus happened the Fall of the first Empire of the Assyrians The Medes a warlike People animated by the Discourses of Arbaces their Governour set an Example to all his Subjects of contemning and scorning him All were up in a general revolt against him and at length he perished in his chief City where he saw himself constrained to fling himself into the Fire with his Concubines his Eunuchs and his Riches Out of the Ruins of this Empire were seen to come three great Kingdoms Arbaces or Orbaces whom some call Pharnaces freed the Medes who after a very long Anarchy had three most puissant Kings Moreover presently after Sardanapalus there appeared a second Kingdom of the Assyrians Years be ∣ fore J. C. 747 of which Nineveh was the chief City Years of Rome 7 and a Kingdom of Babylon These two last Kingdoms are not unknown to prophane Authors and are much celebrated in the sacred History The second Kingdom of Nineveh is founded by Tilgath of Tiglath the Son of Phalaser called for this reason Tiglathphalesar to whom was also given the name of Ninus the younger Baladan whom the Greeks called Belasis established the Kingdom of Babylon which is known by the name of Nabonassar From thence the Aera of Nabonassar famous with Ptolomy and the antient Astronomers who reckoned their years by the Reign of that Prince It is fit to explain here the signification of this word Aera which is a number of Years began at a certain point of Time which some extraordinary Accident makes remarkable Wicked Years be ∣ fore J. C. 740 and Sinful Ahaz King of Judah oppressed Years of Rome 14 by Rezin King of Syria and by Pekah the Son of Remaliah King of Israel instead of having recourse to God who stirred him up those Enemies to punish him called Tiglathphalesar the first King of Assyria or Nineveh who brought the Kingdom of Israel to its last extremity and utterly destroyed that of Syria and at the same time he ravaged that of Judah which had desired his Assistance Thus the Kings of Assyria took Years be ∣ fore J. C. 721 the way to the Holy Land and resolved Years of Rome 33 upon the Conquest of it They began with the Kingdom of Israel which Salmanasser the Son and Successor of Tilgath Pilneser utterly destroyed Osee King of Israel relied upon the succour of Sabacon otherwise called Sua or Soü◠King of Aethiopia who had invaded Aegypt But that mighty Conqueror could not get it out of the hands of Salmanassar The ten Tribes with whom the Worship of God was quite worn off were transported to Nineveh and being dispersed among the Gentiles they so lost themselves there that no farther tracing of them can be discovered There remained some of them who were mixed among the Jews and made a small part of the Kingdom Years be ∣ fore J. C. 715 of Judah At this time happened the Years of Rome 39 Death of Romulus He was always fighting and always victorious but in the midst of his Wars he notwithstanding laid the Foundation of Religion and Laws A Years be ∣ fore J. C. 714 long Peace gave Numa his Successor a good opportunity to finish that Work He formed Years of Rome 40 Religion and qualified the wild and extravagant Manners of the Romans In his time the Colonies that came from Corinth and several other Towns of Greece founded Syracuse in Sicily Crotona Tarentum and perhaps some other Towns in that part of Italy to which the most antient Greek Colonies which were spread over all the Country had already given the name of Great Greece In the mean time Hezekiah the most Pious and the justest of all the Kings Years be ∣ fore J. C. 710 ever since David reigned in Judah Sennacherib the Son and Successor of Salmanassar Years of Rome 44 besieged him in Jerusalem with a vast and prodigious Army which was in one night destroyed by the Hand of an Angel which went out and smote in the Camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five Thousand Hezekiah being delivered in so wonderful a manner served God with all his People more faithfully than ever But Years be ∣ fore J. C. 698 after that Prince his Death under his Son Years of Rome 56 Manasseh the ungrateful forgat their God and so disorders and calamities were multiplied Years be ∣ fore J. C. 687 upon them A popular State or commonwealth Years of Rome 67 was then formed among the Athenians and they began to elect annual Archontes or Governours the first of whom was Creon Whilst wickedness increased in the Kingdom of Judah the Power of the Kings of Assyria which were to be their avengers grew daily stronger under Esarhaddon Years be ∣ fore J. C. 681 the Son of Sennacherib He re-united the Years of Rome 73 Kingdom of Babylon to that of Nineveh and equalled in Great Asia the Power of the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 677 first Assyrians 2 Kings xvii 24. 1 Esd iv 2. In his Reign the Cuthians Years of Rome 77 People of Assyria since called Samaritans were placed in the City of Samaria instead of the Children of Israel These joined to that of Idolatry the Worship of God and obtained of Esarhaddon an Israelitish Priest who taught them the manner of the God of the Land that is to observe the Law of Moses God resolving not to have his Name utterly abolished in a Land that he had given to his People he left there his Law as an earnest and testimony 2 Kings xvii 27
into that Province with his Son Hannibal of but Years be ∣ fore J. C. 230 nine years of Age and there dyed in a Battle Years of Rome 524 And during the nine Years in which he managed the War with as much Address as Valour his Son was made a Warrior under this so brave a Champion and took all at once an implacable hatred against the Romans Asdrubal his Ally was made his Father's Successor who governed his Province with a great deal of Prudence and in it built New Carthage which kept Spain under Subjection The Roman were taken up in the War against Teuta Queen of Illyria who exercised Piracy unpunished over all the Coast Flushed with the Spoil she made upon the Greeks and those of â—â—ir s she despised the Romans and slew their Ambassador But she was soon tâ—ken down for the Romans left her but a very small part of Years be ∣ fore J. C. 229 Illyria and got from her the Isle of Corsmiâ—on Years of Rome 525 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 228 which that Queen had usurped They Years of Rome 526 then made themselves to be respected in Greece by a solemn Embassage and this was the first time that they acknowledged their Power there Polyb. lib. ii 12.22 The great Successes of Asâ—â—r dâ—al made them wonderful jealous but the Gauls of Italy kept them from mâ—â—ling with the affairs of Spain Li. â—â—l lib. 21. They continued quiet five and forty Years And the Youth that were bred up in that time ne're thought of past lâ—stes but began again to mâ—â—ace 〈◊〉 The Romans that they might with security attack such turbulem Neighbours made themselves sure of the Carthaginians The Treaty was concluded with Asdâ—uâ—al who promised not to pass beyond the Heber Years be ∣ fore J. C. 224 The War between the Romans and Years of Rome 530 the Gaâ—â—s went suriously on on both sides The Traâ—salsims joined with the â—isalsin s and all were beaten Conâ—olitanus one of the King of the â—aâ—ls was taken in the fight Aâ—â—râ—estus another Kinâ— was his own Murtherer the Victorious Râ—mans at the first time passed the River Po being resolved to take from the Gauls at the adjacent places to that River of which for so many Ages since they had been in possession Victory was their attendant wheresoever they went Milan was taken and almost all the Couâ—try was brought into subjection About that time Asdrubal died and Hanibal though he was not five and twenty years old was put in his Years be ∣ fore J. C. 220 place From that time War was foreseen Years of Rome 534 The new Governour openly set himself to subdue Spain without any respect to Terms Rome then hearkened to the complaints Years be ∣ fore J. C. 219 of Sagonius her Ally And the Years of Rome 535 Roman Ambassadours went to Carthage The re-established Carthaginians were now no longer in a humour of yielding Sicily ravished out of their Hands Sardinia unjustly forced from them and Tribute enhanced stuck shrewdly in their Stâ—machs So that the Faction which would have Hannibal abandoned proved very weak That General designed to have at all By secret Embassies they were assured ot the Gauls of Italy who being not longer able to attempt any thing by their own Forces took this opportunity to relieve themselves Hannibal traverses all Heber the Pyrenees all Gallia Transalpine the Alpes and upon a sudden falls upon Italy The Gauls neglected not to fortify their Army and made Years be ∣ fore J. C. 218 the last effort for their Liberty Four lost Years of Rome 536 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 217 Battles made them believe that Rome was Years of Rome 537 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 216 very near her mine Sicily sides with the Years of Rome 538 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 215 Conquerour Hieronymus King of Syracusa Years of Rome 539 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 212 declares himself against the Romans almost Years of Rome 542 all Italy abandons them and the last Ressource of that Republick seemed to give up it self in Spain with the two Scipio's Amidst these extremities Rome was indebted for her Salvation to three great Men. The constancy of Fabiua Maximus who putting himself above Popular Rumours made War by retreating and was a Rampier to his Countrey Marcellus who Years be ∣ fore J. C. 214 raised the Siege of Nola and took Syracusa Years of Rome 540 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 212 by those Actions put Courage and Vigour Years of Rome 542 into the Souldiers But Rome which admired those two wonderful Persons thought they saw in the young Scipio something more strange and surprizing The astonishing successes of his Counsels confirmed the Opinion they had of him that he came of Race Divine and conversed with the Gods At twenty four years of Age he engaged to go into Spain where his Father Years be ∣ fore J. C. 211 and Uncle had but newly been slain He Years of Rome 543 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 210 attacked New Carthage as if he had been Years of Rome 544 actuated by Inspiration and his Souldiers quickly got the Field All that saw him turned straight to the Roman side The Carthaginians yield up Spain to him at his coming into Africa Kings because his Homagers Carthage it self trembled in her turn and saw her Arms defeated Victorious Hamiâ—al after sixteen years is in vain called back and cannot defend his Countrey Fâ—r Scipio gives Laws unto it The Years be ∣ fore J. C. 202 Sirname of Africanus is his recompence so Years of Rome 552 that the Romans having conquered the Gauls and Africans law themselves then beyond further apprehension and fought afterwards secure without hazard Years be ∣ fore J. C. 250 About the middle of the first Punick War Years of Rome 5â—4 Theodotus Governour of Bactria headed a thousand Cities against Antiochus sirnamed the God the Son of Antiochus Soter King of Syria Almost all the East followed this Example The Paâ—thiaâ—s revolted under the Conduct oâ— Aâ—aces who was Chief of the House of the Aâ—â—â—â—idâ— â—ounder of an Empire â—hich by degrees extended iâ—seâ—â— into alâ— the upper Asia The Kings of Syria and those of Aegypt fâ—â—shed one against the other meditated on â—â—â—hinâ— but mâ—tual ruine either by force oâ— fraud Damasâ—s and hiâ— Tâ—rritory whiâ—â— was called Coelo-Syria and which was a Confine to the two Kingdoms was the Sâ—bjâ—â—t of their Wars and the Affairs of Asia were absolutely distinct and separate from those of E rope During all those sad times Philosophy flourished in Greece the Sect of the Italian Philosophers and that of the Eniques filled it with great Men among whom there were mixed several extravagant Persons to whom Critical Greece would noâ— vouchâ—â—â—e to â—ive the name â—f Philosophâ—rs In the time of â—â—râ—s and Caâ—â—â—â—sâ—â— Pythagoras 〈◊〉 the It l ck Sect in the Upper Greece aâ—â— about Naples And very â—â—ar the same 〈◊〉 Thâ—â—es the Milesâ—an foâ—med that of
to him all the Royal Prerogative 1 Macc. 14.41 is remarkable 'T is thus expressed That the Jews and the Priests were well pleased that Simon should be their Governor and High-Priest for ever until there should arise a faithful Prophet The People used from the beginning to a Theocracy or divine Government and knowing that since the time of David's being set upon the Throne by the order and appointment of God the Soveragain Power belonged to his House to whom it was to be at last surrend'red at the time of the Messiah puts expresly this Restriction to the Power which he had given to his High-Priests and continued to live under them in the hopes and expectation of that Christ which had been so often promised Thus did that Kingdom which was absolutely free make use of its Prerogative and provided for its Government The Posterity of Jacob by the Tribe of Judah and by the rest who were ranged under its Standards preserved themselves like a Body of a State and independently and quietly enjoyed the Land which had been assigned to them By virtue of the Peoples Decree which we now have been speaking of John Hyrcan the Son of Simon succeeded to his Father Under him the Jews grew very great by their considerable Conquests They subdued Samaria as Jeremiah and Ezekiel had foretold they conquered the Idumeans the Philistins Ezek. 16.55 56 58 61. Jer. 31.5 1 Macc. 10.30 Joseph an t 13.8 17 18. Zach. 9.1 2 c. the Ammonites who were their perpetual Enemies and those People embraced their Religion as Zachariah had observed At length in spight of all the Hatred and Jealousy of the People who were round about them under the Authority of their High-Priests who afterwards became their Kings they founded the new Kingdom of the Asmoneans or the Mascabees more large and extensive than ever excepting only thâ— times of David and Solomon Thus you see in what manner the People of God subsisted always amidst all this variety of Changes and that People who were sometimes chastised and again sometimes comforted under their Afflictions and Grievances by the different Treatments they received according as they deserved bears a sufficient publick Testimony to that Providence which governs the World But in what Condition soever they were they lived still in the expectation of the Messiah which was in the fullness of time to come wherein they looked for new Graces and much greater than any of those they had yet received and there are none but see that this Faith of the Messiah and of his Miracles which continues still to this day among the Jews is descended to them from their Patriarchs and their Prophets from the beginning of their Nation Joseph 1. cont Apion For in that long succession of Years where they themselves did confess that by a Council of Providence there was not any other Prophet risen up among them and that God made them no new Predictions nor new Promises this Faith of the Messiah which was to come was more sprightly active and vigorous than ever It was found so firmly established when the second Temple was built that there was no need of a Prophet to confirm the People in it They were supported by the Faith of the antient Prophecies which they had seen so exactly fullfilled before their Eyes in so many chief Points The â—est from that time never was in the least question'd by them and it was not at all difficult for them to believe that God who was so faithful in every thing should not also accomplish in its due time that which concern'd the Messiah that is to say the very main of all his Promises and the Ground and Foundation of all the rest In effect all their History all that daily happened to them was but as it were one perpetual opening Scene of those Oracles which the Holy Ghost had left with them Being so settled again in their Land after the Captivity they enjoyed for three hundred years a most profound Peace if their Temple was reverenced and their Religion honoured over all the East if at last their Peace was ruffled and shaken by their Dissentions if that proud King of Syria made unheard of attempts to destroy them if he sometime prevailed if he were a little after punished if the Jewish Religion and all the People of God were restored with a more marvellous glory than ever before and the Kingdom of Judah grew greater toward the end of the time by new Conquests you have seen all this was no more than what was found written in their Prophets Yes every thing was particularly taken notice of there even to the time that the Persecutions were to last even to the places where the Battels were to be fought and even to the Lands which were to be conquered I have in the gross related something to you of those Prophecies the Particulars would be matter of a longer Discourse I will here only give you the first Tincture of those important Truths which is so much the more acknowledged as we shall enter forward into the Particulars I shall only observe here that the Prophecies of the People of God have had during all those times Porph. de Abst lib. 4. Id. Porphyr Jul. apud Cyr. l. 5. 6. in Jul. so plain and manifest an accomplishment that since when the Heathen themselves when a Porphyrius when a Julian the Apostate otherwise Enemies of the Sacred Scriptures would at any time give Example of Prophetick Predictions they have been forced to seek them among the Jews And I may also tell you for a truth that if during five hundred years the People of God were without a Prophet all the estate of those times was prophetical The work of God went on and the ways were preparing insensibly for the full accomplishment of those ancient Oracles The Return from the Captivity of Babylon was only a shadow of the Liberty both more great and more necessary which the Messiah was to bring to men that were Captives unto sin The People dispersed in several places in Vpper Asia in Lesser Asia in Egypt and even in Greece began to make the Name and the Glory of the God of Israel shine forth more conspicuously among the Gentiles The Scriptures which were one day to be the Light of the World were put into the most known Language of the World their Antiquity is confessed Whilst the Temple was had in reverence and the Scriptures given to the Gentiles God shews some representation to their future Conversion and lays a great way off the foundations of it What also happened among the Grecians was a kind of preparation to the knowledge and understanding of the Truth Their Philosophers confessed that the World was governed by a God far different from those whom the common sort of People worshipped and whom they also served with the common People The Greek Histories believe that this excellent Philosophy came from the East and from those
likewise their Conduct was meek and gentle tho' very regular and they lived among themselves in an extream Union The Rewards and Punishments of a future Life which they zealously asserted brought them very great honour At last Ambition got in amongst them They had a mind to govern Id. lib. 2. de Bell. Jud. 7. and indeed they ascribed to themselves an absolute Power over the People they made themselves the Arbiters of Learning and Religion which they insensibly turned to superstitious Practices advantagious for their Interest and the Dominion they would fain have set up over mens Consciences and the true life and spirit of the Law was almost lost To these Evils anâ—ther was added much greater to wit Pride and Presumption but such a Presumption as indeavoured to attribute to themselves the Gift of God The Jews accustomed to his Benefits and having been so many Ages since illuminated with his knowledge forgat that his bounty alone had separated them from all other People and so looked on his Grace as a Debt A chosen Race and always blessed for two thousand years they judged themselves only to be worthy to know God and believed themselves to be of a different Species from other Men whom they saw deprived of his knowledge Upon this ground they looked on the Gentiles with a disdain that was insupportable To be come from Abraham according to the Flesh seemed to them such a Distinction as raised them naturally above all others and being puffed up with so fine an Original they reckoned themselves Saints by Nature and not by Grace An Errour which continues still among them These were the Pharisees who seeking to glorifie themselves by their own Light and by the exact observance of the Ceremonies of the Law brought in this Opinion towards the latter end of the times As they only thought of distinguishing themselves from other men they multiplyed outward Ceremonies and Practices without any measure and they gave out all their fanciful Notions how contrary soever they were to the Law of God as Authentick Traditions Although those Sentiments had not by any Publick Decree passed into the Dogma's of the Synagogue yet they insensibly instilled them into the People which made them unquiet turbulent and seditions At last the Divisions which were to be according to their Prophets the beginning of their ruine and downfal broke out upon occasion of the Disorders that happened in the House of the Asmoneans There were scarce sixty years unto Jesus Christ Zach. 11.6 7 8. c. when Hyrcan and Aristoâ—ulus the Sons of Alexander Janneus fell out about the Priesthood to which the Royalty was annexed Here was the fatal Moment which the History takes notice of as the first cause of the Destruction of the Jews Joseph an t 14.8.20.8.1 Bell. Jud. 4.5 Appian bell Syr. Mithrid Liv. lib. 5. Zach. 11.8 Pompey whom the two Brothers called to regulate them subjected them both at the same time when he dispossessed Antiochus Sirnamed the Asiatick the last King of Syria Those three Princes degraded together and as it were at one effort were the Signal of the Destruction so exactly described by the Prophet Zachariah 'T is certain by the History that that change of the Affairs of Syria and Judea was made at the same time by Pompey when after he had ended the War with Mithridates ready to return to Rome he adjusted the Affairs of the East The Prophet only observed what made towards the Ruine of the Jews who of the two Brothers whom they had seen Kings saw the one a Prisoner serving at Pompey's Triumph and the other the weak Hyrcan from whom the same Pompey took together with the Diadem a great part of his Dominion keeping only a vain Title of Authority which likewise he lost quickly after 'T was then that the Jews were made the Tributaries of the Romans and the Ruine of Syria brought on theirs because that great Kingdom reduced into a Province in their Neighbourhood augmented so much the Roman Power there that there was Safety but only in obeying them The Governours of Syria made continual Attempts on Judea The Romans made themselves absolute Masters of them and weakened their Government in several things By them at last the Kingdom of Juda. passed out of the Hands of the Asmoneans to whom it had been subject into those of Herod a stranger and an Idumean The cruel and ambitious Politie of that King who only in shew professed the Jewish Religion changed soon the Maxims of the antient Government The Jews were no longer Masters of their Fate under the vast Empire of the Persians and the first Seleucides where they lived only in an undisturbed Peace Herod who holds them in almost an absolute Slavery to his Power embroils all things confounds aâ—ter his own Humor the Succession of the High-Priests weakens the Pontificate whiâ—h he makes Arbitrary enervates the Authority of the Council of the Nation whiâ—h can no longer do any thing All the publick Power goes through the Hands of Herod and of the Romans whose Slave he is and he shakes the Foundations of the Jewish Commonwealth The Pharisees and the People who only hearkened to their Opinions bore this Condition very impatiently The more they thought themselves oppressed with the Yoke of the Gentiles the greater Hatred and Disdain they had for them They would no longer have a Messiah who should not be a Warrior and dreadful to the Powers that captivated them Thus forgetting so many Prophecies which so plainly and expresly spoke of their being humbled they had no long Eyes nor Ears but for those which proclaimed Triumphs to them though very different from such as they wished In the declension of the Religion VI. Jesus Christ and his Doctrine and the Affairs of the Jews at the end of King Herod's Reign and then when the Pharisees were bringing in so many Abuses Jesus Christ was sent upon the Earth to re-establish the Kingdom in the House of David after a more exalted manner than ever the carnal Jews understood it and to preach that Doctrine and good Tydings of Salvation which God was resolved all the World should be acquainted with This wonderful Son whom Isaiah calls the mighty God Isai 9.6 the everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace was born of a Virgin at Bethlehem and there he came to own the first Original of his Race Conceived by the Holy Ghost holy by his Birth being alone worthy to repair the wickedness of ours he was called Jesus Matth. 1.21 because he was to save us from our Sins Immediately after his Birth a new Star a Type of that Light he was to bring to the Gentiles was seen in the East and brought to our Saviour thus an Infant the First-fruits of the converted Gentiles A little after that Lord so much desired came to his holy Temple where Simeon sees him not only the Glory of the Poeple Israel Luke 2.32 but also as
of his People hath also caused them to foretel the Succession of the Empires You have seen the places where Nebuchadnezzar hath been pointed out as he that was to come and punish the proud People and particularly the Jews so ungrateful against their Author You have heard Cyrus named two hundred Years before he was bâ—â—n as he that was to set up again the People of God and to punish the Pride of Babylon The Ruine of Nineveh was as clearly foretold Daniel in his admirable Visions hath caused to go before your Eyes in a moment the Empire of Babylon that of the Medes and Persians that of Alexander and the Grecians The Blasphemies and the Cruelties of Antiochus the Illustrious were there foretold as well as the miraculous Victories of the People of God over so violent a Persecutor We see there those famous Empires to fall one after another and the new Empire which Jesus Christ was to set up is there so expresly described by its proper Characters that there is no way to mistake it 'T is the Empire of the Saints of the most high the Empire of the Son of Man an Empire which was to subsist in the midst of the Ruine of all the rest and to which alone Eternity is promised The Judgments of God upon the greatest of all the Empires of this World that is to lay upon the Roman Empire have not been kept hid from us You have just now had it from the mouth of St. John Rome her self hath felt the Hand of God and hath been like others an Example of his Justice But its fate was happier yet than that of others for being purged by her Punishments from the remaining dreggs of Idolatry she now no longer subsists but by that Christianity which she declares to all the World Thus have all the great Empires which we have seen upon the Earth concured by several ways and means to the weal of Religion and the glory of God as God himself hath declared it by his Prophets When you read so often in their Writings that Kings in troops shall enter into the Church and be the Protectors and Nursing Fathers of it those words presently put into your mind the Emperours and other Christian Princes and as the Kings your Ancestors have more than any other signalized themselves in protecting and enlarging the Church of God I shall not be afraid to assure you that it is they who of all the Kings are most clearly foretold in those eminently remarkable Prophecies God therefore who was resolved to make use of divers Empires either to chastise or exercise or to enlarge or protect his People willing to make himself known for the Author of so admirable a Councel revealed the Secret of it to his Prophets and hath caused them to foretel what he had resolved to execute Wherefore as the Empires began the order of Gods Decrees on the People whom he had chosen so the fortune of those Empires were found declared by the same Oracles of the Holy Ghost which foretold the Succession of the faithful People The more you accustome your self to follow great things and to recal them to their Principles the more will you stand in admiration of those Councels of Providence It behoves you to take the Ideas of them betimes which will clear up every day more and more in your Minds and you will be the better able to refer humane things to the order of that eternal Wisdom on which they depend God doth not every day declare his Will by his Prophets concerning Kings and Monarchies that he sets up or destroys But having done it so often as to those Empires whereof we have been speaking he shews us by those famous Examples what he does in all others and he teaches Kings these two fundamental Truths First That it is he who forms Kingdoms to give them to whom he pleaseth And Secondly That he knoweth how to make them serve in the time and order which he hath decreed to the Designs he hath on his People This may it please your Highness ought to keep all Princes in an intire Dependance and to make them always careful of the Orders of God that so they may lend their Hand to what he purposes for his own Glory upon all Occasions that he offers them But this Succession of Empires if we will consider it more humanly hath very great Advantages especially for Princes seeing that Arrogance the ordinary Companion of so exalted a Condition is so very much quelled by such a Spectacle For if Men learn to moderate themselves by seeing Kings die how much more will they be struck by seeing Kingdoms themselves to perish and from whence can they receive a more plain Lesson of the Vanity of humane Greatness Thus when you behold as in an instant before your Eyes the Death and Downfal I do not say of Kings and Emperors but of those mighty Empires that have made the whole Universe to tremble when you behold both the antient and the new Assyrians the Medes the Persians the Grecians and the Romans all before you successively and all to fall as I may say one upon another this dreadfull Destruction presently makes you sensible that there is nothing solid among Men and that Inconstancy and Agitation is the proper Partage and Portion of humane things BUT that which will render to your Highness this Spectacle both more advantagious a more agreeable II. The Revolutions of Empires have particular Causes which Princes ought to study will be the Reflection you shall make not only on the Rise and Fall of Empires but also on the Causes of their Progress and on those of their Ruine For Sir that same God who hath made the Chain of the Universe and who as he is Almighty by himself hath resolved for the establishing of Order that the Parts of so great an All should depend one upon another that same God hath also decreed that the course of humane things should have its Issues and its Proportions I mean that Men and Nations have had Qualities commensurate to the Advancements to which they have been designed and that expecting some certain extraordinary Strokes wherein God hath been willing to manifest his own Hand in particular there are no very great Changes happen but what may deduce their Causes from precedent Ages And as in all Affairs there is that which prepares them that which determines to undertake them and lastly that which makes them have Success So the true Science of History is to observe in every time those secret Dispositions which have prepared and made way for great Changes and the important Conjunctures which have brought them to pass Indeed it is not sufficient to look only just before one that is to say to consider those great Events which all on a sudden do decide the fortune of Empires He that would reach to the Bottom of humane things ought to take them at their first Head and Spring and he must observe
dejected It is true likewise that that great Empire did not last long It was to fall some way or other A Divisioâ— was made in Egypt Under Anysis the blind the Ethiopian Sabacon invaded the Kingdom He treated the People of it as well and did there as great things as any of the natural Kings Never was there see a Moderation like to that of his since that after sixty years of a happy reign he returned into Ethiopia to obey the Advertisements which he believed came from Heaven The Kingdom thus left fell into the hands of Sethon Priest of Vulcan a Religious Prince after his way but a small Warriour and who absolutely enervated the Militia by his ill treating of his Soldiers From that time Egypt maintained her self only by strange Forces There was found in her a kind of Anarchy for there were twelve Kings chosen by the People who shared among them the Government of the Kingdom 'T was those who built the twelve Palaces that make up the Labyrinth Tho' Egypt could not forget her Magnificences yet she was weakned and divided under those twelve Princes One of them to wit Psammeticus made himself the Master by the assistance of Strangers Egypt was re-established and remained pretty powerful for five or six Reigns At length that antient Kingdom after it had continued about sixteen hundred Years weakened by the Kings of Babylon and by Cyrus became a Prey to Cambyses the most violent and outragious of all Princes Those who very well understood the Humor of Egypt Strab. l. 17. have confessed that she was not given to War You have heard the Reasons of it She lived in Peace about thirteen hundred Years when she brought forth her first Warrior who was Sesostris Also notwithstanding her Militia so carefully disciplin'd and kept up yet we see at last that her greatest Force consisted in strange Troops which is one of the most deplorable Defects that a State can have But no humane things are perfect and it is no easy thing to have in Perfection both the Arts of Peace and the Advantages of War 'T is a long Continuance to have subsisted for sixteen hundred Years Some Ethiopians Reigned at Thebes in that Interval among others Sabacon and as we may believe Taraca But Egypt gained this Benefit from the excellent Constitution of her State that the Strangers who conquered her rather took up her Customs than introduced any of their own there Thus changing of Masters she made no change of Government She could very hardly indure the Persians whose Yoke she would often shake But she was not martial enough to support her self by her own Force against so great a Power and the Grecians who defended her being engaged by other Diversions were forced to leave her So that she fell back again always to her first Masters but however she was resolutely tenacious of her old Customs and incapable of being brought off from the Maxims of her first Kings And altho' she retained many of them under the Ptolomy's yet the mixture of the Grecian and Asiatick Fashion was so great in her that she could scarce be any longer known for old Egypt We must not forget that the times of the antient Kings of Egypt are very uncertain Diod. 1. Sect. 2. even in the History of the Egyptians We hardly know where to place Osymanduas tho' we see so many magnificent Monuments of him in Diodorus and such glorious Signs of his Combats It seems the Egyptians knew not who was Sesostris his Father for neither Herodotus nor Diodorus have named him His Power however is more remarkable by the Monuments he has left in all the Earth than by the Memoires of his Country and those Reasons do shew us that we are not to believe as some do that what Egypt hath published of her Antiquities have been always so exact and punctual as she hath boasted seeing that she her self is so uncertain of the most signal time of her Monarchy THE great Empire of the Egyptians was as it were detached from all others IV. The Assyrianâ— both antient and modern the Medes and Cyrus and as you have seen had not a very long Continuance That which we have now to say is more supported and hath more particular Dates Nevertheless we have yet very few things certain concerning the first Empire of the Assyrians But let us place the beginning of it at what time we will according to the different Opinions of the Historians you will see that when the World was divided into several petty States which the Princes rather thought how to preserve than to enlarge Ninus who was more forward and undertaking Diod. lib. 2. Just 1. and withal more puissant than his Neighbours subdued them one after another and went on with his Conquests far up in the East His Wife Semiramis who together with the Ambition that is common enough to her Sex joined a Courage and a continued Series of Councels which is but very seldom found in it kept up the vast Designs of her Husband and finished the forming of that Monarchy It was doubtless very great and the greatness of Nineveh Strabo 16. which was set above that of Babylon Herod 1. Dion Hâ—l 1. App. init op sufficiently shews it But as the most judicious Historians do not make this Monarchie so antient as others represent it to us Gen. 14.1 2. Jud. 3.8 Plat. de lâ—g 3. so neither do they report it to be so great We have seen a very long Duration of the petty Kingdoms of which he must have composed it if it be as antient and as large as the fabulous Ctesias and those who have taken it upon his Word describe it to us 'T is true Plato a curious Observer of Antiquities makes the Kingdom of Troy in the time of Priam a Dependence of the Assyrian Empire But there is no notice taken of it in Homer who in the Design he had to advance the Glory of Greece would not have forgot such a Circumstance and we may think that the Assyrians were little known towards the West seeing so learned and so curious a Poet in adorning his Poem with every thing that was pertinent to his Subject has not any where made them to appear there Yet according to the Computation we have judged most reasonable the time of the Siege of Troy was the finest time of all the Assyrians had for it was that in which Semiramis made her Conquests But she only extended them Eastward Those who are the greatest Flatterers make her turn her Arms on that side She had had too great a Share in the Councels and Victories of Ninus not to follow his Designs otherwise so agreeable to the Situation of her Empire and I do not believe it can be doubted but that Ninus kept close to the East because Justin himself who favours him as much as is possible makes him to end his Enterprises on the West side at the Frontiers of
28 c. But their Priest gave them only the Books of Moses which the revolted ten Tribes had retained during the time of their Schism The Scriptures composed by the Prophets who sacrificed in the Temple were by them detested and therefore the Samaritans have received no other than the Pentateuch even down to this day Whilst Esarhaddon and the Assyrians so firmly were setling themselves in greater Asia the Medes likewise began to be considerable Dejoces their first King named Arphaxad in Scripture founded the Great City Ecbatana and laid the Foundations of a great Empire They had set him on the Throne to reward his vertues and to put an end to the disorders which Anarchy had caused among them Conducted by so great a King Herod l. 1. c. 27. they supported themselves against their Neighbours but they did not enlarge their Years be ∣ fore J. C. 671 Dominions Rome daily grew but it was weakly Under Tullus Hostilius the Third Years of Rome 83 King and by the famous Battle between the Horatii and the Curatii Alba was conquered and ruined Its Citizens incorporated in that victorious Ville did mightily greaten and fortify it Romulus was the first who took that way to make it more flourishing where he received the Sabins and other vanquished People And they forgat their Overthrow and became most Faithful and Affectionate Subjects Rome in extending it's Conquests regulated it's Militia and it was under Tullus Hostilius that it began to learn that Noble Discipline which made it to be at last the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 670 Mistriss of the Universe The Kingdom Years of Rome 84 of Egyyt weakned by its long Divisions was re-established under Psammeticus That Prince who owed his Safety to the Ionians and Carians established them in Egypt then shut to Strangers About this time the Aegyptians began to commerce with the Greeks and since that time also the History of Aegypt down to the mingling of pompous Fables by the Artifice of the Priests began as Years be ∣ fore J. C. 657 Herodotus tells us Herod l. 2. c. 95. to have some certainty In the mean time the Kings of Assyria became more and more terrible to all the East Years of Rome 97 Saosduchin the Son of Esarhaddon called Nebuchadonosor in the Book of Judith in battle array defeated Arphaxad King the Medes Years be ∣ fore J. C. 656 Flushed with this Success he attempted to Years of Rome 98 conquer all the Land To compass this his design he passed the Euphrates and ravaged all as far as Judah The Jews had provoked God and given themselves up to Idolatry after the Example of Manassâ—h but they had repented with that Prince and God took them into his Protection The Conquests of Nebuchodonosor and Holofernes his General were upon a suddain stopt by the hand of a Woman Dejoces although he was beaten by the Assyrians left his Kingdom in a condition of growing greater under his Successors Whilst Phraortes his Son and Cyagorus the Son of Phraortes subdued Years be ∣ fore J. C. 643 Persia and pushed on their Conquests to lesser Years of Rome 111 Years of Rome 641 Asia even to the borders of Halys Judah Years of Rome 113 indured the detestable Reign of Amon the Son of Manasseh and Josiah the Son of Amon wise and prudent from his Childhood endeavoured to repair the Disorders that were caused by the wickedness and impiety of his Predecessor-Kings Rome when Ancus Martius was King brought some Latines under it's subjection and government and continuing to make Citizens of her Enemies she shut them up within her Walls The Veienses already weakened by Romulus Years be ∣ fore J. C. 626 suffered new Losses Ancus pushed on his Years of Rome 128 Conquests as far as to the Neighbouring Sea and built the City of Ostia at the Mouth of the River Tyber At this time the Kingdom of Babylon was invaded by Nabopolassar That Traitor whom Chinaladan otherwise called Sarac had made General of his Armies against Cyagorus King of the Medes joyned himself with Astyages the Son of Cyagorus took Chinaladan in Nineveh destroyed that great City so long a time the Mistriss of the East and set himself upon the Throne of his Master Under this ambitious Prince Babylon grew in Pride and haughtiness Judah whose Impiety waxed more Years be ∣ fore J. C. 624 and more had every thing to fear The pious Years of Rome 130 King Josiah for some small time by his great humility suspended the punishment which his people had deserved but the evil increased under his Childrens Reign Nebuchadonosor Years be ∣ fore J. C. 610 II. more terrible than his Father Years of Rome 144 Nebuchadonosor succeeded him This Years be ∣ fore J. C. 607 Prince bred up in Pride and always ingaged Years of Rome 147 in War made prodigious Conquests both in the East and West and Babylon threatned to bring all the Land into subjection and vassalage His Menaces had soon their effect upon the People of God Jerusalem was left wholely to this proud and mighty Conqueror who took it three times The first at the beginning of his Reign and in the fourth year of the Reign of Joachim from whence begins the 70 years of Babylon's Captivity taken notice of by the Prophet Jeremiah the second under Jechonias or Joachin the Son of Joachim Jer. xxv 11 12. c. xxix 10. and the last under Zeâ—ekiah when the City was utterly destroyed the Temple burnt and the King Years be ∣ fore J. C. 599 carried Captive to Babylon with Serajah the Years of Rome 155 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 598 High-Priest and the bâ—t part of the people Years of Rome 156 The most eminent of those Captives were the Prophets Ezekiel and Daniel with them also are reckoned the Three Children whom Nebuchadnezzar could not make to worship his Golden Image nor consume by his Fiery Furnace Greece was flourishing and its Seven Wise Men made themsâ—â—ves illustrious Years be ∣ fore J. C. 594 Some time before the last desolation of Jerusalem Years of Rome 160 Solon one of the Sevâ—â— prescribed Laws to the Athenians and established Liberty Years be ∣ fore J. C. 578 upon Justice The Phocians of Ionia Years of Rome 176 brought their first Colony to Marseilles Tarquin the Antient King of Rome after he had conquered a part of Tuscany and adorned the City of Rome with his Pompous and Magnificent Works finished his Reign In his time the Gauls led on by Bellovesus possessed in Italy all the Suburbs round about Years be ∣ fore J. C. 566 Po whilst that Segâ—vesus his Brother Years of Rome 188 carried far up into Germany another swarm of the Nation Servius Tullius Tarquin's successour established the Census or the List of Citizens that were distributed into certain Classes whereby that great City was regulated and ordered as a private Family Nebuchadnezzar beautifyed Babylon which was mightily inriched by the Spoils of Jerusalem and the
mighty puissant Kings as all the East stood in awe of and it was Cyrus that crushed the Empire by his taking of Babylon If therefore the generality of the Greeks and Latins that have followed them make no mention of those Babylonian Kings if they have given no place to that great Kingdom among the first Monarchies whose continuance and after-accidents they relate in a word if we can scarce find any thing in all their works of those famous Kings Tiglath-Pilesar Salmanasar Sennacherib Nebuchadnezzar and several others so renown'd in Scripture and in the Eastern Histories we may then surely attribute it either to the Ignorance of the Greeks who were more Eloquent in their Reports than studious and industrious in their Searches or else to the loss we have had of what was more exact and faithful in their Histories Indeed Herodotus had promised a particular History of the Assyrians Herod l. 1. c. 28 47. which we have not either by our sad misfortune of its being lost or of his not having had time to do it and we cannot imagine that ever so judicious and Historian would have forgotten the Kings Herod l. 2. c. 91. of the second Empire of the Assyrians especially since even Sennacherib who was one of them we find mentioned in the Books that we now have of this great Author as being King both of the Assyrians and Arabians tSrabo liâ— 15. Strabo who lived in the time of Augustus reports what Megastenes an Ancient Author near the time of Alexander had left in Writing concerning the mighty Conquests of Nebuchadnezzar King of the Chaldees whom he makes to run through Europe enter into Spain and extend his Arms as far as the Colonies of Hercules Aelian calls Tilgamus King of Assyria Aelian liâ— 12. Hist Anim. c. 21. that is to say Tilgath or Tiglath which we find in the Holy Scriptures and in Ptolomy we meet with an Enumeration of the Princes of great Empires among whom there is a long succession of the Kings of Assyria who were unknown to the Greeks and whom it is easie to reconcile to the Sacred Hystory If I would bring in the Accounts of the Syrian Annals Berosus Abydenus Nicolas of Damascus Joseph Antiq l. 9. ult 10. c. 11. l. 1. cont Ap. Euseb Prap. Ev. 9. I could be too tedious even for a long-winded Reader Josephus and Eusebius of Caesarea have preserved the pretious fragments of all those Authors and indeed of an infinite many more which they had entire and perfect in those times whose Testimony is a confirmation to us of what we read in the Holy Scripture concerning the Eastern Antiquities and especially concerning the Assyrian Histories As to the Monarchy of the Medes which has the second Preference among the great Empires by most of the prophane Historians as separated from the Empire of Persia certain it is that the Scripture ever unites them both together And your Highness sees that besides the Authority of the sacred pages the bare order of Matters of Fact shews us that it is that we are still to look at The Medes before Cyrus though they were very powerful and considerable yet were much lessened by the greatness of the Kings of Babylon But Cyrus having Conquered their Kingdom by the collected Forces both of Medes and Persians of which he afterwards became the Master by a Legitimate Succession as we have observed from Zenophon it seems most probable that the great Empire of which he was the Founder as it ought indeed did take his Name to both Nations so that That of the Medes and Persians are but one and the same thing tho' the glory of Cyrus made the name of the Persians to be the more prevailing It may be also thought that before the VVar of Babylon the Kings of the Medes having extended their Conquests to the Greek Colonies in lesser Asia were by that means famous among the Greeks who attributed the Empire of greater Asia to them because they were only acquainted with them of all the Kings of the East And yet the Kings of Nineveh and Babylon who were greater and more puissant but more unknown to the Greeks have been near quite forgotten in those Bâ—oks that are remaining to us concerning the Grecian Histories and all the time from Sardanapalus down to Cyrus have been only given to the Medes And therefore we need not to trouble our heads so much in reconciling as to this point the prophane to the sacred History For as to what respects the first Kingdom of the Assyrians the Scripture gives us but a very slight touch by the Bye and neither mentions Ninus who was the Founder of that Empire nor excepting Phul any other of its Successors because their History was no way interfering with that of the People of God As for the second Kingdom of the Assyrians most of the Greeks are either quite ignorant of them or else because they have not throughly known them as they ought they have confounded them with the former VVhen therefore those of the Greek Authors sâ—all be objected to us who according to their own Caprice and Fancy range the three first Monarchies and make the Medes Successors to the antient Empire of Assyria without speaking a word concerning what the Scripture seems to be so strong in there is only this answer to be made that they were unacquainted with this part of the History and they are no less contrary to the more curious and best informed Authors of their own Nation than they are to the Holy Scriptures And that which in one word answers all the difficulty the sacred Authors who are nearer to the times and places of the Eastern Kingdoms writing moreover the History of a People whose affairs were so intermixed with those of these great Empires though they had no other advantage besides this it were enough to put the Greeks and Latins to Silence who followed them But if notwithstanding the obstinacy should go on still to maintain this celebrated order of the three first Monarchies and that to keep entirely to the Medes the second rank which is ascribed to them any are wilfully resolved to make the Kings of Babylon subject to them in affirming still that after an hundred Years Subjection these at last should deliver themselves by a Revolt yet in some manner it doth save the Câ—ntinuance of the sacred History but it doth very little agree with the best prophane Historians to whom the sacred History is more favourable in that it ever unites the Empire of the Medes to that of the Persians There is yet remaining to be discovered one of the Causes of the obscurity and darkness of these antient Histories And it is this that as the Eastern Kings took up several names or if you please several titles which in some length of time they espoused as their own Name and which the People either translated or pronounced variously according to the several particular Idioms of each
respective Language Those so antient Histories whereof there is left now but a very few good Memorials are by this means become in all Probability so very dark and imperfect The confusion of names hath no doubt contributed very much both to the things as well as persons of them and from hence proceeds our Trouble rightly to situate in the Greek History those Kings who have had the Name of Ahasuerus as much unheard of to the Greeks as it was well known to the Eastern Countries VVho would indeed believe that Cyagorus was the same name as Ahasuerus made up of the word Ky that is to say Sir or Lord and from the word Axare which manifestly returns to Axuerus or Assuerus and so Ahasuerus Three or Four Princes have gone under this Name though they had others besides If we do not know that Nebuchodonozor Nebucodrosor and Nebocolassar were only one and the same Name or the Name of but one Person it would be difficult for us to believe it and yet the thing is most certain Sargon is Sennacherib Ozias is Azarias Sedechias is Mathanias Joachas is also called Sellum Asarhaddon which is indifferently pronounced Esarhaddon 2 Esdr iv 2 10. or Asarhaddon is called Asenephar by those of Cutha and by an odd bizar kind of unaccountableness of which we can find no ground or Origine Sardanapalus is by the Greeks called Tonos Concoleros We could present you with a long List of Eastern Persons to whom in Histories several different Names have been given but it is sufficient in general to understand this custom It is not unknown to the Latins among whom Titles and Adoptions have multiplyed Names in so many kinds Thus the Title of Augustus and that of Africanus became the Sir-Names of Caesar Octavianus and the Scipio's and in like manner the Neros have been Caesars The thing is not to be doubted and a longer discussion of a matter so apparently manifest would be needless to you I will not now offer to trouble your Highness any further with the knotty difficulties of Chronology which are as little necessary as useful for you This was of too great importance not to be cleared up in this place and after we have said what we think is sufficient for our purpose we will return to the train of our Epochas It was then 218 years after the foundation of Rome 536 years before Jesus Christ VIII Epocha Cyrus or the Jews re-establish'd 6. Age of the World after the 70 years of Babylons Captivity and the same year that Cyrus founded the Persian Empire That this Prince elected by God to be the deliverer of his People and the restorer of his Temple set about this great work Forthwith after the publication of his Decree Zerubabel accompanied with Jesus Years be ∣ fore J. C. 536 the Son of Joseâ—ec the High-Priest brought Years of Rome 218 back the Captives who rebuilt the Altar and laid the foundations of the second Temple Years be ∣ fore J. C. 535 The Samaritans being jealous of their Years of Rome 219 glory were resolved to go shares with them in this great Work and under the pretence of worshipping the God of Israel 1 Esdr iv 2.3 tho' they joined with it their Idolatries to their own false Gods yet they besought Zerubabel to give them leave to assist him in the Building of that Temple But the Children of Judah who detested their corrupted Worship rejected their Proposition The provoked Samaritans therefore crossed and perplexed their Design by all the ways of Artifice and Violence imaginable About the same time Servius Tullius after he had agrandized the City of Rome was contriving in his Head how to reduce it to a Commonwealth But Years be ∣ fore J. C. 533 he perished in the midst of those his Designs Years of Rome 221 by the Counsels of his Daughter and by the Command of the proud Tarquin his Son-in-Law This Tyrant invaded the Kingdom and for a long series of time exercised all manner of Cruelties and Outrages In the mean while the Persian Empire was growing up Besides those vast Provinces of the greater Asia all the greater Continent of the Lesser Asia became obedient to Years be ∣ fore J. C. 525 it The Syrians and Arabians were subjected Years of Rome 229 and Egypt which was so jealous of its own Laws yet received theirs This Years be ∣ fore J. C. 522 Conquest was got by Cambyses the Son of Years of Rome 232 Cyrus But that fierce Man did not long survive his Brother Smerdis whom an ambiguous Dream caused privately to be put to Death The Mage or chief Smerdis ruled for some time under the name of Years be ∣ fore J. C. 521 Smerdis the Brother of Cambyses but this Years of Rome 233 cheat was soon discovered The seven principal Lords conspired against him and one of them was set upon the Throne This was Darius the Son of Hystaspes Herod l. 4. c. 159. who in his Inscriptions stiled himself the Best and the handsomest of all Men. There are many remarkable things that make us know him to be the Ahasuerus spoken of in the Book of Hester tho' some there are of another Opinion At the beginning of his Reign 1 Esdr v. vi the Temple was finished after several interruptions occasioned by the Samaritans There was an irreconcileable hatred between two People so that nothing was more opposite than Jerusalem and Samaria It was in the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 513 time of Darius when the Liberty of Rome Years of Rome 241 and Athens and the great Glory of Greece began Hermodius and Aristogiton Athenians rescued their Country from Hipparchus the Son of Pisistratus and are killed by his Guards Hippias the Brother of Hipparchus endeavours but in vain to support himself for he is repulsed The Tyranny of the Pisistratus's is absolutely extinguished The rescued Athenians erect Statues to their Saviours and re-establish the popular State Hippias throws himself into the Arms of Darius whom he already found disposed to attempt the Conquest of Greece so that all his hope was in his Protection At the same time when he was repulsed Rome also was delivered of her Tyrants Tarquin the Proud by his violent Outrages had made Years be ∣ fore J. C. 509 Royalty odious The incontinency of Sextus Years of Rome 245 his Son was the complement of its destruction Lucretia ravished made her to become her own Murdress her Blood together with the harangues of Brutus animated and inspirited the Romans The Kings were banished and the Consulary Empire was established according to the model and projection of Servius Tullius but it was soon weakned by the Jealousies of the People For in the very first Consulate P. Valerius the Consul memorable for his Victories became suspected by his Citizens so that to please and satisfy them he was obliged to establish the Law of Appeals to the People from the Senate and Consuls in all causes wherein the
Greece Pericles an Athenian began the Peloponnesian Years be ∣ fore J. C. 431 VVar during which Theramenes Thrasybulus Years of Rome 323 and Alcibiades Athenians made themselves famous and considerable Brasydas and Mindarus Lacedemonians dyed there in fighting for their Country This VVar lasted seven and twenty years and ended to the advantage of the Lacedemonians who had brought on their side Darius sirnamed the Bastard the Son and Successor of Artaxerxes Years be ∣ fore J. C. 404 Lysander General of the Lacedemonians Years of Rome 350 Fleet took Athens anc chang'd it's Government But Persia soon was sensible that it had made the Lacedemonians too powerful and therefore the Persians upheld the young Cyrus in his Revolt against Artaxerxes Years be ∣ fore J. C. 401 his eldest Brother called Mnemon because of Years of Rome 353 his great and admirable memory the Son and Successor of Darius This young Person being delivered both from prison and death by his Mother Parysatis resolves upon revenge gains the Noblemen to him by his infinitely obliging carriage traverses Asia the less and goes and offers battle to the King his Brother even in the heart of his Empire wounds him with his own hand and believing himself too soon a Conqueror he perished by his own rashness The ten thousand Greeks that served him make that astonishing retreat where at last commanded Xenophon that great Philosopher and great Captain who hath written the History of it The Lacedemonians continued their attacques Years be ∣ fore J. C. 396 upon the Persian Empire which Agesilaus the Years of Rome 358 King of Sparta made to tremble in the lesser Asia but the Divisions of Greece called him back into his own Country About this time the City of the Veji which almost equalled the glory of Rome after a ten years siege and a great many good Successes was taken by the Romans under the Conduct of Camillus His generosity gained him yet another Conquest Years be ∣ fore J. C. 394 The Falisci whom he besieged rendred Years of Rome 360 themselves to him being touched at what he had done in sending them back their Children whom a School-Master had delivered to him but Rome would not conquer by Treacheries nor take advantages from the perfidiousness of a wretch that turned the Obedience of an innocent Age into such an Abuse A little after the Gauls Senonians came into Italy and besieged Clusium Years be ∣ fore J. C. 391 and the Romans lost against them the famous Years of Rome 363 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 390 battle of Allia Their City was taken and Years of Rome 364 burnt And whilst they were defending themselves in the Capitol their Affairs were re-established by Camillus whom they had banished Polyb. l. 1. c. 6. l. 2. c. 18 22. The Gauls continued seven months Masters of Rome and being called away by other affairs they drew off but it was not without carrying away with them good store of Years be ∣ fore J. C. 371 spoil During the Commotions of Greece Years of Rome 383 Epaminondas a Theban made himself signal by his equity moderation and temper as much as by his Victories It was observed he held this for a constant Rule never to tell a Lye so much as in jest His Actions became dazling and illustrious in the last years of Mnemon and in the first of Ochus Under this so great a Captain the Thebans were victorious and the Power of Lacedemonia abated Years be ∣ fore J. C. 359 and grew less That of the Macedonian Years of Rome 395 Kings began with Philip the Father of Alexander the Great And notwithstanding all the oppositions of Ochus and Arses his Son Kings of Persia and the greater difficulties still which the Eloquence of Demosthenes that mighty Defender of Liberty raised against him in Athens the victorious Prince for twenty years together kept all Greece in Years be ∣ fore J. C. 338 subjection where the Battle of Cheronea Years of Rome 416 which he gained over the Athenians and their Allies gave him a most absolute Power At this famous Field whilst he was breaking the Athenians he had the joy and happiness to see Alexander at eighteen years of age rushing in upon the Theban Troops and among others upon that which they called The Sacred Troop of Friends which they look'd on as Invincible Thus being Master of Greece and supported by a Son of such great hopes his Designs must needs be high and he resolved on nothing less than the absolute Ruine of the Persians against whom he had declared himself Generalissmo But this was reserved for Alexander For in Years be ∣ fore J. C. 337 the midst of the Solemnities of a new Marriage Years of Rome 417 Philip was assassinated by Pausanias Years be ∣ fore J. C. 336 a young Man of a good Family to whom Years of Rome 418 he had not done Justice The Eunuch Bagoas the same year killed Arses King of Persia and caused Darius the Son of Arsames sirnamed Codomannus to succeed him in the Kingdom He deserves bv his Valour to be ranked according to the otherwise most probable Opinion which gives him his Extraction from the Royal Family So that there were two Couragious and Magnanimous Kings began their Reigns together Darius the Son of Arsames and Alexander the Son of Philip. They looked upon each other with Eyes of Jealousie and they seem as born to dispute the Empire of the World betwixt them But Alexander resolved to strengthen himself well before he would engage with his Rival He revenged the Death of his Father reduced those Rebellious People that Years be ∣ fore J. C. 335 contemned his Youth he overcame the Years of Rome 419 Greeks that vainly attempted to shake off their Yoke and ruined Thebes where he spared none but the House and descendant Issue of Pindarus whose Odes were the Admiration of Greece Mighty and Victorious Years be ∣ fore J. C. 334 he marched after these famous Exploits Years of Rome 420 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 333 at the Head of the Greeks against Years of Rome 421 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 331 Darius whom he overthrew in three several Years of Rome 423 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 330 Battels in Array enters triumphantly Years of Rome 424 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 327 into Babylon and Susa destroys Persepolis Years of Rome 427 an ancient Seat and Palace of the Kings of Persia pushes on his Conquests as far as Years be ∣ fore J. C. 324 the Indies and at last returns to die at Babylon Years of Rome 430 being but Three and thirty years of age In his time Manasses the Brother of Jaddus Years be ∣ fore J. C. 333 the High Priest raised Commotions Years of Rome 421 among the Jews He had married the Daughter of Sanballat the Samaritan whom Darius had made a Nobleman of that Country Rather than he would repudiate that beautiful Stranger to which the Council of Jerusalem and
his Brother Jaddus would fain have obliged him he embraced the Schism of the Samaritans And several of the Jews to shun the like Censures joined themselves to him He was resolv'd at that time to build a Temple near Samaria upon Mount Gerizim which the Samaritans believed was blest and so to make himself the High-Priest of it His Father-in-Law a most intimate Friend of Darius assured him of this Prince's Protection and the effect and Consequence was so much the more favourable to him for Years be ∣ fore J. C. 332 Alexander raised himself Sanballat deserted Years of Rome 422 his Master and brought his Troops over to the Victorious at the Siege of Tyre Thus he obtained whatsoever he desired the Temple of Gerizim was built and the Ambition of Manasses was satisfied The Jews in the mean time being ever faithful to the Persians refused to give Alexander the succour he demanded of them He went to Jerusalem full of Resolution to take his Revenge but his Mind was alter'd when he beheld the High-Priest coming out to meet him with the other Priests that offered Sacrifices all cloathed with their proper Vestments for Ceremony and in Procession before the People in White They shewed to him the Prophecies that foretold his Victories out of Daniel So that he granted to the Jews all their Requests and they kept with him the same Fidelity as they had always done before to the Kings of Persia In the midst of these his Conquest Rome Years of Rome 428 was engaged with her Neighbours the Samnites Years of Rome 429 and were extremely put to 't to reduce Years of Rome 430 them notwithstanding the Valour and Conduct of Papyrius Cursor the most famous of her Generals After the Death of Alexander his Empire was divided Perdiccas Ptolomee the Son of Lagus Antigonus Sileuâ—us Lysimachus Antipater and his Son Years be ∣ fore J. C. 324 Cassanâ—eâ— in a word all his Captains that Years of Rome 430 were bred up in War under so great and mighty a Conqueror designed to make themselves Masters of it by their Arms They sacrificed to their Ambition all the Family of Alexander his Brother Years of Rome 430 Years of Rome 436 Years of Rome 438 Years of Rome 443 Years of Rome 445 his Mother his Wives his Children and even his Sisters so that there was nothing to be seen but Fields of Blood and dreadful Revolutions In the midst of so many disorders several of the People of lesser Asia and thereabouts freed themselves and formed the Kingdoms of Pontus Bithynia and Pergamus The Goodness of the Country made them afterwards Rich and Powerful Armenia likewise at the same time shook off the Macedonian Yoak and became a very great Kingdom The two Mithridates's Father and Son founded that of Cappadocia Years be ∣ fore J. C. 323 But the two most puissant Monarchies Years of Rome 431 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 312 that were then raised were that of Egypt Years of Rome 442 founded by Ptolomee the Son of Lagus from whence came the Lagides and that of Asia or Syria founded by Seleucus from whence proceeded the Seleucides This latter comprised besides Syria those vast and rich Provinces of higher Asia which made up the Persian Empire so all the East owned Greece and learned the Language of it Nay even Greece it self fell under oppression by the Captains of Alexander And Macedonia his antient Kingdom which gave Laws as well as Masters to the East was left a Prey to the first Comer Cassander's Children drive each the other out of that Kingdom Pyrrhus King of Epirus who had possessed one part of it was driven out Years be ∣ fore J. C. 296 by Demetrius Poliorcetes the Son of Antigonus Years of Rome 458 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 294 whom also he expelled in his turn Years of Rome 460 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 289 This is he who was likewise once forced out Years of Rome 465 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 286 by Lysimachus and Lysimachus by Seleucus Years of Rome 468 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 281 whom Ptolomee Ceraunus driven out of Egypt Years of Rome 468 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 280 by his Father Ptolomee the first killed like Years of Rome 473 a Traytor notwithstanding all his Kindnesses Years of Rome 474 That perfidious Man had no sooner invaded Macedonia but he was attacqued Years be ∣ fore J. C. 279 by the Gauls and was slain in a Fight he had with them During these troubles in Years of Rome 475 the East They came into lesser Asia led on by their King Brennus and setled themselves Gallo-Greece or Galatia called so from their own Name from whence they went to Macedonia which they ravaged and so made all Greece to tremble But their Army was destroyed in the Sacrilegious attempts on the Temple of Delphos This Nation was active and yet in every thing Years be ∣ fore J. C. 278 unfortunate some years before the business Years of Rome 476 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 283 of Delphos the Gauls of Italy whose continual Years of Rome 471 Wars Polyb. l. 2. 20. and frequent Victories had made them the dread and terrour of the Romans were animated against them by the Samnites the Brutians and Etrurians At first they returned back with a new Victory but the Glory of it was quickly sullied by slaying the Ambassadors The Romans being inraged marched against them defeated them entred into their Territories Years be ∣ fore J. C. 282 where they founded a Colony beat them also Years of Rome 472 a second time by subjecting one part of them and forcing the other to demand Peace After that the Gauls of the East had been driven out of Greece Antigonus Gonatas Years be ∣ fore J. C. 277 the Son of Demetrius Poliorceters who Years of Rome 477 reigned about twelve years before in Greece but very unquietly without any difficulty invaded Years be ∣ fore J. C. 280 Macedonia Pyrrhus was otherwise engaged Years of Rome 474 for being forced out of that Kingdom he was in good hopes to satisfie his Ambition with the Conquest of Italy whither he was called by the Tarentines The Battle which the Romans came to get over them and the Samnites afforded them only this Ressource Years be ∣ fore J. C. 279 that he carried away from the Romans those Years of Rome 475 Victories which would be his ruin Pyâ—rhus his Elephants affrighted them but the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 278 Consul Fabricius made the Romans soon see that Pyrrhus was not unconquerable The Years of Rome 476 King and the Consul seemed to dispute between the glory of Generosity rather than that of Arms Pyrrhus rendred to the Consul all his Prisoners without a Ransom saying It became him to make War with the Sword and not with Money and Fabricius sent back to the King his treacherous Physician who had offered to poison his Master for him About these times Religion and the Jewish Nation
began to appear among the Greeks Those People being civilly treated by the Kings of Syria lived in tranquillity and Peace according to their Laws Antiochus the God Grandson of Seleucus sent them up and down into the lesser Asia Joseph Ant. 12.3 from whence they got themselves into Greece and every where enjoyed the same Rights Priviledges and Liberty as the other Citizens Ptolomee the Son of Lagus had already setled them in Egypt Years be ∣ fore J. C. 277 Under his Son Ptolomee Philadelphus their Years of Rome 477 Scriptures were turned into Greek and then came out that excellent Version called the Septuagint Version This was done by those Learned old Men whom Eleazer the High-Priest sent to the King who desired them Some would have only had the five Books of Moses translated Joseph l. 1. Antiq. c. 1. l. 12. c. 2. and the rest of the sacred Books might afterwards be turned into Greek for the use of the Jews that were scattered all over Egypt and Greece and who had forgot not only their own ancient Language which was the Hebrew but also the Chaldee which the Captivity had taught them They made themselves a Greek Mixture which they called the Hellenistick Tongue The Septuagint and all the New-Testament is written in this Tongue And during this dispersion of the Jews their Temple was made famous over all the Land and all the Kings of the East presented there their offerings The West was intent on the War Years be ∣ fore J. C. 275 of Rome and Pyrrhus In short this King Years of Rome 479 was defeated by the Consul Curius and so went back to Epirus But he was not there long at quiet but he resolved to make Macedonia recompence him for the ill successes Years be ∣ fore J. C. 274 he met with from Italy Antigonus Gonatus Years of Rome 480 was blocked up in Thessalonica and forced to leave to Pyrrhus all the rest of the Kingdom Years be ∣ fore J. C. 272 But he took heart again whilst that Years of Rome 482 the restless and ambitious Pyrrhus was making War upon the Lacedemonians and those of Argos The two hostile Kings were brought into Argos at one and the same time by two contrary Caballs and at two several Gates There was a mighty Combat in that City and a certain Mother who saw her Son pursued by Pyrrhus whom he had wounded knocked that Prince on the Head with a Stone Antigonus thus being defeated of his Enemy re-enters Macedonia who after some changes and Revolutions was at Peace with his Family The Confederacy of the Achaians kept him from growing Great It was the last Rampier of the Grecian Liberty and it was that which produced the last Heroes of it with Aratus and Philopoemen The Tarentines whom Pyrrhus fed with hopes called in the Carthaginians after his Death But that succour did them very little good for they were beaten with the Brutians and the Samnites their Allies These after seventy and two years continual Wars were forced to submit to the Roman Yoak Tarentum followed at the heels and the Neighbouring People could not hold out and so all the antient People of Italy were subjugated The Gauls often beaten durst not stir Polyb. lib. 1 2.1 And after 480 Years Warring the Romans saw themselves Masters of Italy and began to consider the affairs abroad They were not a little jealous of the Carthaginians who were grown very powerful in their Neighbourhood by the Conquests they had made in Sicily from whence they were coming to fall upon them and Italy in the Relief of the Tarentines The Republic of Carthage had two sides of the Mediteranean Sea Besides that of Africa which she almost entirely possessed she extended her self towards Spain by the Straights Being thus Mistress of the Sea and of Commerce she had invaded the Isles of Corsa and Sardinia Sicily could scarce defend it self and Italy was too nearly threatned not to be concerned with some apprehension From thence proceeded the Punic Wars notwithstanding the Treaties Years be ∣ fore J. C. 264 which were ill observ'd on both sides Years be ∣ fore J. C. 490 The first taught the Romans to fight at Sea and they were presently Masters of an Art which before they knew little or nothing Years be ∣ fore J. C. 260 of and the Consul Duilius who was the Years of Rome 494 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 259 first that gave Battle at Sea gained it Regulus Years of Rome 495 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 256 got the like Reputation and landed in Years of Rome 498 Africa where he was forced to fight with that Prodigious Serpent which obliged him to employ all his Army against it But every thing yielded and Carthage being reduced Years be ∣ fore J. C. 255 to her last Extremity did just make a shift Years of Rome 499 to save herself by the assistance and seasonable Relief of Xantippus the Lacedâ—monian The Roman General is beaten and taken but his Prison renders him more great and illustrious than his Victories For being upon his Parole sent back to treat about the exchange of Prisoners he told the Senate the conditions which was all hopes and Grace to them that would voluntarily surrender themselves and so returned to a most certain Death Two dreadful Shipwracks forced the Romans to leave their new Empire of the Sea to the Carthaginians And the Victory hung a long while in dubious suspence between the two People and the Romans were just upon the point of yielding Years be ∣ fore J. C. 241 but they repaired their Fleet and one single Years of Rome 513 Battle decided the Business and the Consul Lutatius concluded the War Carthage was obliged to pay Tribute and to quit with Sicily all the Isles that were between Sicily and Italy The Romans got that Island entirely saving only what Hieron King of Syracusa their Ally kept of it After the War was ended the Carthaginians thought now only of Destruction by the rising of their Army They had according to their Custom made it up of Strangers who revolted to them for their pay Polyb. lib i. c. 62.63 lib. ii â— 1. Their cruel and severe Government forced them to join to those mutinous Troops almost all the Cities of the Empire and Carthage being closely besieged had utterly been lost if it had not been for Hamilcar sirnamed Barcas He alone maintain'd the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 238 last War And the Citizens are indebted Years of Rome 516 to him for the Victory Poly. lib. i. 79. â—3 â—3 which they got over the Rebels But it cost them Sarainia which the Revolt of their Garrison opened to the Romans And for fear of engaging with them in a new War Carthage was forced to surrender up that Island which was of such importance and also to inlarge her Tribute she designed in Spain to re-establish her Empire which had been so much shaken by this Revolt Hamilcar went
fighting with an astonishing Courage His Brother Jonathan succeeded to his Charge and supported his Reputation Being reduced to extremity his Courage left him not The Romans overjoyed in their humbling of the Kings of Syria granted to the Jews their Protection and the Alliance which Judas had sent to demand of him was granted but yet it was without any Sâ—ccour But the Glory of the Roman Name was however a considerable Support to the afflicted People The Troubles of Syria daiâ—y grew greater and greater Alexander Balasus who boasted himself to be the Son Years be ∣ fore J. C. 154 of the Illustrious Antiochus was set upon Years of Rome 600 the Throne by Antiochus his Party The Kings of Aegypt who were the perpetual Enemies of Sâ—ria interessed themselves in those Divisions to make their own Advantages Years be ∣ fore J. C. 150 by them Ptolomee Philometor upheld Years of Rome 604 Balasus The War was bloody Demetrius Soter was slain in it and to revenge his Death left none but two young Princes a great deal under his Age Demetrius Nicator and Antiochus Sidetes So that the Usurper continued in peace and the King of Aegypt gave him his Daughter Cleopotra in Marriage Balasus who thought himself above all things plunged himself into Debaucheries and brought thereby upon himself the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 150 slight and scorn all his Subjects About Years of Rome 604 this time Philâ—mâ—tor judged that famous Cause which the Samaritans had with the Jews 2. Maccab. vi 2. Jos Ant. xii 7. Those Schismaticks who were ever opposite to God's peculiar People did not fail to joyn with their Enemies and to Years be ∣ fore J. C. 167 please the Illustrious Antiochus their Persecutor Years of Rome 597 they had consecrated their Temple of Gerazim to Jupiter Hospitalis Notwithstanding this Profanation these wicked Wretches desisted not from maintaining sometime after at Alexandria before Ptolomeus Philometer that That Temple ought to be preferred to that of Jerusalem The Parties disputed in the Presence of the King and both of them to the hazard of their Lives engaged to justifie their Pretensions by the Terms of the Law of Moses The Jews gain'd their Cause Josph Ant. lib. 13. c. 6. Ibid. and the Samaritans were punished with Death according to their Covenant The same King permitted Onias of the Sacerdotal Race to build in Aegypt the Temple of Heliopolis after the Model of that of Jerusalem An Enterprise condemned by all the Jewish Council and adjudged contrary to the Law In the mean while Carthage began to stir again being very uneasie in bearing with the Laws which Scipio Africanus had imposed upon her The Romans resolved on no less than her total Overthrow and therefore to that end was the third Punick War undertaken Years be ∣ fore J. C. 148 The young Demetrius Nicator now having Years of Rome 606 past over his Minority was contriving how to re-establish himself upon the Throne of his Ancestors the Softness and Effeminacy of the Usurper made him to hope every Years be ∣ fore J. C. 146 thing At his approach Balasus was troubled Years of Rome 608 his Father-in-Law Philometor declared against him because Balasus would not let him take his Kingdom The Ambitious Cleopatra his Queen left him to marry his Enemy and he was slain at last by the hand of one of his own Creatures after the loss of a Battle Philometer dyed a few days after the Wounds he received in it and Syria was delivered of two Enemies At the same time were two great Cities seen to fall Carthage was taken and reduced to Ashes by Scipio Aemylianus who by that Victory confirmed the Name of Africanus to his Posterity and shewed himself the worthy Inheritor of the Great Scipio his Grandfather Corinth had the same Destiny and the Republique of Achaia was destroyed with it The Consul Mummius did utterly ruine that City the most voluptuous and the most beautiful of all Greece He transported to Rome their incomparable Statues without ever knowing the Value of them The Romans being ignorant of the Arts of Greece contented tnemselves with the knowledge of War Politie and Agriculture During the Troubles of Syria the Jews fortifyed themselves Jonathan saw himself sought after by both Parties and Victorious Nicator treated him as a Brother He was quickly requited for Years be ∣ fore J. C. 144 it In a Sedition The Jews all in a Body Years of Rome 610 took him by force from the Hands of the Rebels Jonathan was overwhelmed with Honours but when the King thought himself most secure he took up also the Designs of his Ancestors and the Jews were as bad tormented as before The Troubles of Syria began again Diodotus sirnamed Tryphon raised up a Son Balasus whom he called Antiochus the God and made himself his Tut r during his Infancy The Years be ∣ fore J. C. 143 Pride of Demetrius flushed the People all Years of Rome 611 Syria was as it were on fire Jonathan knew how to take Advantage of this Conjuncture and renewed the Alliance with the Romans Every thing was prosperous to him when Tryphon by a breach of Promise caused him to be slain with his Children His Brother Simon the most prudent and happy of the Macâ—abees succeeded him and the Romans favoured him as they did his Predecessors Typhon was not less unfaithful to his Pupil Antiâ—chus than he had been to Jonathan He caused that Child to be made away by the meanes of the Physicians under pretence of having him to be cut of the Stone which he had nothing of and so made himself Master of one part of the Kingdom Simon joyned himself with Demetrius Nicator the Legitimate King and after he had obtained of him the Freedom of his Country he maintained and kept it by Arms against the Rebel Tryphon Years of Rome 612 Years be ∣ fore J. C. 142 The Syrians were driven out of the Cittadel which they kept in Jerusalem and a while after out of all the places of Judea Thus the Jews being freed from the Yoke of the Gentiles by the Valour of Simon they yielded the Kingly Rights to him and to his Family Demetrius and Nicator consented to that new Establishment There began the new Kingdom of God's People and the Principality of the Asmonians ever joyned to the Soveraign Priesthood About this time the Parthian Empire extended it self over the Bactrians and Indians by the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 141 Victories of Mithridates the valiantest of all Years of Rome 613 the Arsacidae Whilst He was advancing towards Euphrates Demetrus Nicator called by the People of that Country which Mithridates had newly brought into Subjection was in hopes of reducing the Parthians to Obedience whom the Syrians had always treated as Rebels He was happy in several Victories and near to retun into Syria to give Tryphon his absolute Overthrow there but unluckily sell into a Snare which one of Mithridâ—tes his Generals had laid
from being pillaged But it was quickly after exposed by the Debauches of its Emperor Valentinian Maximus Years of J. C. 454. 455. whose Wife he had violated found a way to destroy him by dissembling his Griefs and thereby insinuating himself into his good Affections By his deceitful Councels the blinded Emperour caused Aëtius the only Bullwark of the Empire to be put to death Maximus the Author of this Murder stirs up Aëtius his Friends to revenge it and so the Emperor came to be killed By these Steps he got to the Throne and forces the Empress Eudoxia the Daughter of Theodosius the Younger to marry him To deliver herself out of his Hands she was not afraid to run into those of Genseric Rome now became a Prey to Barbary It was only S. Leo that prevented all there from being put to Fire and Sword The People tore Maximus to pieces and only received that sad Consolation in all their Miseries All is out of Order in the West several Emperors are set up there and pull'd down again almost at one and the same time Years of J. C. 456. 457. Majorianus made himself the most Considerable Avitus very scurvily preserved his Reputation and saved himself by a Bishoprick The Gaules were no longer to be defended against Merovius nor against Childerick his Son But the latter had like Years of J. C. 458 to have dyed through his Debaucheries If Years of J. C. 462 his Subjects banished him one faithful Friend in reserve made him be recalled His Valour gave a Dread and Terror to his Enemies and his Conquests reached very far into the Country of the Gaules The Eastern Years of J. C. 475 Empire was at Peace under Leo the Thracian Years of J. C. 476 Marcian 's Successor and under Zeno Leo's Son-in-Law and Successor The Revolt of Basiliscus which was soon quasht gave but a short disturbance to this Empire But the Western Empire went to decay irrecoverably Augustus who was called Augustulus the Son of Orestes was the last Emperor owned at Rome and immediately after he was deposed by Odoacres King of the Heruleans These were People come from the Euxine Sea whose Government was but of a short duration In the East the Emperor Zeno attempted to signalize himself in an unheard of manner He was the first of all the Emperors who concern'd himself in regulating the Questions of Faith Whilst the Demi-Eutychians opposed the Council of Years of J. C. 482 Chalcedon he published against the Council his Henotick that is to say his Decree of Union detested by the Catholics and condemned by Pope Felix the III. The Heruleans Years of J. C. 483 were quickly driven from Rome by Years of J. C. 490 Theodorick King of the Ostrogoths that is to Years of J. C. 491 say the Eastern Goths who founded the Kingdom of Italy and left though an Arian a pretty free Exercise to the Catholic Religion The Emperor Anastasius was some trouble to it in the East He followed the Years of J. C. 492 Steps of Zeno his Predecessor and heartened Years of J. C. 493 the Heretics By which means he lost the Peoples Affections which could never be retrieved no not by casing them of heavy and oppressive Taxes Italy was all obedient to Theodorick Odoacres pressed into Ravenna indeavoured to save himself by a Treaty which Theodorick did not at all regard and the Heruleans were forced to resign up all Theodorick besides Italy did likewise keep Provence In his time St. Bennet being in Italy retired into a Desart Years of J. C. 494 began from his most early years to put in Practice those Holy Maximes of which he afterwards composed that excellent Rule which all the Western Monks received with the same respect and deference which those of the East do pay to that of St. Basil The Romans compleated the Ruin of the Gauls by the Victories of Clovis the Son of Chilperick Years of J. C. 495 He gained also over the Germans the Battle of Tolbiac by the Vow he made of embracing the Christian Religion to which his Wife Clotilda never ceased her Persuasions She was of the House of the Kings of Buâ—gundy and a most Catholic Zelot tho' her Family and Nation were Arrian Clovis instructed by St. Vaast was baptized at Reims with his Franks by St. Remy Bishop of that antient Metropolis Of all the Princes of the Years of J. C. 506 World he alone maintained the Catholic Years of J. C. 507 Faith and deserved the Title of most Christian to be derived to all his Successors By the Battle in which with his own Hand he killed Alarick King of the Visigoths Tholoâ—se and Aquitain were joined to his Kingdome But the Victory of the Ostrogoths Years of J. C. 508 kept him from pretending to it all even up to the Pyrenees and the end of his Reign defaced somewhat the Glory of his great beginnings His four Sons divided the Kingdom Years of J. C. 510 and yet were continually making Inroads one upon another Anastasius dyed Years of J. C. 518 by the stroke of a Thunderbolt Justin of mean Extract but a Man of parts and a great Catholic was made Emperor by the Senate He and all his People submitted to the Decrees of Pope St. Hormisdas and so put an end to the Troubles of the Eastern Churches In his time Bâ—ëtius a Man famous for his Learning as well as his Birth Years of J. C. 526 and Symmachus his Father-in-Law both advanced to the highest Offices of Government were sacrificed to the Jealousy of Theodorick who groundlessly suspected them for conspiring against the State The King being afterwards troubled in his mind for this bloudy Fact he had done thought he saw the Head of Symmachus in a Dish which was brought up to his Table and soon after dyed Amalasonta his Daughter Mother of Alâ—ricus who succeeded to the Kingdom by the death of his Grandfather was hindered by the Goths from bringing up this young Prince in the Instructions which his Birth both challenged and deserved and being forced to abandon him to Persons of his own Age she foresaw his Ruin without being able to do any thing to prevent it The Year after Years of J. C. 527 Justin dyed after he had associated to the Empire his Nephew Justinian whose long Reign is celebrated by the Labours of Tribonianus the compiler of the Roman Law and by the Exploits of Belisarius and Years of J. C. 529 of the Eunuch Narses Those two famous Years of J. C. 530 c. Captains subdued the Persians defeated the Years of J. C. 533 Ostrogoths and the Vandals and rendered to Years of J. C. 534 their Master Africk Italy and Rome but Years of J. C. 552 the Emperor jealous of their Glory without Years of J. C. 553 ever being desirous to share with them Years of J. C. 532 their Labours every day studied how to embarass and intangle them more than ever he afforded them Assistance The Kingdom of France increased
After a long War Childebert and Clothaire the Sons of Clovis conquered the Kingdom of Burgâ—ndy and at the same time sacrificed to their Ambition the younger Sons of their Brother Clodomir whose Kingdom they divided between themselves Some time after and whilest Belisarius was so vigorously attacking the Ostrogoths what they had in the Country of the Gaules was left to the French France extended it self then a good way beyond the Rhine but the Partages of Princes which made up so many Kingdoms kept it from being re-united under one and the same Dominion It s chief parts were Neustria that is to say Western France and Austrasia Years of J. C. 553 that is to say Eastern France The same year that Rome was re-taken by Narses Justinian caused the fifth general Council to be held at Constantinople which confirmed those that went before it and condemned some Writings that seemed favourable to Nestorius That is what we call the three Chapters because of the three Authors long since dead whereof they then treated It condemn the Memory and the Writings of Theodorus Bishop of Mopsueste a Letter of Ibas Bishop of Edessa and among Theodoret his Writings those he had drawn up against St. Cyrill The Books of Origen which pestered all the East for one whole Age were also reprobated This Council which began with but ill designs yet had a happy Conclusion and was received by the Holy See which at first had opposed it Years of J. C. 555 Two years after the Council Narses who had taken Italy from the Goths defended it against the French and obtained an absolute Victory over Bucelin General of the Troops of Austrasia Yet notwithstanding all these Advantages Italy did not long remain under the Government of Emperors Under Justin II. Nephew of Justinian and Years of J. C. 568 after the Death of Narses the Kingdom of Lombardy was founded by Alboün He took Milan and Pavia Rome and Ravenna were scarce safe from his Hands and the Lombards put the Romans to extream sufferings Years of J. C. 570. 571. and calamities Rome was but poorly assisted Years of J. C. 574 by her Emperors whom the Covetous Nations Scythia the Saracens a People of Arabia and the Persians more than all the other grievously tormented on all sides in the East Justin who only believed himself and his Passions was always beaten by the Persians and by their King Chosroes His resentment of so many Losses put him into a Years of J. C. 579 Phrensie so that his Wife Sophia governed the Empire This unhappy Prince too late recovered into his good Senses and confessed as he was dying the Malice of his Flatterers After him Tiberius II. whom he had named Emperor repressed the Enemies comforted the People and enriched Years of J. C. 580 himself by their Alms. The Victories of Years of J. C. 581 Mauritius the Cappadocian General of his Armies broke the heart of the proud Years of J. C. 583 Chosroes Those were recompenced by the Empire which Tiberius gave him at his death with his Daughter Constantina At that time the Ambitious Fredegunda Wife to King Chilperick the first put all France into a Combustion and engaged all the French King in most bloudy and cruel Wars In the midst of the Miseries of Italy and whilst Rome was visited with a most Years of J. C. 590 dreadful Pestilence St. Gregory the Great was advanced maugre all his resistance to the See of St. Peter That great Pope stayed the Plague by his devout Prayers instructed Emperors and did absolutely make a just Obedience to be paid to them comforted Africa and fortified it confirmed in Spain the Visigoths converted from Arianisme and Ricardes the Catholic who was just got in again into the Bosom of the Church converted England reformed the Discipline in France whose Kings being always Orthodox he exalted above all Kings in the World He overcame the Lombards saved Rome and Italy which the Emperors could give no assistance to suppressed the growing Pride of the Patriarchs of Constantinople illuminated the Church by his Doctrin governed both the East and the West with as much resolution as humility and gave unto the World a perfect Model of Ecclesiastical Government The History of the Church hath nothing more glorious than the Monk St. Austin's Years of J. C. 597 Entrance into the Kingdom of Kent with forty of his Companions Beda l. 1. who going before the Holy Cross and the Image of the Great King our Lord Jesus Christ made solemn Vows for the conversion of England S. Gregory who had sent them instructed them by Letters truly Apostolical Greg. lib. 9. Ep. 58. ind 4. and taught S. Austin to tremble amidst the continual Miracles which God wrought by his Ministry Bertha a Princess of France brought King Edhilbert her Husband over to Christianity The Kings of France and Queen Brunehault protected the new Mission The Bishops of France did also engage in this Work and it was they who by the Order of Du Paga consecrated St. Austin The Supply which St. Gregory sent to the new Bishop was productive of new Years of J. C. 601 Fruits and the English Church assumed its Years of J. C. 604 Form The Emperor Mauritius having tryed the fidelity of the Holy Pontiff was corrected by his advice and received from him that commendation so worthy of a Christian Prince as the Heretics durst not open their mouths in his time However that pious Emperor was guilty of a great Fault A Years of J. C. 601 vast number of Romans were destroyed by the hands of the Barbarians for want of being ransomed by a Crown per head Immediately afterwards the good Emperor testifyed his remorse and he poured out a Prayer to God to punish him in this World rather than in the other and then was the revolt Years of J. C. 602 of Phocas who before his eyes cut the throats of all his Family Mauritius being the last that was killed amidst all this sad Scene of calamities was heard to say nothing but only that verse of the Psalmist Psal 119. I know O Lord that thy Judgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me Phocas being advanced to the Empire by so horrid and Years of J. C. 606 detestable a crime endeavoured to gain the Years of J. C. 610 People in honouring the Holy See whose priviledges he confirmed But his Sentence was pronounced Heraclius proclaimed Emperor by the African Army marched against him Then Phocas found that oft-times debauches do more ruin Princes than Cruelties and Photin whose Wife he had vitiated betrayed him to Heraclius who caused him to be killed France a while after beheld a much Years of J. C. 614 stranger Tragedy Queen Brunchault being delivered up to Clothaire II. was sacrificed to the ambition of that Prince her Memory was quite effaced and her virtue so much extolled by Pope S. Gregory was scarce able to be defended The Empire in the mean time was
desolate without a Governor The King of Persia Chosroes II. under pretence of revenging Mauritius had attempted to destroy Phocas He push'd on his Conquests under Heraclius There was seen the Emperor beaten and the true Cross carryed away Years of J. C. 620 621. by the Infidels after by admirable return Years of J. C. 622 623 H raclius five times a Conqueror Persia over-run Years of J. C. 625 626. by the Romans Chosroes killed by his Son and the Holy Cross re-taken Whilst the Power of the Persians was so sharply repressed a worse mischief rose up both against the Empire and indeed against all Christianity Mahomet set himself up for a Prophet among the Saracens He was driven out from Mecha by his own People with his Flight commenced that memorable Hegyra from whence Years of J. C. 622 the Mahometans compute their Years This false Prophet gave his Conquests for all the sign of his mission In nine years he brought all Arabia under Subjection either on their own accord or by force and laid the Foundations of the Empire of the Caliphi To these Years of J. C. 629 Afflictions was superadded the Heresie of the Monothelites who through an almost inconceivable Blindness in owning two Natures in our Lord and Saviour would own that there was but one Will in him Man according to their Doctrine had nothing of Will in him and there was nothing in Jesus Christ but the sole Will of the Word These Hereticks concealed their Venom under ambiguous terms A false Love of Peace made them propose that there should be no speaking either of one or of two Wills By these Artifices they imposed upon Pope Years of J. C. 633 Honorius the First who entered with them into a very dangerous Menage and consented to that Silence whereby the Lye and the Truth were both equally suppressed And for the complement of all Afflictions some time after the Emperor Heraclius undertook Years of J. C. 639 to decide the Question by his Authority and proposed his Ecthesis or favourable Explication to the Monothelites but the Artifices of the Hereticks were at length discovered Pope John IV. condemned the Ecthesis Constance the Grandchild of Heraclius Years of J. C. 640 maintained the Edict of his Grandfather by his own called the Type The Years of J. C. 648 Holy See and Pope Theodoret opposed that Years of J. C. 649 attempt Pope St. Martyn I. assembled the Council of Lateran where he sentenced the Type and the Chiefs of the Monothelites to the Anathema St. Maximus celebrated over all the East for his Piety and his Learning leaves the Court which was infected with this new Heresie openly reproves the Emperors who had dared so to pronounce upon the Questions of Faith and suffers a world of Afflictions for the Catholic Years of J. C. 650. 654. Faith The Pope dragged from one Exile to another and always rudely treated by the Emperor at length dyes in the midst of his Sufferings without complaining nor remitting any thing he owed to the Function of his Ministery In the mean while the new English Church strengthened by the industrious Cares of the Popes Boniface V. and Honorius grew very famous over all the World Miracles abounded there with the Vertues as in the times of the Apostles and nothing was more splendid than the Years of J. C. 627 Sanctity of its Kings Edwin with all his Years of J. C. 634 Subjects embraced the Faith which had given him the Victory over his Enemies and converted his Neighbours Oswald served as an Interpreter to the Preachers of the Gospel and renowned by his Conquests he preferred the Glory of being a Christian to Years of J. C. 655 them all The Mercians were converted by the King of Northumberland Oswin Their Neighbours and their Successors followed their Steps and their good Works were infinite Every thing went to wrack in the East whilst the Emperors were destroying each other in Disputes about Religion and Years of J. C. 634 in inventing of Heresies the Saracens run Years of J. C. 635 through the Empire possessed themselves of Years of J. C. 636 Syria and Palestine the Holy City was subjected Years of J. C. 637 to them and Persia lay open to their Power by its Divisions so that they took that great Kingdom without any Resistance They entered into Africa in a posture of Years of J. C. 647 making it in a very little time one of their Years of J. C. 648 Provinces the Isle of Cyprus paid them Obedience and in less than thirty years they joyned all these Conquests to those of Mahomet Italy always unfortunate and forsaken groan'd under the Arms of the Lombards Constance despairing of his ever driving them out was resolved to ravage what he could no longer defend and was more cruel than the Lombards themselves He came not to Years of J. C. 663 Rome but to pillage the Treasures of it the Churches escaped not free from him He ruined Sardinia and Sicily and made himself odious to all the World and at last fell by the Hands of his own Servants Under Years of J. C. 668 his Son Constantine Pogonat that is to say Years of J. C. 671 the Bearded the Saracens possessed themselves Years of J. C. 672 of Cilicia and Lycia Constantinople Years of J. C. 678 was besieged and was saved even by a Miracle The Bulgari People that came from the mouth of Volga joyned with all those potent Enemies wherewith the Empire was infested and got themselves Masters of that part of Thrace called since Bulgaria which was the Antient Mysia The English Church was the Mother that brought forth new Churches and St. Wilfrid Bishop of York being expelled from his See converted Frieseland The whole Church received a new Light by the sixth general Council of * Alsted Chron. Years of J. C. 696 Constantinople where Pope St. Agatho presided by his Legats and explained the Years of J. C. 680 Catholic Faith by a most admirable Letter That Council anathematized one Bishop famous for his Learning one Patriarch of Alexandria four Patriarchs of Constantinople that is to say all the Authors of the Sect of the Monothelites without sparing Pope Honorius himself who had abetted and countenanced them After the Death of Agatho which happened during that Council Pope St. Leo II. confirmed their Decisions and received all their Anathema's Constantine Pogonat an imitator of the great Constantine and of Marcian entered into the Council after their Example and as he paid them the same Submissions they honoured him with the same Titles of Orthodox Religious and peaceful Emperor and the Restorer of Religion His Son Years of J. C. 585 Justinian II. succeeded to him then an Infant From his time the Faith increased and spread it self gloriously towards the North. Years of J. C. 586 St. Kylian sent by Pope Conon preached the Years of J. C. 589 Gospel in Franconia In the time of Pope Sergius Ceadwalla one of the Kings of England
Footstep of it to be found in him Pushed on by that blind Impression which absolutely swayed him he plunged himself into Idolatry and nothing could stay him So great a Mischief made a very strange Progress For fear lest all Mankind might be infected and the knowledg of God be utterly extinguished that great God called from on high his Servant Abraham in whose Family he resolved to establish his Worship and preserve the antient Faith as well of the Creation of the World as of the particular Providence with which humane things are governed Abraham hath always been celebrated in the East and it was not only the Hebrews that looked on him as their Father The Idumeans boasted of their Extract from him Ishmael the Son of Abraham is known among the Arabians as the Parent from whom they came Gen. 16.17 Gen. 17.25 Joseph Ant. l. 13. Circumcision still is used among them as the mark of their Original and they have received it at all times not only on the eighth day after the manner of the Jews but at thirteen years of Age as the Scripture informs us it was given to their Father Ishmael a Custom which continues still among the Mahometans There are other Arabian People who yet remember Abraham and Ketura Alex. Polyb. apud Joseph ant l. 16. and they are the same that the Scripture makes to come from that Marriage That Patriarch was a Chaldean and those People famous for their Astronomical Observations have reckoned Abraham for one of their most learned Observators Beros Hecar Eup. Alex. Polyb al. apud Joseph an t l. 8. Eus praep Ev. 9.16 17 18 19 20. 13.11 Nic. Damas lib. 4. Hist univ in excerpt Vales p. 491. ap Jos an t l. 8. Eus praep Ev. 9.16 Gen. 13. c. The Historians of Syria have made him King of Damascus though a Stranger and come from the Borders of Babylon and they report that he left the Kingdom of Damascus to settle himself in the Country of the Canaanites since called Judea But it will be best for us to observe what the sacred History relates to us of this great Man We have seen that Abraham followed that way of living which was led by his Ancestors before that all the World was reduced into Kingdoms He reigned in his Family with which he embraced the pastoral Life so much renowned for its simplicity and Innocence rich in his Flocks in his Slaves and in his Silver but without Lands and Demeans and yet he lived in a strange Kingdom but was respected and independent as a Prince His Piety and his Uprightness protected by God attracted that respect to him He treated as an Equal with Kings who sought his Alliance and it was from thence came that antient Opinion that he made himself a King But tho' his life was simple and peaceable yet understood he the Arts of War but then it was only to defend his opprest Allies Gen. 14. He defended them and revenged them by a most signal Victory He restored to them all their Riches re-taken from their Enemies without reserving any thing but the Tythe which he offered up to God and the Quota which belonged to the Auxiliary Troops which he had brought along with him to the Battle But after so great a service he refused the Presents of the Kings with an unparallel'd Magnanimity and could not indure that any man should boast he had inriched Abraham He would be indebted to none but to his God who had protected him and whom he solely followed with a most perfect Faith and Obedience Guided by that Faith he had forsaken his Native Countrey to come to a Land which God had shewn him God who had called him and made him worthy of his Alliance Articled it upon these Conditions He declared to him that he would be his God Gen. 12.17 and the God of his Posterity that is to say he would be their Protector and that they should serve him as the only God the Creator of Heaven and Earth He promised him a Land 't was that of Canaan to serve for a fixed habitation to his Posterity Ibid. and for a place for his Religion He had no Children and his Wife Sarah was barren God swore to him by Himself and by his Eternal Veracity Gen. 12 2.1â—.4 5.17.19 that from him and from his Wife should come a Race that for number should equal the Stars in the Firmament and the Sand on the Sea-shore But the most remarkable Article of all of the Divine Promise was this All the People should presently fall into Idolatry God promised to this Holy Patriarch that in him and in his Seed should all those blind Nations that had forgotten their Creator be blessed that is to say re-called to the knowledge of him Gen. 12.3.18.18 wherein the true Benediction is to be found By that promise was Abraham made the Father of all the faithful and his Posterity was chosen to be the source from whence the Blessing was to go upon all the Earth In that Promise was included the Advent of the Messiah so often foretold to our Fathers but always foretold as Him who was to be the Saviour of all the Gentiles and of all the people of the World Thus that blessed Branch promised to Eve became also the Branch and Cion of Abraham This was the foundation of the Covenant and these the Conditions of it Gen. 17. Abraham received the sign of it in Circumcision a Ceremony whose proper effect was to shew that that Holy Man belonged to God with all his Family Abraham was childless when God began to bless his Race And God left him for several years without giving him any Afterwards he had Ishmael who was to be the Father of a great People Gen. 12.15.2.16.3 4 17.20.21.13 but not of that chosen People so much promised to Abraham The Father of the chosen People was to proceed from him and from his wife Sarah Gen. 21.2 who then was barren At length when Ishmael was thirteen years old came this so much desired Son he was called Isaac that is to say Laughter a Son of Joy a Son of Miracle a Son of Promise who shewed by his Birth that the true Children of God are born of Grace He this Child of blessing was grown to some considerle statute and of an age from which his Father might hope to have other Children of him when of a sudden God commands him to offer him up as a Sacrifice Gen. 22. To what a tryal is Faith exposed Abraham carrys Isaac to the Mountain which God had shewn him and he went to sacrifice that Son in whom alone God promised to make him the Father both of his People and of the Messiah Isaac presented his naked Bosom to the Sword which his Father held out ready to strike him God being satisfied with the obedience both of Father and Son demanded no further of them After
the World it was that Man so much below Moses in all things and superiour only to him by his name it was He I say who was to bring the People of God into the holy Land By the Victories of that great Man before whom Jordan was driven back the Walls of Jericho fell down of themselves and the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven God established his Children in the Land of Canaan out of which by the same means he drove the abominable People By the hatred which his faithful ones had against them he inspired them with an extreme indignation of their wickedness and impiety and the punishment which was inflicted by their Ministry filled them themselves with fear of the Divine Justice of which they executed the Decrees One part of those People whom Joshua drove out ot their Land Procop. lib. 2. de bel Vand. went and planted themselves in Africa where was found a long time after in an ancient Inscription the Monument of their Flight and the Victories of Joshua After those miraculous Victories had put the Israelites in the possession of the greatest part of the Land which was promised to their Fathers Joshua and Eleazar the High Priest Jos 13 14. seq Numb 26.53.34.17 Jos 14 15. with the Heads of the twelve Tribes divided it among them according to the Law of Moses and assigned to the Tribe Judah time the first and the greatest Lot From the time of Moses it was set above the others in Number in Courage and in Dignity Joshua dyed and the People continued the Conquest of the Holy Land God would have the Tribe of Judah to march at the Head Numb 2.3.9.7.12.10.14 1 Chron. 5.2 Judg 1.1 2.4.8 and declared that he had delivered the Countrey into their hands In fine it overcame die Canaanites and took Jerusalem which was to be the holy City and the capital City of the People of God it was the ancient Salem where Melchisedek had reigned in Abraham's time Melchisedek that King of Righteousness Heb. 7.2 for that is the meaning of his Name and at the same time too King of Peace for that is King of Salem whom Abraham had owned for the greatest High-Priest in the World as if Jerusalem had then been destined for a holy City and the head of Religion That City was at first given to the Children of Benjamin who being weak and few in number could not drive out the Jebusites the ancient Inhabitants of Jerusalem but they dwelt among them Judg. 1.21 Under the Judges the People of God were variously treated according as they did well or ill After the death of the old men who had seen Miracles from the hand of God the remembrance of those mighty Works decayed and the universal inclination and bent of Mankind warp'd the People to Idolatry As often as they fell into it they were punish'd and as often as they repented they were delivered The Faith of Providence and the Truth of the Promise and the Threatnings of Moses was confirmed more and more in the hearts of the true Believers But God prepared also greater Examples of them The People demanded a King and God gave them Saul quickly reproved for his sins he at last resolved to establish a Royal Family from which e Messiah should come and he chose it in Judah David 1 Sam. 16.11.12 c. a young Shepherd sprung out of that Tribe the youngest of the Sons of Jesse whose merit neither his Father nor his Family knew but yet whom God found to be after his own heart was anointed by Samuel in Bethlehem which was his own Country Here the People of God IV. David the Kings and the Prophets to take up a Form more August and Magnificent the Kingdom was setled in the House of David That House began by two Kings of different Characters but both were admirable David a warlike and conquering Prince subdued the Enemies of the People of God whose Arms were dreaded over all the East and Solomon famous for his Wisdom both at home and abroad made that People happy by a profound Peace But the Progress of Religion does here require some particular Remarks upon the Lives of those two great Kingâ— David reigned at first over Judah mighty and victorious and afterwards he was owned over all Israel 2 Sam. 5.6 7 8 9. 1 Chron. 11.6 7 8. 1 Chron 2.16 He took from the Jebâ—sites the strong Hold of Zion which was the Citadel of Jerusalem Being Master of that Fortress he established there by the order of God the Sea of the Kingdom and that of Religâ—on and there he lived He built round about it and called it The City of David Joab his Sister 's built the rest of the City and Jerusalem took up a new form Those of Judah possessed all the Country and Benjamin being few in number dwelt together with them The Ark of the Covenant built by Moses where God dwelleth between the Cherubims and where the two Tables of the Decalogue were kept had then no fixed place David brought it in Triumph 2 Sam. 6.2 16 17. c. with shouting and with the sound of the Trumpet into Zion which he had conquered by the Almighty help of God that so God might reign in Zion and that he might be acknowledged there as the Protectors of David 1 Chro. 16.39.21.29 of Jerusalem and of all the Kingdom But the Tabernacle wherein the People had worshipped God in the Wilderness was yet at Gibeon and there it was where they offered their Sacrifices upon the Altar which Moses had built It was but in expectation that there would be a Temple where the Altar should be re-united with the Ark and where should be performed all the Service When David had conquered all his Enemies and had extended his Victories even to Euphrates being at quiet and a mighty Conquerour he at all his thought upon the establishing of the Divine Worship and on the same Mountain where Abraham went to Sacrifice his only Son 2 Sam. 8.11 1 Chron. 18. 2 Sam. 24.25 1 Chron. 21.22 seq Jos an t 7.10 and was stopped by the hand of an Angel he designed by the appointment of God the place of the Temple He said down all his Designs he amassed mighty noâ— and precious Materials for it he dedicated all the Spoils of his conquered Kings and People to it But that Temple which was so designed by the Conquerour was not to be built but by his Son and Successor the peaceable Solomon He built it after the Model of the Tabernacle The Altar of the Holocausts 1 Kings 6,7 8. 2 Chron. 3 4 5 6 7. the Altar of Incense the golden Candlestick the Tables of Shew Bread and all the other consecrated Moveables of the Temple were taken from the like Pieces which Moses had caused to be made in the Wilderness Solomon only added magnificence and grandeur to them The Ark which the Man of God
had built was placed in the Holy of Holys a place iâ—â—cessible a Symbol of the impeâ—â—â—rable Majesty of God and of Heaven forbidden to Men until Jesus Christ had opened them an Entrance into it by the shedding of his â—tood On the Day of the Dedication of the Temple God appeared there in his Majesty He chose that place to establish his Name and his Worship there He forbad them there to Sacrifice in any other place The unity of God was demonstrated of the Unity of his Temple Jerusalem became a holy City the image of the Church 〈◊〉 God was to inhabit as in his true Temple and of Heaven where he will make us eternally happy by the manifestation of his glory After that Solomon had built the Temple he built also the Palace of the Kings the Architecture of which was worthy so great a Prince His Country-house which was called The Forest of Lebanon 1 Kings 7.2 10. was equally magnificent and delicate The Palace which he made for the Queen was a new Ornament to Jerusalem Every thing was great and splendid in those Buildings The Potches the Galleries the Walks the King's Throne and the Tribunal where he sate to judge Cedar was the only Wood he made use of in all those costly Works All things shined there of Gold and rich Stones The Citizens and the Strangers admired the Majesties of the Kings of Israel The rest was correspondent to this Magnificence 1 Kings 10. 2 Chron. 8 9. The Towns the Arsenals the Horses the Chariots the Prince's Guard the Commerce the Navigation and the good Order with a profound Peace had made Jerusalem the richest City of the East The Kingdom was at rest and abounded with all things every thing there represented the heavenly glory In the Wars of David were seen the wearisome Toils by which they were to deserve it and in the reign of Solomon how peaceable and quiet the Enjoyment of it was But the raising of these two great Kings and of the Royal Family was th' effect of a particular Election David himself celebrates the Marvel of it in these words 1 Chron. 28.4 5. The Lord God of Israel chose 〈◊〉 before all the House of my Father to be King over Israel for ever for he hath chosen Judah to be the Ruler and of the House of Judah the House of my Father and among the Sons of my Father he liked me to make me King over all Israel and he said to me Solomon thy Son shall build my House and my Courts for I have chosen hiâ— to be my Son and I will be his Father This Divine Election had a higher object than what at first appeared That Messiah so often promised as the Son of Abraham was also to be the Son of David and of all the Kings of Judah It was upon the prospect of the Messiah and of his Eternal Reign that God promised to David that his Throne should be maintained for ever Solomon chosen to be his Successor was designated to represent the Person of the Messiah Wherefore God saith of him 2 Sam. 7.14 I will be his Father and he shall be my Son a thing which he never said with that energy and force of any King nor of any Man Also in the time of David 1 Chron. 22.10 and under the Kings his Sons the Mystery of the Messiah was declared more than ever by the wonderful Prophecies which were clearer than the Sum at Noon-day David perceived it afar off and sung of it in his Psalms with a grandcur that nothing will ever be equal to it Oft-times he only thought of celebrating the glory of his Son Solomon and of a sudden being transported beyond himself and carried far away Matth. 6.29.12.42 Psal 72.5.11.17 he saw him who was greater than Solomon both in glory and wisdom The Messiah appeared to him sitting upon a Throne more lasting than the Moon He saw at his feet all the Nations overcome and blessed in him agreeable to the Promise made to Abraham He raised his sight higher still and said 〈◊〉 saw him in the light of his Saints Psal 110. and before the Morning coming from all Eternity out of the Bosome of his Father the Eternal High Priest and without a Successor neither succeeding himself to any One created extraordinarily not according to the order of Aâ—râ—â— but after the order of Melchisedâ—â— a new order which the Law knew nothing of He beheld him sitting on the right hand of God and seeing from the highest Heavens his Enemies his Footstool He is astonished at so great and wonderful a Spectacle and ravished with the glory of his Son he calleth him His Lord. He saw him God that God had anointed him to make him over all the Earth Psal 45.3 4 5 6 7 8. c. by his Meekness Truth and Righteousness He was in Spirit assisting to the Council of God and heard from the very Mouth of the Eteâ—nal Father that Word which he addressed to his only Son Psal 2.7 8. This day have I begotten Thee whereto God joyned the Promise of a perpetual Empire Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession Thou shalt break them with a rod of Irâ—n thâ—â— shalt dash them in pieces like a Pâ—tter'â— Vessel Why do the Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain thing the Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying Let us break their Bâ—nds asunder and cast away their Cords from us He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derisiâ—n for their foolish Projects and in spight of all their ridiculous opposition he will establish the Empire of his Christ Be wise therefore Psal 2.10 O ye Kings be instructed ye Jâ—dges of the Earth He establishes him upon themselves and they must be the first Subjects of that Christ whose Yoke they would have so fain shook off And tho' the Kingdom of that great Messiah be often foretold in the Scriptures under the most pompous and magnificent Idea's yet God did not hide from David the Igonominies of that blessed Fruit of his Loinâ— This Instruction was necessary for the People of God If that People as yet but weak had need of being drawn on by Temporal Promises yet it was not fâ—t to let them only have regard to these Humane things as their utmost and most soveraign Felicity and as their only Recompence wherefore God shews them afar off that Messiah so much promised and so much desired the Model of Perfection the Object of their Complaisances and Delight swallowed up with Grief The Cross appeared to David as the true Throne of that new King He saw his hands and his feet pierced and that all his bones might be told Psal 22.16 17 18 19. they looked and stared upon him being most
stirring up the least Sedition among Men it will excite all the Earth He is neither violent nor impetuous and he who was hardly known when in Judea shall not be only the Foundation of the Peoples Covenant but also the Light of all the Gentiles Ibid. 6. Under his admirable Reign the Assyrians and the Egyptians shall be no longer but one and the same People of God with the Israelites Blessed be Egypt my People and Assyria the work of my Hands Esai 10.25 and Israel mine Inheritance All shall become Israel Ibid. 60.1 2.3 4 11.61.1 2.3 11.62.1 2.65.1 2 15 16.66.19 20 21. Malach. 3.10 Psal 110.2 all shall become holy Jerusalem is no more particular private City It is the Image of a new Society where all the People are gathered together Europe Africa and Asia received Preachers in whom God had put his Sign that they might discover his Glory to the Gentiles The Elect till then called by the Name of Israel shall be called by a new Name which shall signify the fulfilling of the Promises and an happy Amen The Priests and the Levites who till then came from Aaron shall for the time to come come from the midst of the Heathens that is the Gentiles A new Sacrifice more pure and agreeable than the old shall be substituted in its place and then shall be known the reason why David had consecrated a High-Priest of a new Order The Just shall descend from Heaven as the Dew the Earth shall bring forth her But and it shall be the Saviour with whom Righteousness shall be seen to arise Heaven and Earth shall joyn to bring forth as by a common Delivery him that shall be both Heavenly and Earthly together New Ideas of Virtues shall appear in the World in his Examples and in his Doctrine and the Grace which he will shed abroad will imprint them in their Hearts Every thing will be changed by his coming and God hath sworn by himself and the word is gone out of his Mouth in Righteousness and shall not return Isai 45.23 that unto him every knee shall how and every tongue shall swear and acknowledg his soveraign Power This is one part of the marvellous things which God hath shewn to the Prophets under the Kings the Sons of David and to David before all others All have written beforehand the History of the Son of God who was also to be made the Son of Abraham and of David And thus every thing hath fell out in the Order of the divine Counsels This Messiah shewn afar off as the Son of Abraham is yet shewn more near as the Son of David An eternal Empire is promised to him The Knowledg of God is spread abroad throughout the World is set to us as the certain sign and as the fruit of his coming The Conversion of the Gentiles and the Blessing of all the People of the World so long since promised to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob is anew confirmed and all the People of God lived in that expectation In the mean time God governed them after a most admirable manner He made a new Covenant with David and obliged himself to protect him and the Kings his Successors if they would walk in the Commandments which he had given them by Moses 2 Sam. 7 8 9 10 c. 1 King 9.4 5. 2 Chron. 7.17 c. 2 Sam. 11 12 c. if not he pronounced against them very severe Punishments David who had forgot himself for a little while was the first who felt them but having somewhat recovered himself by his unfeigned Repentance he has a confluence of Wealth poured upon him and is proposed as the model of an accomplished King The Throne is established in his House 1. Kings 11. Whilst Solomon walked in the Steps of his Father's Piety he was happy but in his old Age he was drawn aside and God who spared him for the Love of his Servant David declared he would punish him in the person of his Son Thus he lets Parents to know that according to the secret Decree of his Judgments he makes their Punishments to continuâ— after their Death and he keeps them in submission to his Laws by that Interest which is the dearest that is the Interest of their Family In the Execution of his Decrees the foolishly wilfull Rehoboam is given up to an extravagant Council his Kingdom is lessened and ten of the tribes revolt from him 1 Kings 12.16 17 c. Whilst those ten Rebellious and Schismaticall Tribes were departed from their God and their King the Children of Judah who were faithful to God and to David whom he had chosen continued in the Covenant and in the Faith of Abraham The Levites and the Tribe of Benjamin joined with them the Kingdom of the People of God subsisted by their union under the name of the Kingdom of Judah and the Law of Moses was strictly observed In spight of the lamentable Idolatries and Corruption of the ten separated Tribes God remembred his Covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob his Law was not quite extinct amidst those rebellious People he was continually calling them back to Repentance by innumerable Miracles and by the constant warnings he sent them by his Prophets Hardned in their Wickedness at such a rate he could no longer bear with them 2 Kings 17.7 8 9 10 11 12 c. but he drove them out of the Land of Promise without hopes of ever suffering them to settle there again The History also of Tobit happened at the same time and during the beginnings of the Captivity of the Israelites it discovers to us the Conduct of the Elect of God who still remained in the separated Tribes That Holy Man Tob. 1.5 6 7. c. dwelling among them before the Captivity knew not only how to keep himself Pure from the Idolatries of his Brethren but also how to put the Law in Practice and to worship God publickly in the Temple of Jerusalem without ever being drawn aside by their ill examples or perswaded to a Compliance through servile fear Id. 19 20 21. When he was a Captive and persecuted at Nineveh he and his Family still retained their Piety and that admirable manner with which both he and his Son Tobias had their Faith rewarded even here upon Earth shews that notwithstanding Captivity and Persecution God had secret ways of making his Servants sensible of the Blessings of the Law in raising them evermore by the afflictions they were to suffer to higher and more exalted thoughts By the Examples of Tobit and his Holy Admonitions those of Israel were stirred up to acknowledge at least under the Rod the hand of God which chastised them but yet they almost all continued in obstinacy those of Judah so far were they from taking warning by Israel's Chastisements that they followed their ill examples God did not cease admonishing them by his Prophets whom he sent one after
Chaldees under which they were led captive For fear lest they should be surprized at the glory of the Wicked and of their proud Reign the Prophets have sufficiently told them of their short continuance Isaiah who saw the glory of Nebuchadnezzar and his mad pride long before he was born Isai 13 14 21 45 46 47 48. has foretold his sudden fall together with that of the Empire Babylon was scarce any thing when that Prophet saw its Power and a little while after its Ruine Thus the Revolutions of the Cities and Kingdoms which tormented the People of God or gained advantage by their destruction were written in his Prophecies Those Oracles were followed with a hasty Execution and the Jews tho' so severely punished yet saw to fall before them or with them or quickly after according to the Predictions of their Prophets not only Samaria Idumea Gaza Ascalon Damascus the Cities of the Ammonites and the Moabites their perpetual Enemies but the chiefest of the great Empires Tyre the Mistress of the Sea Tanais Memphis Thebes with its hundred Gates and all the Riches of its Sesostriâ— Nineveh also the Seat of the Kings of Assyria their cruel Persecutors and the proud and mighty Babylon victorious over all the rest and rich with their Spoils 'T is true Jerusalem by her sins was destroyed at the same time but yet God did not leave her without hope Isaiah Isai 44 45. who had foretold her Ruine had likewise seen her glorious re-establishment and had also named him Cyrus who was to be her deliverer tho' it was two hundred years before he was born Jeremiah Jer. 25.11 12. c. 29.10 whose Predictions had been so exactly particular in pointing out that ungrateful People's certain destruction had promised them a most sure Return after they had indured seventy years Captivity During all that time those vanquished People were respected by the Prophets and those Captives foretold both the Kings and the People their terrible Destinies Nebuchadnezzar who would fain be worshipped Dan. 11.46 47 4.1 26. himself worships Daniel being astonished at the Divine Secrets which he had discovered to him he understood from him the Decree that was gone out against him and which was soon after executed upon him That victorious Prince triumphed in Babylon the City whereof he made the greatest strongest and most beautiful that ever the eye of the Sun beheld 'T was there that God heard him thundering out his pride Tho' he 's happy and invulnerable if I may be allowed the phrase at the head of his Armies and throughout all the course of his Conquests yet he was to fall in his own House according to the Oracle of Ezekiel Ezek. 31.3 4 5 6 7. c. Whilst he was standing in admiration of his greatness and the beauty of Babylon and raising himself above Humanity Dan. 4.30 31. saying Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the House of the Kingdom by the might of my Power and for the honour of my Majesty God strikes him deprives him of his understanding drives him from men and gives him his dwelling with the Beasts of the Field Ibid. 34. At the time assigned by Daniel his understanding returned unto him and he blessed the most High and praised and honoured him who liveth for ever whose Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and whose Kingdom is from Generation to Generation in acknowledgment of his Almighty Power but his Successors received no benefit by his Example The Affairs of Babylon were embroyled and the time set forth by the Prophecies for the re-establishing of Judah happened amidst all those Troubles Cyrus appeared at the Head of the Medes and Persians all things yield and bow to that dreadful Conquerour Herod liâ— 1. Xenoph. l. 2 3. â—5â— â—aliâ— Jer. 41.46 〈◊〉 l. 7 â—adâ—g He made but slow advances to the Chaldeans and besides his march was often interrupted The news of his coming was spread from one end of the Earth to the other as Jeremiah had foretold at last it was determined Babylon which was often threatned by the Prophets and always proud and impenitent at last came to see her Conquerour whom she despises Her Riches her high Walls her People that were not to be numbred Ibid. her prodigious Extent which included a very great Country as all the Ancients do testifie and her infinite Provisions do swell her up with pride Having felt a very long and sharp Siege without any great Inconvenience she made a scorn and derision of her Enemies and at the Intrenchment which Cyrus made round about her Nothing was heard in her but Feasts and Rejoycings The King Belshazzar who was Nebuchadnezzar's Grandchild and as proud as he too but not so full of address Dan. 5.1 c. made a great Feast to a thousand of his Lords and drank Wine before the thousand That Feast was celebrated with unheard of Excesses Belhazzar sent for the Golden and Silver Vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple of Jerusalem and so intermixes Prophaneness with his Luxury The wrath of God thereupon was declared and at the same time came forth fingers of a man's hand Ibid. 5. and wrote over against the Candlestick upon the plaister of the Wall of the King's Palace where the Feast was celebrated terrible words and the King saw the part of the hand that wrote Daniel interprets the meaning of it and that Prophet who had foretold the direful fall of the Grandfather makes also the Grandchild to see the Thunderclap that was coming to fall upon him for his overthrow In the execution of God's Decree Cyrus on a sudden makes an onset on Babylon Euphrates being turned off into the Trenches which he had so long before prepared discovers to him its vast Channel through which unforeseen passage he makes his Entry Isai 13.17.21.2.45 46 47. and so that proud Babylon as the Prophets had foretold was delivered as a prey to the Medes and to the Persians and to Cyrus So perished with her the Kingdom of the Chaldeans which had destroyed so many other Kingdoms Jer. 50.23 so was the Hammer of the whole Earth cut asunder and broken Jeremiah had plainly foretold it The Lord breaketh the Rod wherewith he had broken to pieces so many Nations Isaiah foresaw it The People accustomed to the Yoke of the Chaldean Kings Jer. 51.20 saw it themselves when they were under the Yoke Art thou also say they Isai 14.10 13 14. become weak as we art thou become like unto us Thou that saidst in thy heart I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will ascend above the heights of the Clouds I will be like the most High What the same Isaiah had likewise declared saying Babylon is fallen is fallen That great Babylon Id. 21.9 and all her graven Images are broken to the ground Bell boweth down and Nebo her great
Ghost to fortifie his Apostles and eternally to inspire and invigorate the Body of the Church This power of the Holy Ghost to declare it self the more was to appear in weakness Behold I send saith Jesus Christ to his Apostles Luke 24.49 the promise of my Father upon you that is to say the Holy Ghost in the mean time tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem be quiet do not concern your self about any thing until ye be indued with power from on high And to shew their submission and conformity to that Order they continued shut up for forty days at the prefixed time the Holy Ghost descended Acts 2.3 cloven Tongues like as of fire falling upon the Disciples of our blessed Saviour do shew the efficacy of their preaching and so being filled with the Holy Ghost Id. 4. they began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance the Apostles bore witness of Jesus Christ they were all ready to suffer for the Testimony that they had seen him rise from the dead Miracles followed upon their preaching At two of St. Peter's Sermons eight thousand Jews were converted and bewailing their Errour and Blindness they were wâ—shed in the Blood which they had spilt Thus was the Church founded in Jerusalem and amongst the Jews and notwithstanding the perverse incredulity of the Gross of the Nation yet the Disciples of Jesus Christ made known unto the World a Charity a Power but tempered with so much sweetness and condescension as never had been seen in any Society before Persecution arose the Faith increased the Children of God began more and more to aspire towards Heaven the Jews by their obstinate and inveterate Malice drew upon themselves the just Vengeance of God and hastened on them the sad Calamities and Desolation wherewith they had been threatned their Estates and their Affairs grew worse and worse Whilst God was setting apart a great number of them whom he placed among his Elect St. Peter was sent to baptize Cornelius a Roman Centurion He learned first of all by a Heavenly Vision and afterwards by Experience that the Gentiles were called to the Knowledge of God Jesus Christ who was willing to have them converted speaks from on high to St. Paul who was to be their Doctor and by a Miracle till then unheard of from a Persecutor he is made not only a Defender but a zealous Preacher of the Faith The profound Secret of the Calling of the Gentiles by the Reprobation of the ungratefull Jews who were still made more and more unworthy of the Gospel was discovered to him St. Paul reached forth his hands to the Geniiles and treated upon those important Questions with a wonderful force and power that Christ should suffer Acts 26.23 and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew unto the People and to the Gentiles He proved the Affirmative by Moses and the Prophets and called Idolaters to the Knowledge of God in the Name of Jesus Christ that was risen They were converted by Multitudes St. Paul shewed that their Calling was an effect of Grace which made no distinction betwixt either Jew or Gentile Fury and Jealousie transported the Jews so as they laid terrible Plots against St. Paul being chiefly incensed that he preached up the Gentiles and brought them to the true God At last he was delivered to the Romans as they had before delivered up Jesus Christ to them All the Empire was in commotion against the rising Church and Nero the Persecutor of all Mankind was the first Persecutor of the Faithful That Tyrant put both St. Peter and St. Paul to death Rome was consecrated by their Blood and the Martyrdom of St. Peter chief of the Apostles established in the Capital City of the Empire the Principal See of Religion In the mean time the time drew on when the Divine Vengeance was to fall upon the Impenitent Jews Disorders grew up amongst them a false Zeal blinded them and made them odious to all men their false Prophets infatuated them by the Promâ—ses of an imaginary Kingdom Thus being seduced by their deceitful tricks and artifices they could no longer endure any legitimate Empire and so they were unlimited in their attempts God gave them up to a reprobate Sence They revolted against the Romans who overthrew them Titus himself that destroyed them confessed he only lent his hand to that God that was provoked against them Adrian made a full end of them Philost vit Apoll Tyan lib. 6. Joseph de bell Jud. lib. 7.16 They were cut off with all the marks of the Divine Vengeance driven out of their own Land and made Slaves to all the World they no longer had either Temple or Altar or Sacrifice or Country and there was seen in Judah not so much as a form of People But God had notwithstanding provided for the Eternity of his Government The Eyes of the Gentiles were opened and they were united in Spirit to the converted Jews By that means they were joined to the Race and Stock of Abraham and became his Children by Faith and so inherited the promises which had been made to him A new People were formed and the new Sacrifice so much celebrated by the Prophets began to be offered throughout all the World Thus was that antient Oracle or Jacob fulfilled to a tittle Judah from the beginning was multiplied more than all his Brethren and having always kept a certain Preheminence he at last received the Kingdom as Hereditary to him Afterwards the People of God were reduced to his single Race and shut up in his Tribe they were called by his Name In Judah were continued that great People who were promised to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob in him the other promises were perpetuated the worship of God the Temple the Sacrifices the possession of the promised Land which was only called Judah Notwithstanding all their several States the Jews continued always in a body of a regulated People and Kingdom making use of their Laws There were always seen to arise either Kings or Magistrates and Judges even till the Advent of the Messiah he came and the Kingdom of Judah quickly fell to ruin It was utterly destroyed and the Jewish People were driven without hope from the Land of their Fathers The Messiah was the expectation of the Nations and he reigned over a new People But to keep the Succession and the Perpetuity it was necessary to have this new people engrafted as I may so say upon the former and as St. Paul speaks if thou being a wild Olive tree were grafted in amongst then Rom. 11.17 and with them partakest of the root and fatnâ—â—s of the Olive-tree So it happened that the Church which was first established among the Jews at length received the Gentiles to make up one and the same Tree with them one and the same Body one and the same People and to make them partakers of her Graces and Promises What
42 at least in this thy day which is yet given thee for repentance the things which belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes For the days shall come upon thee that thine Enemies shall cast a Trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side and shall lay thee even with the ground and thy Children within thee and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knowest not the time of thy Visitation This was a plain and sufficient setting forth both of the manner of the Siege and of the last effects of Wrath and Vengeance But Jesus could not yet go to his Cross without declaring to Jerusalem the heavy Punishment that was one day to fall on her for that unworthy Treatment he had received among them As he went to Mount Calvarie bearing his Cross on his Shoulders There followed him a great Company of People and of Women who also bewailed and lamented him he stood still and turning about to them he breaks forth into these passionate Expressions Daughters of Jerusalem Luke 23.27 28 29. weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your Children For behold the days are coming in the which they shall say Blessed are the Barren and the Wombs that never bare and the Paps which never gave suck Thee shall they begin to say to the Mountains fall on us and to the Hills cover us For if they do these things in a green Tree what shall be done in the dry If the Innocent if the Just must suffer so severe a Punishment what may then the Guilty expect Did Jeremiah ever more bitterly deplore the destruction of the Jews what more powerful and efficacious words could our Saviour speak to make them understand their Misery and Despair and that horrible Famine so fatal to the Children so fatal to their Mothers who should behold their Breasts dried up and they to have nothing left them but their Tears to feed their crying staring Children with and then who at last should be forced themselves to eat up the Fruit of their Wombs to abate the extremity of their own Hunger IX Two memorable Predictions of our blessed Saviour are explained and their accomplishment justified by History These were the Predictions he openly declared to all the People Those he gave in private to his Disciples deserve a more particular attention still They are comprized in that long and admirable Discourse where he joyns together the Ruine of Jerusalem with that of the Universe That Unity was mysterious and this the design of it Jerusalem that happy City which our Lord had chosen as long as it kept in the Covenant and in the Faith of the Promises was the Type of the Church and the Figure of Heaven where God discovers himself to his Children That is the reason we oft-times see the Prophets to joyn in the Thread of the same Discourse Matth. 24. Mark 13. Luke 21. what respects Jerusalem to that which regards the Church and the Celestial Glory 'T is one of the Secrets of the Prophecies and one of the Keys which opens the Understanding of them But Jerusalem as it was reprobate and ungrateful towards her Saviour was to be the Type and Image of Hell Her perfidious Citizens were to represent the damned and the terrible Judgment which Jesus Christ was to execute upon them was to be the Figure of that which he was to bring on all the World when he should come at the end of all things in his glorious Majesty to judge the quick and the dead 'T is the way of the Scripture and one of the methods it makes use of for the imprinting of Mysteries into our minds to mingle for our Instruction Types and Truth together Thus our Lord hath intermingled the History of desolated Jerusalem with that of the end of the World and this has been plainly visible in all our Discourse of it But however let us not imagine that these things were so confounded that we could not discern what belonged to each of them Jesus Christ has distinguished them by certain Characters which I could easily make out if there were any question about them But I will content my self with giving you to understand what relates to the Desolation of Jerusalem and the Jews The Apostles for it was then at the time of the Passion being got together round about their Master shewed him the Temple and the delicacy of the Buildings they admired the Stones thereof Matth. 24.1 2. Mark 13.1 2. Luke 21.5 6. their disposition their Beauty and their strength and he said to them See you these great and goodly Buildings verily I say unto you there shall not be left here one Stone upon another Being astonished at his words they asked him when would come the time of so terrible a Destruction and he who would have them by no means surprized in Jerusalem when it should be sacked for he had a mind there should be in the sacking of that City a Type and Image of the last Separation of the Good from the Bad began to relate to them all the sad Calamities as they were to fall out one upon the heels of the other Matth. 24.7 Mark 13.3 Luke 21.8 9. First he observes to them that there should be Plagues Famines and Earthquakes in diverse places and the Histories do bear testimony that those things had never been more frequent nor more remarkable than they were during those times He added that there should be all the World over Troubles rumours of Wars bloody and dreadful Wars for Nation should rise against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and all the Earth should be in an uproar and confusion Could he better represent to us the last years of Nero when all the Roman Empire that is to say all the World so quiet and peaceful since the Victory of Augustus and under the power of the Emperours began to be shaken and the Gauls the Spaniards and all the Kingdoms of which the Empire was made up were in tumult all of a sudden four Emperours to rise up almost at the same punctuality of time against Nero and each against the other the Pretorian Cohorts the Armies of Syria Germany and all the others that were dispersed both in the East and West to shock and traverse one another under the Conduct of their Emperours from one end of the World to the other to decide their quarrels by bloody Battels All these things were to come to pass said the Son of God but the end would not be yet The Jews should suffer like the rest in that Universal Commotion of the World but there should come upon them quickly after more particular Calamities and thâ—se to be but the beginning of Sorrows too He adds that his Church which had been evermore afflicted from its fâ—rst establishment should see Persecution kindling against her Matth. 24.9 Mark 13.9 Luke 21.12 more terrible and
the event and you will find how God confounded the proud Princes The holy Fathers and the Ecclesiastical Historians do with one common consent report it and justify it by Monuments which remain still from their time But the matter ought to be attested by Heathens themselves Amm. Marcel l. 23. init Ammianus Marcellinus a Gentile in his Religion and a zealous defender of Julian hath recorded it in these Terms Whilst Alipius being assisted by the Governor of the Province was advancing the Work with all the Might he could terrible Globes of Fire broke forth from the very Foundations which they before had shaken by violent Assaults the Workmen who several times essayed to begin the Work anew were many times burnt the place became inaccessible and so the undertaking fell The Ecclesiastical Authors who are more exact in representing so memorable an Event do joyn with that of the Earth the Fire of Heaven too But after all the Word of Jesus Christ abides firm and sure St. John Chrysostome cryes out Orat. in Judaeos He hath built his Church on the Rock nothing shall be able to overthrow it the Temple nothing shall be able to build up again None can pull down what God erects nor can any build up again what God pulls down Let us now make an end of our Discourse on Jerusalem and the Temple and cast our Eyes a little on the People themselves heretofore the living Temple of the Lord of Hosts and now the Object of his â—â—arred The Jews are more levelled than their Temple and their City The Spirit of Truth is no longer among them Prophecy is quite at an end with them the Promises on which the stress of their Hopes depends are vanished all things are topsy turvy with that People and there is not one Stone left upon another And do but observe how far they are delivered up to Error Jesus Christ told it them I am come in my Fathers Name John 5.43 and ye receive me not if another shall come in his own Name him ye will receive From that time the Spirit of Seduction hath been so predominant among them that they are ready still at every moment to let themselves be carried away by it It was not enough that the false Prophets should deliver Jerusalem into the Hands of Titus the Jews were not as yet banished Judea and the Love they had for Jerusalem had obliged several of them to choose their Place of Abode among its Ruines Behold a false Christ arose up who was absolutely to compleat their Destruction Fifty Years after the taking of Jerusalem in the Age of the Death of our Lord the famous Barchochebas a Robber a wicked Wretch because his Name signified the Son of the Star impiously called himself the Star of Jacob foretold in the Book of Numbers and pretended he was the Christ Akibas Numb 24.17 Euseb Hist Eccles 4.6 8. a Man of greatest Authority among the Rabbi's after whose Example all those whom the Jews call their Sages came over to his Party tho' the Impostor gave than no other sign of his Mission but that Akibas told them the Christ could not be very far off The Jews revolted throughout all the Roman Empire under the Conduct of Barchochebas â—alm Hier. de jejuâ— â—5 in ver Comm. sup Lam. Jerem. Maimonid li. de jur Reg. c. 12. who promised them the Empire of the World Adrian killed six hundred thousand of them The Yoke of those miserable Wretches was very heavy and they were for ever banished Judea Who is there but sees that the Spirit of Seduction had seized their hearts Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. for that cause God sent them strong delusion that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness There is no Imposture so gross but what deceives them In our days an Impostor called himself Christ in the East and all the Jews began to run in Flocks about him we have seen them in Italy in Holland in Germany and at Metz ready to leave all for the sake of following him They imagined already that they were becoming the Masters of the World when they learnt that their Christ was made a Turk and had forsook the Law of Moses We need not to wonder if they be fallen into such Dispersions X. The Progress of the Jewish Errours and the manner how they explain the Prophecies nor if the Tempest has scattered them after they had forsaken their own way That way was pointed out to them in their Prophecies especially in those which designated the time of our Saviour Christ But they let slip those precious Opportunities without any whit benefitting themselves by them wherefore we have seen them afterwards given up to believe a lye and they never knew since what course to take Give me leave a little to recount to you the course and progress of their Errors and all the Methods they have taken to sink themselves into this Abyss The ways by which we come to wander tend always to the broad Road and by considering where our wandring hath begun we may more securely go on in the right way Your Highness hath seen that two Prophecies have set forth to the Jews the time of Christ's coming that of Jacob and that of Daniel They both did foretell the ruine of the Kingdom of Judah at the time of our Saviour's Advent But Daniel revealed how that a total Destruction should come upon that Kingdom after the death of Christ and Jacob said plainly that in the Declension of the Kingdom of Judah that Christ which should then come should be the Expectation of the People that is to say that he should be the Deliverer of them and that he should erect to himself a new Kingdom not only framed out of one single People but out of all the People of the World The words of the Prophecy can admit of no other sense and it was the constant positive Tradition of the Jews that they were thus to understand it From thence that Opinion which was spread abroad by the ancient Rabbies and which is yet to be seen in their Talmud Gem. tr Sanhed c. 11. that at the time that Christ was to come there should be no more Magistracy so that there was nothing more necessary to make them know the time of their Messias than only to observe when they were falling into that woful Condition In fine they had begun well and if they had not had their minds prepossessed with the worldly Grandeurs which they hoped to find in their Messias and which they thought to have a share of under his Empire they could never have been mistaken in Jesus Christ The Foundation they had laid was certain for as soon as the Tyranny of the first Herod and the change of the Jewish Commonwealth which happened
them in the â—ime of St. Justin Just in adv Tryph. and we also find in their Talmud the Doctrine of one of their ancientest Masters who said that Christ was come according as he was declared in the Prophets R. Juda filius Levi. Gem. San. 11. but he kept himself secret somewhere at Rome among the poor Mendicants But such an Opinion as this so wild and extravagant could not sink into their minds therefore the Jews being at last forced to confess that the Messiah was not come in the time they had reason to expect him according to their ancient Prophecies fell into another extream as bad as the former But a little more and they had renounced their Messiah who failed them in time and several of them followed a famous Rabbi R. Hillel Ibid. Is Abran de C. fidei whose words are likewise found preserved in the Talmud He seeing how far the time of his coming was gone and past concluded That the Israelites were to look for their Messiah no longer because he had been given to them in the Person of Ezekiah Indeed this Opinion too was so far from obtaining amongst them that they did quite detest it But as they could not tell what further to make of the times pointed out to them by the Prophecies and knew not which way in the world to extricate themselves from this Labyrinth they then made an Article of Faith of this which we read in the Talmud Gem. San. c. 11. Moses Maimon in Epit. Talm. Is Abran de cap. fidei All the times which were designated for the coming of the Messiah were past and with an universal consent they cried out Cursed be those who reckon the times of the Messiah Just as we see in a Tempest that has driven the Vessel far off from the way it was steering the Pilot is mad and desperate when forced to forsake his Compass and submit himself to the pleasure of the outragious winds and waves that carry him where they list From that time all their indeavours have been to elude the Prophecies in which the time of Christ was set out to them they mattered not how they o'rethrew all the Traditions of their Forefathers provided they could but deprive the Christians of those admirable Prophecies and they went at last so far as to say that that of Jacob did not respect Christ But their ancient Books betray them That Prophecy is understood of the Messiah in the Talmud Gem. Tr. Saned c. 11. Paraph. Onkelos Johanan Jero ol v. Polyg Ang. and the manner as we explain it is found in their Paraphrases that is to say in those Commentaries that are the most Authentick and the most valued among them We find in them in express words that the House and Kingdom of Judah to which all the Posterity of Jacob and all the People of Israel were one day to be reduced would continually bring forth Judges and Magistrates until the coming of the Messiah under whom a Kingdom should be formed made up of all People This was the Testimony that their most famous and most received Doctors gave also to the Jews the first times of Christianity The ancient Tradition which was so firmly established could not be abolished all at once and though the Jews had not applyed the Prophecy of Jacob unto Jesus Christ yet they durst not deny that it did belong to the Messiah They arrived not to that height and excess till a long while after and when they have been pressed by the Christians at any time they hive still found their own Tradition to be against them As for Daniel's Prophecy wherein the coming of Christ was confined within the term of 490 years counting from the twentieth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus As that term came down to the end of the fourth Millenary of the World so was it a most ancient Opinion among the Jews that the Messiah should appear toward the end of that fourth Millenary and about two thousand years after Abraham One Elias whose name was great among the Jews although it be not the Prophet had so declared before the Birth of Jesus Christ and the Tradition of it is preserved in the Book of the Talmud Gen. Tr. San. c. 11. You have seen this term accomplished in the coming of our Lord for he did indeed appear about two thousand years after Abraham and towards the four thousand of the World However the Jews did not know him and being frustrated of their expectation they said that their Sins had kept off the Messiah who was to come But yet our Dates are ascertained by their own confession and it is a very great blindness to make a term which God hath so particularly set forh iâ— Daniâ—l to depend on Men. And this is likewise 〈◊〉 great Perplexity to them to consider that that Prophet should make the time of Christ to go before that of the Ruine of Jerusalem so that that latter Period being accomplished that which preceded it must needs be so to Antiq. 1â— c. ult de Bell. Jud. 7. 4. Josephus is here most mightily deceived He justly reckoned the Weeks which were to be followed with the Desolation of the Jewish People and seeing them accomplished in the time when Titus laid Siege before Jerusalem he questioned not but the very moment of the Destruction of that City was then come But he never considered that that Desolation was to be preceded by the Coming of Christ and of his Death so that he understood but half the Prophecy The Jews that came after him would fain have supplied this Defect They have forged to us an Agrippa descended from Herod whom the Romans they said did put to death a little before the Destruction of Jerusalem And they would needs have that Agrippa Christ by his Title of King to be the Christ which is spoken of in Daniel a new Proof of their Blindness indeed For besides that that Agrippa could neither be the Just nor the Saint of Saints nor the end of the Prophecies so as the Christ whom Daniel describes in that place was to be besides that the Murther of that Agrippa whereof the Jews were innocent could not be the cause of their Desolation as the Death of Daniel's Death was to be which here the Jews say was a Fable Agrippa descended from Herod was ever a Party of the Romans ever civilly treated by their Emperors Joseph l. 7. de bell Jud Jus Tiber. Biblioth Phot. cod 33. and reigned in a Canton of Judea long after the taking of Jerusalem as Josephus and oter Contemporaries do testifie Thus every thing which they Jews invented to elude die Prophecies served only to confound them They themselves did not believe those Fictions they were so gross and their best Defence was in that Law they enacted not to reckon any longer the days of the Messiah By that means they willfully shut their Eys against the Truth and renounced those Prophecies in which the
Sacrifice to Libertinism Now can you believe that impiety did not lead them without any necessity in the World into all these Absurdities you have seen if against the testimony of Mankind and against all the Rules of good Sence it strives to take away from the Pentateuch and the Prophecies their constantly avowed Authors to dispute their dates with them For the dates are all in all as to this matter for two reasons First because Books that were full of so many miraculous deeds which are seen in them attended with the most particular Circumstances and advanced not only as publick but as present if they had been capable of being false would have carried their own Condemnation with them and instead of keeping themselves up by their own weight they wouâ—d long ago have fell of themselves Secondly because their dates being once fixed we can no more efface the Infallible mark of divine Inspiration which they bear impressed in the great number and the long course of memorable Predictions which we find them filled withal 'T is to shift off these Miracles and these Predictions that the wicked have run themselves into all these Absurdities that have surprized you But let them not think they shall escape God He hath reserved for his Scriptures such a mark of Divinity as can never suffer any prejudice 'T is the relation there is between the two Testaments They do not dispute at least that all the old Testament was written before the new here there is no new Esdras which can perswade the Jews to invent or to falsify their Scripture in favour of the Christians whom they Persecuted There needs no more By the relation of the two Testaments we prove that both are Divine They have both the same design and the same Consequence The one prepares the way to that Perfection which the other shews openly to all the World the one lays the Foundation the other finishes the Building in a word the one foretells what the other shews us accomplished Thus all the times are united together and the eternal design of divine Providence is revealed to us The tradition of the Jews and that of the Christians make together but one and the same Progress of Religion and the Scriptures of both Testaments are but one and the same Body and one and the same Book And because the discussion of the particular Predictions tho' in it self it be full of Light depends on many Deeds which all the World cannot equally understand God hath therefore chosen some of them which he hath made plain to the most Ignorant Those illustrious those bright and conspicuous Facts of which all the World is a witness are those Facts which I have here endeavoured to make your Highness comprehend that is to say the desolation of the Jews and the Conversion of the Gentiles happening together and both precisely at the same time as the Gospel was Preached and Jesus Christ appeared These three things united in order of time were yet much more so in the order of God's Decrees You have seen them go together in the old Prophecies but Jesus Christ the faithful Interpreter of the Prophecies and of the Will of his Father hath still better explained unto us that Bond of Unity in his Gospel He does it in the Parable of the Vine-yard so familiar in the Prophets The Father of the Family had planted this Vine that is to say the true Religion founded upon his Covenant and had let it out to Husbandmen that is to say to the Jews Matt. 21.38 And that he might receive the fruits of it he sent several times his Servants who are the Prophets But these unfaithful Husbandmen cause some to be put to death his goodness leads him to send them his Son and yet him they treat worse than they did his Servants At last he takes away his Vineyard from them and gives it unto other Husbandmen he takes away from them the Grace of his Alliance to bestow it on the Gentiles These three things ought therefore to concur together the sending of the Son of God the Reprobation of the Jews and the Calling of the Gentiles There needs no further a Commentary upon the Parable which the event has it self interpreted You have seen the Jews confess that the Kingdom of Judah and the State of their Commonwealth began to fall in the time of Herod and when Jesus Christ came into the World But if the Alterations which they made to the Law of God have brought upon them so visible a Diminution of their Power their last Desolation which yet continues must be the Punishment of a fat greater Crime That Crime is plainly their Ingratitude against their Messiah who came to instruct them and to make them free And it is from that time too that an Iron yoke has been over their heads and they have been long ago crushed with it but that God keeps them to acknowledge one day and to serve that Messiah whom they have crucified You then already see one averr'd and publick Fact that is the total Ruine of the State of the Jews at the time of Jesus Christ The Conversion of the Gentiles which was to happen at the same time is no less averr'd neither At the same time when the ancient Worship was destroyed in Jerusalem with the Temple Idolatry was attacked on all sides and the People who for so many thousands of years had forgot their Creator were now wakened from so long a seeming death of sleep And that all things might accord the Spiritual Promises are displayed by the Preaching of the Gospel in the Time when the Jews who had only received the Temporal ones being openly reproved for their Incredulity and made Captives over all the face of the Earth had no longer any worldly Grandeur to expect Then was Heaven promised to those who suffered Persecution for Righteousness sake the Secrets of the Future Life were preached and the true Blessedness was shown for from that abode where Death reigns where Sin and all manner of Evils do abound If we do not discover here a design always kept up and always followed it we see not here one and the same order of the Counsels of God who prepared from the beginning of the World what he finished in the fulness of time and who under different Estates but with a Succession still constant perpetuated to the eyes of all the World that holy Society by whom he would be served we deserve to see nothing and to be delivered up to our own hardness as to the most just and rigorous of all Punishments And that this Course of God's People might be conspicuous to the most undiscerning God made it sensible and palpable by Matters of Fact which none could be ignorant of unless he purposely shut his eyes against the Truth The Messiah expected by the Hebrews he came and he called the Gentiles as it had been foretold The People that owned him as come were incorporated with
who holding all things in the hollow of his Hand was able by himself alone both to begin and carry on a design wherein all Ages are comprehended We need therefore no longer wonder as we commonly do why God proposes to us to believe so many things so worthy of him and yet at the same time so impenetrable to Humane Understanding But we should rather wonder that he having established the Faith upon so firm and manifest an Authority there should yet be any in the World blind and incredulous Our disorderly Passions our being bewitched to our Senses and our incurable Pride are the cause of it We choose rather to venture all than to put a constraint upon our selves we choose rather to continue in our Ignorance than to confess it and are pleased rather with a vain Curiosity and indulging our unruly Spirits in the liberty of thinking whatsoever delights 'em than to yield to the yoke of Divine Authority From thence it is that there are so many Unbelievers and God suffers it to be so for the instruction of his Children Unless we had the Blind the Savage and the Infidel and that in the very Bosom too of Christianity we should not be sensible enough of the Corruption of our Nature nor of that Abyss of Misery from whence Jesus Christ hath delivered us If his holy Truth was not contradicted we should not see the Miracle which hath constantly carried it through so many Contradictions and we should forget at last that we are saved by Grace Now the Incredulity of the one does humble the rest and those Rebels that oppose God's Decrees make that Power conspicuous by which indepently from all things else he accomplishes the Promises he hath made to his Church What therefore is it that we look for now to make us humble and submiss do we look that God should still work new Miracles that he should make them useless by his continuing of them that he should accustom our eyes to them as he does to the Course of the Sun and to all the other Marvels of Nature or else do we ever expect that the wicked and the opinionative man should be silent that good and vertuous men and dissolute Libertines should bear an equal Testimony to the Truth that all the World by one common consent should prefer it to their Passions and that false Knowledge which only the Novelty of it causes to be admired should cease its usual way of surprising men Is it not enough that we see it is impossible for men to combate with Religion but they must at the same time shew by prodigious wandrings that their Senses are perverted and that they only defend themselves either by Presumption or ignorance Cannot the Church which hath been victorious both over Ages and Errours I say cannot that overcome in our Minds those weak and miserable Reasonings which are opposed to her and cannot the Divine Promises which we see every day are accomplishing elevate and raise us above our Senses Now let us not say that these Promises are still kept in suspence and as they are to hold out to the end of the World so it will not be until the end of the World that we can boast we have seen the accomplishment of them For on the contrary that which is already past assures us of the future so many ancient Predictions so visibly fulfilled make us satisfied that there will be nothing but what shall be accomplished and that the Church against which according as the Son of God hath promised us even the Gates of Hell shall never prevail will be always subsisting until the consummation of all things for that Jesus Christ who is true in all hath prescribed no other bounds to its duration The same Promises do likewise assure us of a future Life God who hath shewn himself so faithful in accomplishing what respects the present Age will be no less faithful in accomplishing that which respects the Future of which all that we see is but a preparation and the Church will be always unshaken and invincible on the Earth until that her Children being gathered together she be entirely conveyed to her which is her only true Mansion As for those who shall be excluded from that heavenly City an eternal Vengeance is reserved for them and after they have lost by their Sin and Folly a blessed Eternity there will be left for them no other place but a Hell of Eternal woe and misery Thus the Decrees of God are to terminate by an immutable state his Promises and his Threatnings are equally certain and what he executes in time assures us of what he hath commanded us either to expect or fear in Eternity You now see what may be learned from the continual progress of Religion as it is in short presented to your Eyes By time it conducts you to Eternity You see a constant order in all God's Decrees and a visible Mark of his Power in the perpetual duration of his People You cannot but confess that the Church hath a Branch always subsisting which cannot be separated from it without destroying it and that those who being united to this Root do perform such Works as are worthy of their Faith and secure to themselves eternal Life Your Highness is therefore to study but to study with attention this uninterrupted Course of the Church which so clearly assures to you all the Promises of God Whatsoever breaks this Chain whatsoever goes out of this Course whatsoever advances it self and does not come by virtue of the Promises made to the Church from the beginning of the World you are to have in horrour Imploy all your power to recall into this Unity whatsoever is stragled out of the way of it and to make it hearken to the Church by which the Holy Spirit of God pronounces its Oracles The Glory of your Ancestors is not only that they never forsook it but that they always supported it and thereby deserved to be called the Eldest Sons which is certainly the most glorious of all their Titles 'T is needless for me to mention to you Clovis Charlemaine or St. Louis Consider only the time you live in and from what Father God hath given you your Birth A King so great in every thing yet is more to be distinguished by his Faith than by all his other admirable Qualities He protects Religion not only within but out of his Kingdom and even to the last Extremities of the World His Laws are one of the firmest Rampiers of the Church His Authority revered as much by the Merit of his Person as by the Majesty of his Scepter never supports it self so well as when it defends the Cause of God We hear no more Blasphemies Impiety trembles before him this is the King taken notice of by Solomon Prov. 20.26 that in his Wisdom scattereth the Wicked and bringeth the Wheel over them If he attacks Heresie by such means and that more too than ever did any of
end of Polity which is to render Life commodious and the People happy The temperature of the Country being always uniform made their Judgments more solid and constant As Vertue is the Foundation of all Society so they carefully cultivated and improved it Their chief Vertue was Gratitude The Honour that was given to them for being the most generous and grateful Diod. lib. 1. Sect. 2. shews they were likewise the most sociable Kindnesses are the Bond both of publick and private Concord He that acknowledges Favours loves to Bestow them and in banishing Ingratitude the pleasure of doing Good remains so pure that there is no way for one to be insensible of it Their Laws were Simple full of Equity and proper to unite Citizens to one another He who being able to rescue a man assaulted did not do it was punished with as severe a Death as the Assassin himself Ibid. If we could not help the unfortunate at least we ought to impeach the Author of the Violence and there were punishments established on purpose for those that were failing in this duty Thus were the Citizens a Guard each to other and all the Body of the State was joyned against the wicked doer It was not permitted for any one to be unprofitable to the State The Law assigned to every one their Business which was perpetuated from Father to Son Ibid. They were not to have two nor could they change their Profession but then all Professions were honoured But it was necessary there should be some both Employments and Persons more considerable than others as it is but fit that Eyes should be in the Body Their Luster will not make the Feet and lower Parts to be ever the less despised So among the Egyptians the Priests and the Soldiers had their particular Marks of Honour but all the Traders even to the least were had in esteem and it was believed a Criminal Matter to despise and scorn the Citizens whose Labours whatsoever they were contributed to the weal Publick By this means all Arts came to their Perfection the Honour which cherished them was in every thing concerned they made greater Improvements in what they had always seen done and to what in particular they had been brought up from their very Infancy But there was one Occupation which all men were to be concerned in and that was the study of Laws and Wisdom Ignorance of the Religion and Polity of ones Country was no where excusable in any Government Now every Profession had its Canton to which it was particularly assigned There fell out no Inconvenience by it in a Country whose Extent was not very great and in so curious and exact an order Those that had a mind to be Idle knew not where to hide themselves Amidst these many good Laws that which was the best of 'em was that all People were brought up to observe them Hierod l. 2. Diod. l. 1. §. 2. Plat. delegib 2. A new Custom was a Prodigy in Egypt Every one did there always the same and the punctual Care they had to observe small things maintained the great So that never was there any People that had longer preserved their Customs and Laws The order of the Judgments contributed to the upholding of that Genius Thirty judges were chosen out of the principal Cities to make up that Commission to Judge the whole Kingdom They were accustomed to see in those high places only the most grave men of their Country and such as were of the clearest Integrity The Prince gave them certain Salaries that so they being freed from Domestick Entanglements might bestow the gross of their time in making the Laws to be the better observed They received no Advantage by Suits of Law for as yet they had never thought of making a Trade of Justice To avoid surprizes the matters were debated in those Assembly by Arguments in writing They were afraid there of false Eloquence which might dazle the Understanding and stir up the Passions Truth could not be told there in too plain a manner The President of the Senate wore a Collar of Gold and precious Stones from whence hung a Figure without any Eyes which they called Truth When he took it that was the Signal to begin the Court. He bowed it to the Party that was to gain his Cause and that was the form of pronouncing the Sentences One of the bravest Artifices of the Egyptians to make their ancient Maxims be preserved was to invest them with certain Ceremonies that imprinted them in their Minds These Ceremonies were observed with reflection and the serious Humour of the Egyptians did not suffer that they should be turned into simple Formula's Those who had no Affairs but their Lives were Innocent might avoid the Examen of that severe Tribunal But they had in Egypt one kind of Judgment which was very extraordinary which none escaped It was a Consolation at the time of Death of leaving their Names in esteem among all men and of all humane goods it is the only one that Death cannot ravish from us But it was not suffered in Egypt to commend all the Dead indifferently That was an Honour to be had by a Publick Judgment As soon as a man was dead they brought him unto Judgment The publick Accuser was heard If he proved that the Conduct of the Deceased had been bad then the Memory of him was condemned and he was deprived of Sepulture The People admired the power of their Laws which reached them even after death and every one being touched by the Example was afraid to dishonour his Memory and his Family But if the Defunct was not convicted of any Crime then he had an honourable Interment they made his Panegyrick but they medled not at all with his Birth All Egypt was noble and beside they received no further Commendations than what they had got by their own Merit Every one knows how curious the Egyptians were in preserving dead Bodies Their Mummies are to be seen at this day Thus their Gratitude to their Kindred was Immortal Children by seeing the Bodies of their Ancestors called to mind their Vertues which the Publick had paid such Acknowledgments to and they were incited to love those Laws which had so recommended them to them To prevent Borrowing which was the Parent of Idleness Frauds and Branglings the Decree of King Asychis did not suffer any to borrow Herod lib. 2. Diod. 1. Sect. but upon condition that he pledged the Body of his Father to him of whom he borrowed And it was both an Impiety and an Infamy together not to redeem as soon as ever one could so precious a Pledge and he that dyed before he had acquitted himself of that duty was denied Burial The Kingdom was Hereditary but the Kings were obliged more than all others to live according to these Laws Ibid. Some there were more particular that a King had digested and which made one part of the Sacred Books
Not that they had disputed any thing against Kings or that any one had a right to constrain them but on the contrary they were looked upon as Gods but an ancient Custom had regulated them all and they resolved to live no otherwise than their Ancestors So that they patiently suffered themselves not only to be regulated in their manner of Victuals and Drink for it was an ordinary thing in Egypt where all People were sober and where the Air of the Country was a friend to Frugality but they were content that their very hours should be set them In waking at break of day Herod 2. Diod. §. 2. when their Minds were most refined and their Thoughts most clear they read their Instructions that they might have a more exact and true Idea of the Matters they were to decide As soon as they were drest they went to Sacrifice in the Temple There being incompassed by all their Court and the Victimes at the Altar they assisted at a Prayer full of Instructions where the Chief Priest prayed to the Gods to confer on the Prince all Royal Vertues so that he might be religious to the Gods placid towards Men moderate just magnanimous sincere and far from falshood liberal a Master of himself punishing below but rewarding above desert The Chief Priest afterwards spake of the faults that Kings might commit but he always supposed they fell into them by surprize or ignorance charging with Imprecations the Ministers that gave them evil Counsels and concealed the Truth from them This was the manner of instructing Kings Ibid. They thought Reproaches did only sower their Spirits and that the most effectual way of inspiring Vertue into them was to point out to them their Duty in Praises conformable to the Laws and gravely delivered before their Gods After Prayer and Sacrifice they read to the King in the Sacred Books the Counsels and the Actions of great Men that so he might govern his Kingdom by their Maxims and maintain the Laws which had made his Predecessors happy as well as their Subjects That which shews that these Remonstrances were made and hearkened to seriously was that they had their effect Among the Thebans that is to say in the chief Dynasty that where the Laws were in force and which came at last to be the Mistress of all the rest the greatest men were Kings The two Mercurys Authors of Sciences and of all the Institutions of the Egyptians the one near the time of the Deluge and the other whom they called Trismegistus or Teâ— maximus a Contemporary of Moses were both Kings of Thebâ—s All Egypt profited by their light Herod l. 2. and Thebes owes to their Instructions their having had very few bad Princes Those were spared during their lives the Publick Repose would have it so Diog. 1. §. 2. but they were not exempt from the Judgment they were to undergo after death Ibid. Some have been denied Burial but there are few Examples of them but on the contrary most of the Kings have been so much made of by the People that every one have bewailed their Death as much as that of their Parents or Children This Custom of judging Kings after their Death seemed so holy to the People of God that they have always practised it We read in the Scriptures that wicked Kings have been deprived of the Burial of their Ancestors Ant. 13.23 and we learn from Josephus that that Custom lasted even to the time of the Asmonâ—ans That gave Kings to understand that if their Majesty put them above Humane Judgments in this Life they were not above them when Death equalled them with other men The Egyptians had an inventive Geninâ— and they turned it to things that were profitable Their Mercuries have filled Egypt with wonderful Inventions and scarce have left it ignorant of any thing that might make Life tranquil and commodious I cannot give to the Egyptians the honour they have conferred on their Osyris Diod. l. 1. § 1. Plut. de Isid Osir for having invented Tillage because it was found at all times in the neighbouring Countries of the World where Mankind was spread and questionless it was known ever since the World began The Egyptians themselves likewise give so great an Antiquity to Osiris that it is plainly seen they have confounded his time with that of the beginning of the World and they would fain attribute some things to him whose Original was long before all times known in their History But if the Egyptians were not the first Inventors of Agriculture nor of the other Arts which we see before the Deluge they have yet brought them to such perfection and have taken so great a Care to establish them among the People where Barbarism had made them forget that their Honour comes very little short of those that were the first Inventors Indeed there are some things of great usefulness the Invention whereof cannot be disputed with them Plat. Epin Diod. 1. § 2. Herod l. 2. For as their Country was united and their Heaven always clear and uncloudy they were the first that observed the Course of the Stars and they were the first also that regulated the year Those Observations threw them naturally into Arithmetick and if it be true what Plato says Plat. in Tim. That the Sun and the Moon taught men the knowledge of Numbers that is to say that they began the Accounts regulated by that of Days Mouths and Years then the Egyptians werethe first who hearken'd to those marvellous Instructers The Planets and other Stars were no less known to them and they found out that great Year which brings back all the Heaven to its first point To know their own Lands every year covered over by the over-flowing of Nile they were forced to betake themselves to Surveying which quickly taught them Geometry They were great Observers of Nature which in an Air so serene and under a Sun so burning was very strong in its Products amongst them 'T was that which made them find out or perfect Physick Thus all Sciences were in great esteem with them The first Inventors of usefull things received Diod. 1. §. 2. Herod 3. init both whilst they lived and after their deaths rewards worthy of their labour 'T was that consecrated the Books of their two Mercuries and made them to be looked on as Divine Books Diod. l. 1. § 2. The first People of all that had Libraries were those of Egypt The title that was given them made them very desirous to peruse them and to search into the Secrets of them they were called The Treasure of the Remedies of the Soul Thereby it was cured of the most dangerous Ignorance of its Maladies and the Source of all the others One thing which made the greatest impression on the Minds of the Egyptians was the esteem and love of their Country It was they said the Mansion-House of the Gods they had reigned there
Libya Therefore I know not at what time Nineveh could extend her Conquests even to Troy because we see so little likelyhood that Ninus and Semiramis had undertook any such thing and that all their Successors to begin from their Son Ninyas have lived in such an effeminate Softness and with so little Action that scarce their Names have reached to our Ears and we might much rather wonder how their Empire was able to subsist so long than believe it could be so enlarged It was questionless much diminished by the Conquests of Sesostris but as they were of a short Continuance and but poorly kept up by his Successors we may easily believe that the Countries which they took from the Assyrians being used a long time to their Domination would naturally turn to them again So that that Empire kept it self in great Puissance and in great Peace until that Arbaces having discovered the softness of their Kings so long concealed in the Secrets of their Palaces Sardanapulus celebrated by his Infamies became not only contemptible but also insupportable to his Subjects You have seen the Kingdoms that came from the Ruines of that first Empire of the Assyrians among others that of Nineveh and that of Babylon The Kings of Niniveh retained the Name of Kings of Assyria and were the most puissant Their Pride quickly raised them above all Bounds by the Conquests they obtained among which is accounted that of the Kingdom of the Israelites or of Samaria It could be nothing less than the Hand of God and a visible Miracle that kept them from overwhelming Judea under Hezekiah and it was unknown what Bounds could be given to their Power when they were seen a little while after in their Neighbourhood to invade the Kingdom of Babylon where the Royal Family was decay'd Babylon seemed to be born to command all the World Xen. Cyr. 2.1.5 Her People were full of Spirit and Courage Always Philosophy reigned among them and the generous Arts and the East had not much better Soldiers than the Chaldeans Antiquity admired the rich Harvests of a Country which the negligence of its Inhabitants now leaves without Culture Herod 1. and its Abundance made the ancient Kings of Persia look on it as a third part of so great an Empire Thus the Kings of Assyria swoln with an Increase which added to their Monarchy so opulent a City formed new Designs Nebuchadnezzar the first thought his Empire unworthy of him unless he could add the whole Universe to it Nebuchadnezzar the second prouder than all the Kings his Predecessors after his unheard of Successes and astonishing Conquests rather chose to make himself be adored as a God than to command as a King What works did not he undertake in Babylon What Walls what Towers what Gates and what Circumvallations were there seen It seemed as if the old Tower of Babel was going to be renewed in the prodigious height of the Temple of Bel and that Nebuchadnezzar had resolved to storm Heaven anew His Pride although brought down by the hand of God did not cease to spring up again in his Successors They could not induce any Domination about them and resolving to bring all under the Yoke they became insupportable to the neighbouring People That Jealousie reunited against them together with the Kings of Media and the Kings of Persia a great part of the Eastern People Xen. Cyr. 3.4 Pride is easily turned into Cruelty As the Kings of Babylon did inhumanely treat their Subjects whole Countries as well as the Chief Lords of their Empire joyned with Cyrus and the Medes Babylon too much used to Command and Conquer to fear so many Enemies that were all languid against her whilst she thought her self invincible became Captive to the Medes whom she pretended to subdue and her Pride at last proved her utter ruine and destruction The Fate of this great City was strange seeing she fell by her own Inventions Euphrates had almost in her vast Plains the same effect as Nilus had in those of Egypt but to make it more commodious there was required more of Art and Labour than Egypt used for the Nile Herod 1. Euphrates was direct in its Course and never overflowed They were forced to make throughout all the Country an infinite number of Chanels that so it might water their Grounds whose fruitfulness by that means became incomparable To break the violence of its too impetuous Waters it was necessary to make it run thro' a thousand Turnings and to hollow it with great Lakes which a wise Queen filled up again with an incredible magnificence Nitocris the Mother of Labynithes otherwise called Nabonides or Belshazzar the last King of Babylon did those great Works But that Queen undertook a Business much more surprising and marvellous It was to build a Stone Bridge over Euphrates that so the two Quarters of the City which the vast largeness of that River separated at two great a distance might communicate together It was necessary therefore first to dry up so rap'd and so deep a River by turning those Waters into a most huge and unmeasurable Lake which yet that Queen caused to be digged At the same time they built the Bridge the solid Materials whereof were prepared before and they bricked up the two sides of the River to a most astonishing heighth making Descents from it likewise of Brick and of as good Work as the Walls of the City The Diligence that was used herein equalled he Grandeur of it But a Queen so discerning as she was yet never thought that she instructed her Enemies how to take her City Herod ibid. It was into that same Lake which she had hollowed that Cyrus turned Euphrates when despairing of his reducing Babylon either by Force or Famine he opened into it from the two sides of the City that Passage which we have seen so much pointed at by the Prophets If Babylon could have but believed she had been perishable as all other humane things and an extravagant confidence had not thrown her into downright blindness Ibid. she might not only have been able to foresee what Cyrus did seeing that the remembrance of such a Work as that was very fresh but also by guarding all the Descents she had overthrown the Persians in the Chanel of the River where they passed But they thought of nothing but their Pleasures and Entertainments they had neither order nor any regular command in them And so are destroyed not only the strongest Places but also the greatest Empires Dread and astonishment filled every place the Impious King was killed and Xenophon who gives that Title to the last King of Babylon Xenoph. 7. seems by that word to aim at the Sacriledges of Belshazzar which Daniel makes us to see punished by so surprising a fall The Medes who had destroyed the first and chiefest Empire of the Assyrians destroyed also the second as if that Nation had been designated to be fatal to the
the strongest must be the Master and by Consequence that the Empire must return into the Power of one single Magistrate And every thing so disposed it self for it of their own accord that Polybius who lived in the most flourishing time of the Republick foresaw by the disposition only of affairs Polyb. 7. seq 41. seq that the Estate of Rome would at length return into Monarchy The reason of that change was because the Division between the Orders could not be quelled by the Romans but by the Authority of an absolute Master and on the other hand liberty was a thing too much doated on ever voluntarily to be abandoned It was necessary therefore by little and little to weaken it upon specious Pretexts and so by that means make it capable of being ruined by open force Craft and Delusion as Aristotle has observed must begin by flattering the People and must naturally be followed by Violence But from thence they must fall into another Inconvenience by the Power of the Soldiers a Mischief inevitable to that State In fine that Monarchy which the Caesars formed being raised by Arms it was necessary it should be all Military and therefore it was established under the name of Emperor a proper Title and natural for commanding of Armies Hereby you may see that as the Republick had its inevitable weak side that is to say Jealousy between the People and the Senate So likewise had the Monarchy of the Caesars its Foible and that was the Licentiousness of the Soldiers who had made them For it was impossible that the Soldiers who had changed the Government and set up Emperors should be long before they perceived that it was effectually they who disposed of the Empire You may now add to the times that you have already observed those which point out to you the State and Change of the Militia That when it was subjected and fixed to the Senate and People of Rome that when it was only fixed to the Generals that when it was raised to the absolute Power under the Military Title of Emperors that when being in a manner the Mistress of her own Emperors which she created she made them and unmade them as she had a Mind And from thence happened the outragious Seditions the Disorders and the Wars which you have seen from thence in a word came the ruin of the Militia with that of the Empire Such were the remarkable times which the changes of the State of Rome considered in her self observed to us Those which discover it to us in reference to other People are as easily discernable There was a time when she fought against her Equalls and when she was in danger It lasted a little above five Hundred Years and ended with the ruin of the Gauls in Italy and of the Empire of the Carthaginians That when she fought was always more strong and without danger how great soever the Wars were that she undertook It lasted two Hundred Years and came down as far as the Establishment of the Empire of the Caesars That when she kept up her Empire and Majesty It lasted four Hundred Years and ended in the Reign of Theodosius the Great And in a word that when the Empire being wounded on all Parts fell away by little and little That Estate which lasted also three Hundred Years began in the Children of the Theodosius and ended at last in Charlemain I am not ignorant that your Highness might add to the causes of the ruin of Rome many particular Accidents The Severities of the Creditors towards their Debtors stirred up very great and frequent Revolts The prodigious number of Gladiators and Slaves wherewith Rome and Italy were over-charged caused many horrible Violences and also Bloody Wars Rome being quite spent with so many Civil and strange Wars made so many new Citizens either out of Faction or in Justice that she could scarce know her self amidst that vast number of Strangers which she had naturallized The Senate was filld with Barbarians The Roman Blood was mingled the love of their Country by which Rome was raised above all the People in the World was not natural to those Citizens that came from abroad and the rest were spoiled by the Mixture Patialities were multiplied with that prodigious Multiplicity of new Citizens and the turbulent Spirits there found out new ways to embroyl and ruin her In the mean while the number of the Poor increased without end thorough the Luxury Debauches and Idleness that was encouraged Those who saw themselves ruined had no refuge but in Seditions and in every case they were little concern'd that all should be destroyed with them You know what caused Cataline's Conspiracy The Grandees who are ambitious and the miserable who had nothing to lose always took delight in Change Those two sorts of Citizens prevailed in Rome and the Coparcened State which alone holds all in Ballance in popular Estates being the weakest the Republick must of necessity fall To that also may be added the particular Humour and Genius of those who were the cause of those great Commotions I mean the Gracchi Marius Sylla Pompey Julius Caesar Anthony and Augustus I have observed something of them but I applied my self chiefly to dicover to you the universal causes and the true root of the Evil that is to say that Jealousy between the two Orders of which it was very requisite you should consider all the consequences But your Highness may please to remember that that long Chain of particular Causes which make and unmake Empires depend upon the secret Orders and Decrees of the Divine Providence God that sitteth in the highest Heavens holds the Reins of all the Kingdoms He hath all Hearts in his Hands sometimes he restrains the Passions sometimes again he lets them loose at full rage and by that he stirs up all Mankind Is he pleased to make Conquerors He causes a Dread to march before them and at the same time inspires them and their Souldiers with an invincible Boldness Is he pleased to make Legislators He sends them his Spirit of Wisdom and Foresight he causes them to prevent the Evils which threaten the States and to lay the Foundations of publick Tranquillity He knows that humane Wisdom is always short in some place he enlightens it he opens the Eyes of the Understanding and afterwards he abandons them to their own Ignorances he blinds the Judgment he precipitates it and confounds it with it self Humane Wisdom is perplexed and embarassed in its own Subtilties and it s own Precautions are as so many Snares to it God by this means exercises his fearful Judgments according to the Rules of his Justice which are always infallible 'T is he that prepares Effects in the most distant Causes and who strikes those fatal Blows of which the counter-blows reaches so far When he is pleased to let go the latter and to overturn Empires every thing is weak and irregular in their Councils Egypt formerly so
the Kingdom of Argos After Abraham there was Isaac his Son and Jacob Grandson the Imitators and followers of his Faith and Simplicity in the same pastoral Life God did also to them reiterate the same Promises he had made to Abraham their Father Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1759 and as he had done him he conducted them Years of the World 2245 in all things Isaac blessed Jacob to the prejudice as well as grief of Esau his elder Brother and deceived in appearance in effect and reality he executes the Counsels and Determinations of God Jacob whom God protected was in all things to be preferred to Esau An Angel with whom he mysteriously fought gave unto him the Name of Israel from whence his Posterity were called Israelites From his Loins came the Twelve Patriarchs Fathers to the Twelve Tribes of the Hebrew People among others Levi from whence issued the Ministers of Sacred things Judah from whom came CHRIST the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and Joseph whom Jacob loved above all the rest of his Children In him were made manifest some new Secrets of Providence But above all things was seen the Innocence and Wisdom of young Joseph who was always an utter Enemy to Wickedness and Vice and careful to repress and hinder it in his Brethren his Mysterious and Prophetick Dreams his Brethren jealous and Jealousie twice the Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1728 Cause of a Parricide the selling of this Years of the World 2276 their Great Brother his Fidelity to his Master and his most admirable Chastity the dangerous Calamities it brought upon him Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1717 his Prison and his Constancy his Predictions Years of the World 2287 his miraculous Deliverance that Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1715 Famous Interpretation of Pharaoh's Dreams Years of the World 2289 the Desert of so Great a Man required his Genius elevated and fitted for his Place and God's Protection which made him to Rule Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1706 where-ever he was his Foresight his wise Years of the World 2298 Counsels and his absolute Power in the Kingdome of the Lower Aegypt By this means here was the Safety of his Father Jacob and his Family This Family cherished by God was thus setled and established in that part of Aegypt whereof Tanis was the Capital and of which the Kings took Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1689 the Name of Pharaoh Jacob dies and a Years of the World 2315 little before his Death he delivers this most celebrated Prophecy where discovering to his Sons the Patriarchs the State of their Posterity he particularly points out to Judah the time of the Messiah's coming into the World who was to proceed from his Race This Patriarch's Houshold became a very great People in a little time and this prodigious increase and multiplying raised the Aegyptians Jealousie The Hebrews are unjustly hated and without any pity persecuted God raises up Moses their Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1571 Deliverer whom he preserved from the Years of the World 2433 River Nilus and made him fall into the Hands of Pharaoh's Daughter She brought him up as her own Child and instructed him in all the Wisdom of the Aegyptians At that time the People of Aegypt setled themselves in several Places of Greece The Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1556 Colony that Cecrops brought out of Aegypt Years of the World 2448 founded twelve Cities or rather Towns of which he made the Kingdom of Athens and where he established with the Laws of his Country the Gods that were to be worshipped there Marm. Arund seu Aera Att. A little after hapned the Deucalion-Flood in Thessaly confounded by the Greeks with the Universal Deluge Hellen the Son of Deucalion reigned in Phtie a Country in Thessaly and gave his Name to Greece The People which before were called Greeks ever since have born the Name of Helleneses tho' the Latins have called them by their old Name Moreover about this time Cadmus the Son of Agenor transported into Greece a Colony of Phoenicians and founded the City of Thebes in Boeotia The Syrian and Phoenician Gods came along with him into Greece In the mean while Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1531 Moses grew up in years and about the Fortieth Years of the World 2473 of his Age he despised the Riches of the Court of Aegypt and touched with the Wickedness of his Brethren the Israelites to appease and moderate them he ventured his own Life But these Men were so far from receiving any Benefit by his Zeal and Courage that they exposed him to the Fury of Pharaoh who was resolved on his Ruine Moses flies out of Aegypt into Arabia to the Land of Midian where his Virtue which was always ready to relieve the Oppressed made him find a safe Retreat Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1491 This Great Man without any hopes of delivering Years of the World 2513 his People or expectation of better Times had spent Forty years in keeping the Flock of Jethro his Father-in-Law when he saw in the Desart a Burning Bush and heard the Voice of the God of his Fathers who sent him back into Aegypt to bring forth his Brethren the Children of Israel out of Captivity There appeared the Humility Courage and Miracles of that Divine Legislator the Hardness of Pharaoh's Heart and the terrible Plagues which God sent upon him the Passover and the next day the Passing over the Red Sea Pharaoh and the Aegyptians drowned in those Waters and the absolute Deliverance of the Israelites IV. Epocha Moses or the Written Law The Time of the Written Law now begins It was given to Moses Four hundred and thirty years after the Calling of Abraham Eight hundred fifty six years after the Flood and the same year that the Hebrew Years be ∣ fore J. C. 1491 People came out of Aegypt This Date is Years of the World 2513 very observable because it is very useful for designating the whole time that has elapsed ever since Moses unto Jesus Christ All this Time is called the Time of the Written Law to distinguish it from the precedent Time which is called the Time of the Law of Nature wherein Men had only for their Guide and Rule of Governance Natural Reason and the Traditions of their Ancestors God then having freed his People from the Tyranny of the Aegyptians and brought them into the Land where he designed to be served and worshipped before ever he established it there he proposed to him the Law according to which he was to live He wrote with his own Hand upon two Tables of Stone which he delivered to Moses upon the top of Mount Sinai the Foundation of this Law that is to say the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments which contain the First Principles how God is to be worshipped and Humane Society preserved He dictated to the same Moses the other Precepts by which he established the Tabernacle Heh ix 9 23. the
many times overcome had nothing left to do but to make division among the Greeks and the condition in which they found themselves by their Victories made that an easie Enterprise As Fear kept them united so Victory and Confidence broke that Union Plat. de Leg. 3. Being used to fight and to conquer when they thought they had nothing more to fear from the power of the Persians they fell then one upon another But that State of the Greeks and the Secret of the Persian Polity wants a little further Explication Among all the Republicks of which Greece was made up Athens and Lacedemonia were incomparatively the Chief There could not be more Wit than was to be had at Athens nor more force and strength than what Lacedemonia afforded Athens was set upon Pleasure the Lacedemonian life was hard and laborious They both loved Glory and Liberty but at Athens Liberty naturally tended to Licentiousness and Lacedemonia being held in by her severe Laws the more she was suppressed within the more did she indeavour to enlarge her Dominion abroad Athens was desirous all of Rule but it was from another Principle Interest and Honour went together Her Citizens were excellent in the Art of Navigation and the Sea o're which she reigned had enriched her To make her self sole Mistress of all Commerce there was nothing she could not attempt to subject and her Riches which had filled her with that desire furnished her with ways and means how to satisfie it On the contrary the Lacedemonians had Money in Coâ—tempt As all her Laws tended to make her a Martial Republic the glory of Arms was the only Charm wherewith the Minds of her Citizens were possessed From thence naturally she was ambitious of Domination and the more she was above Interest the more she gave her self up to Ambition Lacedemonia by her regular Life was firm in her Maxims and Designs Athens was more quick and Spiritual and the People there were too much Masters Philosophy and the Laws indeed wrought very good Effects in such exquisete Natures but Reason by it self was not able to retain them Plat. de Leg. 3. A wise Athenian and one who admirably well understood the temper and Complexion of his Country informs us that Fear was absolutely necessary for Minds that were so sprightly and so free and that there was no longer any governing of them when the Victory of Salamine had secured them against the Persians Then two things destroyed them the glory of their famous Actions and the Security in which they thought they were The Magistrates were no longer obeyed and as Persia was afflicted through an excessive Subjection so Athens Plato says felt the Calamities of an excessive Liberty Those two great Commonwealths so contrary in their Tempers and Conduct yet embraced each other in the design they had to reduce all Greece so that they were always Enemies and they were more so from the contrariety of their Interests than from the incompatibility of their Humours The Cities of Greece desired no Domination over either of them for besides that every one wished to be able to preserve their own Liberty they found the Empire of those too Republicks too troublesome That of Lacedemonia was fierce There was in her People an I know not what of a wild Barbarity A Government too rigid and a Life too laborious Arist Pol. 8.4 made their Spirits too fierce too austere and too imperious add to this likewise that one must resolve never to be in Peace under the Empire of a City that being formed for War could not preserve it self Id. 7. 14. Xenoph. de rep Lac. Plat. de rep 8. but by an uninterrupted continuance of it Thus the Lacedemonians resolved to Command and all the World was afraid lest they should Command The Athenians were naturally more mild and agreeable There was nothing to be seen more delightful than their City where their Feasts and their Plays were perpetual where wit where liberty the Passions afforded every day new Spectacles But their unequal Conduct was displeasing to their Allies and was yet more insupportable to their Subjects It was therefore necessary to shake off the Fantastry of a flattered People that is to say according to Plato something more dangerous than that of a Prince corrupted by Flattery Those two Cities never suffered Greece to be at quiet You have seen the Peloponesian War and the others always caused or kept up by the Jealousies of Lacedemonia and Athens But those Jealousies which troubled Greece did also in some sort support it and prevented it from becoming a dependance on one of those two Republicks The Persians soon perceived this Estate of Greece Therefore all the Secret of their Politie was to keep up those Jealousies and to foment those Divisions Lacedemonia which was the most ambitious was the first to engage them in the Quarrels of the Greeks They espoused them with a design of making themselves Masters of all the Nation and being careful to weaken the Grecians the one by the other they only watched for the good Hour when to overthow them all together The Cities of Greece did already in their Wars Plat. de Leg. 3. look only on the King of Persia whom they called their great King or the King by way of Excellence as if they already accounted themselves his Subjects but it was impossible for the old Spirit and Genius of Greece not to awaken when they were upon the Brink of falling into Servitude and becoming a Prey to the Barbarians The Petty Kings of Greece attempted to oppose that great King and to ruine his Empire With a small Army but bred up in the Discipline we have already seen Agesilaus King of Lacedemonia Polyb. dib 3. c. 6. made the Persians in lesser Asia to tremble and shewed that it was possible to defeat them The Divisions of Greece were the only thing that put a stop to his Conquests But it happened at a time when young Cyrus the Brother of Artaxerxes revolted against him He had ten Thousand Grecians in his Troops which alone could not be broken in the Universal rout of his Army He was killed in the Battle and as it is reported by the hand of Artaxerxes Our Greeks were found without a Protector in the midst of the Persians and round about Babylon Yet victorious Artaxerxes could neither oblige them voluntarily to lay down their Arms nor force them to it They attempted the bold Design of going through all his Empire in an armed Body and so return into their own Country which they accordingly accomplished All Greece saw then more than ever that she trained up an invincible Militia to which every thing was to yield and that only her own Divisions could subject her to an Enemy who would yet be too weak to resist her when she was united Philip King of Macedon equall able and Valiant so well improved the advantages which were given him against so many
divided Cities and Commonwealths by a Kingdom little indeed of it self but united and where the Royal Power was absolute that at last partly by Stratagem and partly by force he made himself the most puissant of Greece and obliged all the Grecians to march under his Standards against the Common Enemy He was slain in those Conjunctures but Alexander his Son succeeded to his Kingdom and to his Designs He found the Macedonians not only trained up to Martial discipline but also triumphant and become by so many successes almost as much superiour to the other Grecians in Valour and Discipline as the other Grecians were above the Persians and such like sort of People Darius who reigned in Persia in his time was just valiant generous beloved of his People and wanted neither Wit nor Courage to execute his Designs But if you compare him with Alexander his Wit with that piercing and sublime Genius His Valour with that haughtiness and steadiness of that invincible Courage which was the more animated by the Obstacles that he met with with that unmeasurable Ambition of encreasing daily his Name which made him prefer the least advance of Honour to all manner of Dangers Labours and to a thousand Deaths In a word with that Confidence that made him think verily and from his Heart that all ought to submit to him as to one whom his Destiny rendred superiour to all others a Confidence which he inspired not only into his Chiefs but also into the least of his Soldiers whom he raised by that means above difficulties and even above themselves You will quickly judg to whom of them two the Victory belonged And if you add to these things the advantages which the Greeks and the Macedonians had above their Enemies you will confess that Persia being attacked by such an Hero and by such Arms could no longer hold out from changing Masters Thus will you discover at the same time what ruined the Persian Empire and what raised up that of Alexander To make his Victory the more easy it happened that Persia lost the only General that could oppose the Greeks it was Memnon the Rhodian Diod. 17. Sect. 1. When Alexander had vanquished so famous and renowned a Captain he might boast that he had overcome an Enemy that was worthy of him Instead of hazarding against the Greeks a general Battle Memnon would needs dispute all the passages with them would cut off all their Victuals would go and attack them among themselves and by a vigorous onset would force them to come and defend their Country Alexander had prepared for them and the Troops he had committed to Antipater were enough to keep Greece But his good Fortune did on the sudden deliver him from that Embarrass At the beginning of a Diversion which already disturbed all Greece Memnon dyed and Alexander brought all under his Feet That Prince made his Entrance into Babylon with so glorious a shew that surpassed all that ever yet the World had seen and after he had revenged Greece after he with an increâ—â—dible Expedition had brought under all the Lands of the Persian Domination to secure his new Empire on all sides or rather to gratify his Ambition and make his name more famous than that of Bacchus he went into India where he extended his Conquests farther than that renowned Conqueror But him that Desarts Rivers and Mountains were not able to stop was constrained to yield to his tyred Soldiers who desired thâ—n some repose Being forced to content himself with the proud Monuments he left upon the Borders of Araspes he brought back his Army by another way than that he had gone and subdued all the Countries which he found in his Passage He came back to Babylon feared and respected not as Conqueror but as a God But that formidable Empire he had conquered lasted no longer than his Life which was very short too When he was but three and thirty Years of Age in the midst of the vastest Designs that ever Man had conceived and with the justest hopes of a most happy Success he died before he had the opportunity solidly to settle his affairs leaving a weak Brother and Children very young behind him incapable of supporting so great a weight But what was most fatal both to his House and to his Empire was that he left behind him Captains whom he had taught to breath out nothing but Ambition and War He saw to what excesses they would rise when he should be taken out of the World He to retain them and for fear he should be contradicted durst neither name his Successor nor who should be the Tutor of his Children He only foretold them that his Friends would celebrate his Funerals with bloody Battles and so he expired in the flower of his Age full of sad Images and Ideas of the Confusion which would attend his Death In fine you have seen the partage of his Empire and the frightful ruin of his House Macedonia his antient Kingdom enjoyed by his Ancestors for so many Ages was invaded on all sides as a vacant Succession and after it had been long the Prey of the strongest it went at last to another Family Thus that great Conquerour the most renowned and most illustrious that ever was was likewise the last of his Race If he had continued peaceable and quiet in Macedonia the greatness of his Empire would not have been a temptation to his Captains and he might have left to his Children the Kingdom of his Fathers But because he had been so very powerful he was the cause of the loss of all his own and thus you see what was the glorious fruit of so many Conquests His Death was the only cause of that great revolution For this must be said to his eternal Honour that if ever Man was capable of maintaining so vast an Empire although newly conquered without doubt it was Alexander for the strength of his Mind was equal to his Courage It ow'd not therefore to his faults tho' he had very great ones the fall of his Family but only to Mortality unless we will say that a Man of his Humour and whose ambition engaged him still to new undertakings could never be at leisure to settle things well Be it how it will we learn by his Example that besides the Faults which Men might correct that is to say those they are guilty of thro' heat of Transport or thro' Ignorance there is an irrecoverable Weakness inseparably annexed to humane Designs and that is Mortality Every thing may fall in a Moment by that way That which forces us to confess that as the most inherent Vice if it may be allowed me to speak so and the most inseparable from humane things is their own Frailty He who knows how to preserve and strengthen a State hath found out a higher point of Wisdom than he that can conquer and gain Battles It is needless to tell you in particular what destroyed those Kingdoms that were formed