artificiall stile which humaine writers doe so much couet yet in perswading instructing mouing of affections and all other effectes which speech or writing can worke there is no comparison a thing most wonderfull betweene any other wrytings in the worlde and these Whereof I coulde alledge manie proofes and examples but that it were too-long Let anie man reade attentiuelie but the first Chapter of the prophecie of Esay and compare it with anie one part or parcell of Tullies or Demostines orations see whether the difference of wordes be as great as the differeÌ„ce of motions Let diuers hymnes and holy Psalmes of the scriptures be conferred with the most patheticall poems that mans wit hath inuented and see whether there be any comparison in stirring and fiering of affections or no This am I sure that Iosephus the Iewe who for glorie of his eloquence had his Image of mettall erected by Titus the Emperour in the market-place of Rome wrote the the same storie which the scriptures containe and bestowed much labour humane cunning therein But yet euen in those places where he endeuoured most to shew hys arte as in the sacrifice of Isaac by his father and in the meeting of Iephte with his onelie daughter which by vowe he was constrained to put to death the Scriptures are able to pearce the hart and wring out teares of the reader whome Iosephus will not greatlie mooue with his rethorical narration though otherwise verie learned and arteficiallie penned Aristaeus that learned Gentile of whom wee haue made mention before who was in speciall fauour with Ptolomie the second great Monarche of Egipt about three hundred yeeres before our Sauiour Christ hys natiuitie and a cheefe dooer in procuring the translation of the Hebrue Bible into the Greeke language reported of his owne knowledge to the said King Ptolomie two strange accidents which had happened in his time and which hee had vnderstoode of the parties themselues to whom they had happened The first was of Theopompus an eloquent Hystoriographer who hauing translated many things out of the Bible and endeuouring to adorne the same wyth vaine colloures of eloquence could not performe his desire but was striken wyth a suddayne maze and giddines in the head and was warned in hys sleepe not to proceede anie further in that worke after that sorte for that such maner of stile was too-base for so high matters as the scriptures contained The other example was of one Theodectes a wryter of Tragaedies who tolde Aristaeê° that he once attempted to bring certaine matters out of the Iewes Bible into a Pagan tragaedie and that thereupon he was presentlie striken blind where-with he beeing astonished and falling to repentance for that he had doone desisting from the enterprise as also Theopompê° did they were both of them restored again to their former healthes And thus much did these three Pagans confesse of the authority diuinitie and peculier sacred stile of our scriptures THE SEVENTH PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES BVT nowe further it insueth in order that after the subiect phrase we shold consider a little the contents of these Scriptures which wyll perhaps more cleerely direct vs to the viewe of theyr Authour then any thing els that hetherto hath beene sayde And for our present purpose I wil note onlie two speciall thinges contained in the Bible The first shall be certaine high and hidden doctrines which are aboue the reache and capacitie of humaine reason and consequently could neuer fall into mans braine to inuent them As for example that all thys wonderfull frame of the worlde was created of nothing whereas Phylosophie saith that of nothing nothing can be made That Angels beeing created spirits were damned eternally for theyr sinnes that Adam by dysobedience in Paradise drewe all hys posteritie into the obligation of that his sinne that the womans seede shold deliuer vs from the same That God is one in substaunce and three in person that the second of these persons beeing God shoulde become man and die vpon a Crosse for the raunsome of mankinde that after him the way to all felicitie and honour should be by contempt suffering and dyshonour These doctrines I say and many more contayned in the Bible being thinges aboue mans capacitie to deuise and nothing agreeing wyth humane reason most euidentlie doe declare that God vvas the Author and enditor of the scriptures for that by him onely and from no other these high and secrete mysteries coulde be reuealed The second thing contained in the scriptures that coulde not proceede but froÌ„ God alone are certayne prophecies and foretellings of thinges to come VVherein God hymselfe prouoketh the Idoles of the Gentiles to make experience of theyr power in these wordes Declare vnto vs what shall ensue heereafter and thereby we shall knowe that you are Gods indeede Which is to be vnderstoode if they coulde fore-tell particularlie and plainly what is to come in things meerlie contingent or depending of mans wyll they should thereby declare theyr power to be diuine For albeit these Idoles of the Gentiles as Apollo and other that gaue foorth Oracles which were nothing els indeede but certaine wicked spyrits that tooke vpon them these names did some-time happen vppon the trueth and fore-tell thinges to come as also some Astrologers Sooth-sayers Magitians doe eyther by fore-sight in the stars and other elements or by the assistaunce of these wicked spirits and deuils yet are the thinges which they pronosticate eyther natural not contingent and so may be fore-seene and fore-told in theyr causes as raine heate colde windes and the like or els if they be meere accidentall these predictions of theyrs are onelie coniectures so most incertaine and subiect to errours Thys testifieth Porphirie the great Patrone of Paganisme in a speciall booke of the aunswers of the gods wherein he sweareth that he hath gathered truely without addition or detraction the Oracles that was most famous before his tyme wyth the false and vncertaine euent therof in consideration of which euent he setteth downe his iudgment of theyr power in predictions after this maner The Gods doe fore-tell some naturall things to come for that they doe obserue the order and coniuÌ„ction of their naturall causes but of things that are contingent or doe depend of mans will they haue but coniectures onely in that by their subtiltie and celeritie they preuent vs. But yet they often-times doe lye and deceiue vs in both kindes for that as naturall thinges are variable so mans will is much more mutable Thus farre Porphyrie of the prophecies of his gods wherunto agreeth another Heathen of great credite among the Gretians named Oenomaus who for that he had been much delighted with Oracles and more deceiued wrote a speciall booke in the end of theyr falshoode and lyes and yet shevveth that in many things wherein they deceiued it was not easie to
vs Christians of these dayes to behold the certaintie of these scriptures layde open before vs vpon which the foundation of our whole fayth dependeth THE FIRST PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES FIrst therefore the Iewe for proofe of his Scriptures alledgeth the great and wonderfull antiquitie thereof For as God sayth he was before Idols and trueth before falshood so was the Scripture which is the storie of the true GOD long before the wrytings of Panyms or Infidels Nay further he sheweth that the most part of things recounted in the Bible were done before most of the Panym gods were exstant that the very last VVryters of the Hebrue Canon which are Esdras Aggeus Zacharias and Malachie almost sixe hundreth yeeres before the comming of Christ when the second Monarchie of Persians beganne were before most of the Heathen auncient Hystoriographers to wit before Hellanicus Herodotus Pherecides Thucydides and Xenophon And albeit the Gentiles had some Poets before as Orpheus Homer Hesiodus and Lycurgus the Law-maker that lyued a good whyle after yet the eldest of these arriued no higher then the dayes of K. Salomon which was fiue hundreth yeres after Moses the first wryter of the Bible After whose tyme the most part of Heathen gods were long vnborne as Ceres Vulcan Mercurie Apollo AEsculapius Castor Pollux and Hercules as the Gentiles them selues in theyr Genealogies do confesse And as for Abraham that lyued fiue hundered yeeres before Moses he was not onely elder then these gods which I haue named but also then Iupiter Neptune Pluto and such other who for dignities sake and antiquitie are called by the Gentils Dii maiorum gentium the gods of greater Nations And yet before Abraham doe the scriptures containe the storie of two thousand yeeres or there abouts So that by thys it is euident that the writing of Heathens and the multitude of their gods are but late fables in respect of the old and venerable antiquitie of Hebrue Scriptures consequently the authority of these scriptures must in reason be greater then of all other wrytings in the world besides seeing they were extant before all others in those first times of simplicitie and sinceritie and were in part translated into dyuers languages before the Monarchie of the Persians that is before any storie of the Gentiles were wrytten as Eusebius out of many heathen Authors declareth THE SECOND PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES NExt to the reason of antiquitie is alledged the maner of wryting authorysing and coÌ„seruing these scriptures which is such as greatly confirmeth the certaintie of things contained therein For first what soeuer is sette downe in these wrytings was either taken immediatly from the mouth of God as were the propheciâ—s and bookes of the lawe or els collected from time to time by generall consent according as matters miracles fell out as were the booke of Iudges the bookes of Kinges and Chronicles and some other that containe recordes and Hystories of tymes Which bookes were not gathered by some one priuate man vpon heare-say or hys owne imagination long after thinges doone as Heathen hystories and other prophane records and monuments are but they were written by generall agreement in the selfe same dayes when things were in sight and knowledge of all men and so could not be feygned Secondly when bookes were wrytten they were not admitted into the common authoritie of scriptures that is of Gods word or diuine wrytings but vpon great deliberation and most euident proofe of theyr vndoubted veritie For eyther the whole congregation or sinagogue who had the approuing hereof and among whoÌ„ commonlie were dyuers Prophets did knowe most certainly the things and miracles to be true as did also the whole people that were recorded in these writings concerning Hystories or els they sawe the same confirmed from GOD by signes and wonders as in the bookes of the Prophets of their lawgyuer Moses it fell out Thirdly when any thing was written and admitted for scripture the care of conseruation thereof was such and the reuerence of Iewes thereunto so great as may easily assure vs that no corruption or alteration could happen vnto it For first the thing was coppied out into twelue Autenticall copies for all the twelue Tribes then again in euery Trybe there were so many copies made as were particuler Sinagogues within that Trybe All was doone by speciall Notaries Scribes ouer-seers and witnesses The copies after diligent reviewe taken were layde vp by the whole congregation in the Treasure house of the Temple vnder diuers locks and keyes not to be touched but by men appointed not to be vsed but with singuler reuerence To adde diminish corrupt or alter was present death by the lawes of the Nation And then how was it possible saith the Iewe that among these wrytings eyther falshoode should creepe in or trueth once receiued could afterwarde be corrupted It is not possible saith he in reason and therefore obserueth he another thing in this case which in trueth is of very great consideration to witt that no other Nation vnder heauen did euer so much esteeme theyr owne wrytings that they would offer to die for the same as the Iewes were ready to doe for euery sentence syllable of theyr scriptures Wherefore also it did proceed that in all theyr miseries afflictions wherin they were a spectacle to all the world in all theyr flights and banishments to Egypt Babilon Persia Media other corners of the earth in all theyr spoyles assaults and deuastations at home they yet euer had speciall care to conserue these wrytings more then theyr own lyues so haue kept the same without mayme or corruption more ages together then all Nations in the world haue doone anie other monuments THE THIRD PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES THE thyrde perswasion which is vsed by the Iewe for the veritie of these Scriptures is the consideration of the particuler men that wrote them who were such as in reason cannot be suspected of deceipt or falshood For as I haue sayde the stories of the Bible were written froÌ„ time to time by publique authoritie and by the testimonie of all men that sawe and knew the things that are rehearsed The Bookes of the prophecies were indited by the Prophets themselues who were plaine simple sincere men authorised from God by continuall myracles and yet so scrupulous and timerous of theyr own speeches as they durst say nothing but onelie Our Lord saith this the Lord of hostes commaundeth that c. And when they preached and read their wrytinges in the hearing of all the people they protested that it was not mans worde but Gods and that for such they left it in the publique Treasurie of theyr Nation vntyll by tract of tyme the euent and fulfilling of theyr prophecies shoulde proue them true as alwayes it did and theyr own both liâ—es and deathes declare that they meant no falshood their liues beeing such as were not
agreemeÌ„t and coherence in one spirit But now further saith the learned Iewe if you will but open the booke it selfe and looke into the Texte and that which therin is contained you shal see Gods owne hand Gods owne charecters Gods owne signe and seale and subscription to the paper You shall see Gods omnipotencie Gods spirite Gods prouidence no lesse in these letters of his booke then you beheld the same before in the tables of hys creatures Nay much more sayth hee for that these letters were deuised for declaration of those tables to the end that such as for theyr blindnesse could not see him in his creatures might learne at least to reade him in hys scriptures THE FIFT PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES COnsider then first saith hee the subiect or argument which the Scriptures doe handle together with theyr scope and ende whereunto they doe leuell You shal finde that the first is nothing els but the acts and gestes of one eternal God as before hath been mentioned and the second nothing els but the onely glorie and exaltation of the same great GOD together with the saluation of man-kinde vpon earth And shall you finde any wrytings in the worlde besides that haue so worthy an argument or so high an ende Reade all the volumes monuments of the Pagans turn ouer all theyr Authors of what kinde name or profession so euer and see what meÌ„tion they make of these two things I meane of the honour of God and the saluation of man Read theyr Phylosophers see whether euer they name or pretende these things Read theyr Historiographers and marke how many battailes and victories they attribute vnto God They wil describe to you often the perticuler commendation of euerie Captaine they will defraude no one Souldiour of hys prayse in the victorie they wyll attribute much to the wysedom of their Generall much to his courage much to â—â—s watchfulnes much to his fortune They wyll attribute to the place to the winde to the wether to the shyning of the Sunne to the raysing of the duste in the enemies eyes to the flying of some little byrde in the ayre and to a thousande such pettie obseruations besides but to God nothing Where as contrariwise in the scriptures it is in euery battayle recorded God deliuered them into theyr enemies handes God ouerthrewe them God gaue the victorie Againe consider the Lawes and Lawemakers among the Gentiles as Lycurgus Solon Draco Numa and the like and see whether you may finde any one such Lawe or tending to such an ende as thys of the Iewes Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule and shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Consider in all the South-sayers and Diuines among the Gentiles whether they vsed to say in theyr predictions as the Prophets of Israell did Dominus dixit the Lord hath spoken it or els Ego dico I doe speak it Compare theyr versifyers and Poets with those of the scripture and see whether they haue laboured in the prayse of men or of God And whereas heathen Poets haue filled vppe theyr Bookes as also the most part of ours at thys daie wyth matter of carnall loue marke where any of theÌ„ euer brake foorth into such panâ—â— of spirituall chaste loue as holie Dauid did when he said I wyll loue thee my God my strength my firmament my refuge my deliuerer my helper my protector the horne of my saluation And again in another verse What haue I desired vpoÌ„ earth besides thee my flesh and hart haue fainted for thee thou God of my hart thou GOD art my part and portion euerlasting By all which is euident that as prophane wrytinges and writers which doe treate of men extoll men seeke the grace of men referre all to the commoditie and good liking of men doe proceede of the spirite of man and are subiect to those infirmities of falsehoode errour and vanitie wherewith man is intangled in thys life so the Scriptures which handle matters aboue the compasse of flesh and bloode that referre all to God and supernaturall endes could not proceede of nature or of humaine spirit For that by nature the Iewes were men as the Gentiles were and had theyr infirmities of fleshe and blood as the other had And therfore it must needes be concluded that these high and supernaturall writings among them proceeded from God that specially directed them and gaue them light of vnderstanding aboue all other nations and people in the world THE SIXT PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES NExt after the argument and end of the Scriptures the Iewe wylleth vs to consider the peculier style phrase which they vse for that saith he it beeing different froÌ„ all manner of wrytings in the world and vnimitable to man it dooth dyscouer the finger of God by which it was framed For wher as humaine writers doe labour much in adoring theyr stile and in reducing their words to number weight measure and sound with addition of many figures and other ornaments for allurement of the Reader the Scripture taketh quite another course and vseth a most meruailous simplicitie therby to accomodate it selfe to the capacitie of the weakest but yet alwaies carrying with it so great profunditie as the best learned in the search thereof shall confesse theyr owne ignoraunce For examples sake consider but the very first wordes of the Bible In the beginning God created heauen and earth and the earth was emptie and voide and darkenes was vpon the face of the depth and the spirit of God was carried vpon the waters and GOD saide let light be made light was made c. What can be more plaine simple theÌ„ this narration to instruct the most vnlearned about the beginning creation of the world and yet when learned men come to examine euery point therof how and what where and in what manner and when things were doone it astonisheth them all to consider the difficulties which they finde and the depth of so infinite inscrutable misteries Besides thys there goeth in the same simplicitie a strange maiestie and grauitie of speeche declaring sufficiently from howe great and potent a Prince it proceedeth For as great Monarches in theyr Edicts and proclamations are wont to speak vnto their subiects not in figures or rethoricall phrases but plainly breefelie and peremptorilie to shewe theyr authoritie so the scriptures to declare whose Edicts they be do vse the like manner of phrase and style to al the worlde without alluring or flattering any man and without respect of Monarche Emperour King Prince or Potentate Fac hoc et viues doe thys and thou shalt liue Si peccaueris in me morieris in aeternum if thou sin against me thou shalt die euerlastinglie And albeit as I haue sayde the Scriptures doe vse this simplicitie of speech and doe not admitte that kind of paynted and
conuince them of open falshoode for that they would inuolue theyr aunswers of purpose wyth such obscurities generalities equiuocations and doubtfulnesse as alwaies they would leaue themselues a corner wherein to saue their credits when the euent shoulde prooue false As for example when Cresus that famous and rich Monarche of Lydia consulted with the Oracle of Apollo whether he should make vvarre against the Persians and thereby obtayne theyr Empyre or no Apollo desirous of blood-shedde as all wycked spirits are gaue hys oracle in these vvordes for deceiuing of Cresus If Craesus without feare shall passe ouer Halys thys was a Ryuer that lay betweene him and Persia hee shall bring to confusion a great rich kingdome Vppon which words Cresus passed ouer his armie in hope to gette Persia but soone after hee lost Lydia by euill vnderstanding of thys doubtfull prophecie Thys then is the imbecilitie of both humaine and angelicall power in pronosticating thinges to come which are meere contingent In which kinde notwithstanding seeing that the scriptures haue many and almost infinite prophecies fore-tolde manie yeeres and some-times ages before they came to passe sette downe in plaine perticuler and resolute speech at such tyme as there was neither cause to coniecture them nor probabilitie that euer they shoulde bee true deliuered by simple vnlearned persons that coulde fore-see nothing by skill or arte and yet that all these by their euents haue prooued most true and neuer any one iote in the same haue fayled thys I saie alone dooth conuince most apparentlie all proofes and reasons other arguments layde aside that these Scriptures are of GOD and of hys eternall and infallible spyrite And therefore of these prophecies I wyll alledge in thys place some fewe examples The prophecie to Abraham for his posteritie ABraham the first Father speciall Patriarch of the Iewes had many prophecies and predictions made vnto him as of hys issue when hee had yet none nor euer like to haue of hys inheriting the Lande of Canaan and the like But thys which followeth is wonderfull of his posterities discent into Egypt of theyr time of seruitude and manner of deliueraunce thence the same beeing fore-told more then foure hundered yeeres before it was fulfilled and at that time when no likelihood therof in the world appeared The words are these Knowe thou before hand that thy issue shall be a stranger in a forraine Land and they shall subiect them to seruitude shall afflict them for foure hundred yeres but yet I will iudge the nation vnto whō they haue beene slaues and after that they shall depart thence with great riches Thys is the prophecie and howe exactlie it was afterwarde fulfilled by the ruine of the Egyptians and deliueraunce of the Israelites euen at that tyme which is heere appointed not onely the booke of Exodus dooth declare where the whole storie is layd down at large but also the consent of Heathen wryters as before hath beene touched And it is specially to be noted that thys prophecie was so common and well knowne among all the Iewes from Abrahams tyme downe vnto Moses and so deliuered by tradition from fathers vnto their children as it was the onlie comfort stay not onely of all that people in theyr seruitude of Egypt but also of Moses and others that gouerned the people afterwards for forty yeeres together in the desert and was the onely meane indeede wherby to pacifie them in their distresses myseries and therefore Moses in euery exhortation almost maketh mention of thys promise and prophecie as of a thing well knowne vnto them all and not deuised or inuented by himselfe or any other The prophecie for the gouernment of Iuda LOng after thys Iacob that was Abrahams Nephewe beeing in Egypt and making hys testament said of hys fourth son Iuda Iuda thy brother shal praise thee and the children of thy father shall bowe vnto thee c. The Scepter shall not be taken from Iuda vntill he come that is to be sent and he shall be the expectation of Nations Which later part of the prophecie all Hebrues doe expound that it was meant of the cōming of Messias which was fulfilled almost two thousand yeeres after at the comming of Christe as shall bee shewed in another speciall Chapter For at that time King Herod a stranger put out quite the line of Iuda frō the gouernment of Iurie But for the first part touching Iudas Scepter it is wonderfull to consider the circumstaunces of thys prophecie For first when it was spoken and vttered by Iacob there was no probabilitie of anie Scepter at al to be among the Iewes for that the Israelites or sonnes of Iacob at that day were poore and fewe in number and neuer like to be a distinct Nation of themselues or to depart foorth of Egypt againe And secondly if any such thing shoulde come to passe as they might be a people and haue a Scepter of gouernment of theyr owne Yet was it not likelie that Iuda and hys posteritie should possesse the same for that he had three elder brothers to wit Ruben Simeon and Leui who in all likeli-hoode were to goe before him And thirdly when Moses recorded and put in writing thys prophecie which was diuers hundred yeeres after Iacob had spoken it it was much lesse likelie that euer it shoulde be true for that Moses then present in gouernment was of the tribe of Leui and Iosua designed by God for hys successor was of the Tribe of Ephraim and not of Iuda which maketh greatly for the certaintie of thys recorde For that it is most apparent that Moses would neuer haue put such a prophecie in writing to the dysgrace of hys owne Tribe and to the preiudice and offence of Ruben Simeon Ephraim and other Tribes neyther would they euer haue suffered such a derogation but that it was euident to thē by tradition that theyr Grandsire Iacob had spoken it albeit then presentlie there was no great likeli-hood that euer after it should come to be fulfilled And thys was for the time of Moses but yet consider further that from Moses to Samuell that was last of all the Iudges there passed foure hundred yeeres more and yet was there no appearaunce of fulfilling thys prophecie in Israell for that the Trybe of Iuda was not established in that gouernmēt At length they came to haue Kings to rule and then was there chosen one Saul to that place not of the Trybe of Iuda but of Beniamin and hee indued with diuers children to succeede him And who would then haue thought that thys prophecie coulde euer haue beene fulfilled but yet for that it was Gods word it must needes take place and therefore when no man thought therof there was a poore Sheepheard chosen out of the Trybe of Iuda to be a King and the regiment and Scepter so established in hys posteritie that albeit many
And finally nothing can be more desired for the fore-knowledge of any one thing to come then was deliuered and vttered concerning the Messias before that euer Christ or Christians were talked of in the world Nowe then remaineth it to consider examine whether these particularities fore-told so long agoe of the Messias to come doe agree in Christ whoÌ„ we acknowledge for the true Messias And thys shall be the subiect or argument of all the rest of our speech in thys Chapter How the former predictions were fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ at his being vpon earth SECT 2. ALbeit in the points before recited which are to be fulfilled in the Messias at hys comming wee haue some controuersie and dysagreement with the Iewe as hath beene shewed yet our principal contention in theÌ„ all is wyth the Gentiles and Heathen that beleeue no Scriptures For that in dyuers of the former Articles the Iewe standeth wyth vs and for vs and offereth hys life in defence thereof as farre forth as if he were a Christian In so much that the Gentile oftentimes is inforced to meruaile when he seeth a people so extreamely bent one against another as the Iewes are against Christians and yet doe stande so peremptorilie in defence of those verie principles which are the proper causes of theyr disagreement But hereunto the Iewe maketh aunswer that hys dysagreement from vs is in the application of those principles For that in no wise he will allowe that they were or may be verified in Iesus And heerein he standeth against vs much more obstinately then doth the Gentile For that the Gentile as soone as he commeth once to vnderstand and beleeue the prophecies of Scripture hee maketh no doubt or difficultie in the application thereof for that he seeth the same most euidently fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ. Which is the cause that few or no Gentiles since Christes appearaunce haue come to be Iewes but that presently also they passed ouer to bee Christians But the Iewe by no meanes will be mooued to yeelde albeit hee haue neither scripture nor reason or probabilitie for hys defence Which among other things is a verie greate argument to proue that Iesus was the true Messias indeede seeing that among the markes of the true Messias sette downe by Gods Prophets thys was one that he shold be refused of the Iewish Nation Heerehence aâ—e those wordes of the holy Ghost so long before vttered The stone which the builders refused is made the head stone of the corner this is doone by God and is meruailous in our eyes Heerehence is that great complaint of Esay touching the incredulitie and obstinacie of his people against their Messias at his comming which Moses also long before Esay expressed most effectually It maketh then not a little for our cause gentle Reader that the Iewish Nation is so wilfully bent against vs and that they refused Christ so peremptorily at hys beeing among them For whom soeuer that Nation should receiue and acknowledge it were a great argument by scripture that hee were not indeede the true Messias But yet to demonstrate to the worlde what little shewe of reason they haue in standing thus against theyr owne saluation and in refusing Christ as they doe I will in as great breuitie as I may runne ouer the cheefe poynts that passed at hys beeing vpon earth and therby examine by the testimonies of his greatest enemies whether the fore-sayd prophecies and all other signes which haue beene from the beginning to fore-tell vnto vs the true Messias were fulfilled in hym and his actions or no. And for that the matters are many and dyuers that will come hereiâ— to be handleâ—â— I wyl for order sake reduce all to foure considerations Whereof the first shal be touching the tyme fore-prophecied of the comming of Messias whether the same agreed with Christes natiuitie or no. The seconde shall be of diuers particulars that passed in Christes incarnation byrth circumcision other accidents vntill the time that he began to preach The third shall be of hys life conuersation myracles doctrine The fourth and last shall be of his passion death resurrection and ascention In all which as I said before I wyll vse no one Authour or testimonie of our owne side for approouing any thing that is in controuersie between vs but all shall passe by tryall eyther of theyr owne scriptures or of manifest force and consequence of reason or els by expresse recorde of our professed enemies The fyrst Consideration FOR the first then concerning the tyme which is the principall and head of al the rest it is to be noted that by consent of all Writers both Pagan Iewish and Christian IESVS whom we beleeue and confesse to be true CHRIST was borne the twentie-fiue day of December in the ende of the fortie-one yeere of the raigne of the Emperour Augustus Caesar which was fifteene yeeres before hys raigne ended Also in the beginning of the thirtie-three yeere of Herods raigne in Iurie which was foure yeeres and more before hys death And from the beginning of the worlde as some account foure thousand one hundred ninetie-nine And as others doe account it foure thousand foure-score and nyne for that in thys poynt betweene the Hebrues and the Graecians there is a difference of some litle more then a hundred yeeres concerning theyr reckoning The state of the worlde at Christes natiuitie was this The three Monarchies of the Assyrians Persians and Graecians were past ouer and ended the Romains were entered into the fourth that was greater then any of the rest according to the prophecie of Daniell fyue hundred yeeres before Octauius Caesar surnamed Augustus after fiue ciuil warres by himselfe waged and after infinite broyles and bloodshed in the worlde raigned peaceably alone for many yeeres together and in token of an vniuersall peace ouer all the earth hee caused the Temple gates of Ianus to be shut according to the custome of the Romans in such cases albeit thys had happened but twice before from the building of Rome vnto that tyme. And the very same day that Christ was borne in Iurie Augustus commaunded in Rome as afterward was obserued that no man shold call hym Lorde thereby to signifie the free libertie rest ioy and securitie wherein all men were after so long miseries which by continuall warres the worlde had suffered By thys we gather first that thys tyme of Christes birth agreed exactly with the prophecie so long before sette down in Daniell who lyued in the first Monarchie that after hys tyme there shoulde be three Monarchies more and the last biggest of all at whose appearing the Messias shoulde come and builde vppe Gods kingdome throughout all the world Secondly we see that fulfilled which Esay the Prophet aboue a hundred yeeres before Daniell fore-told that at the comming of Christ people shoulde sitte in
so we must examine the trueth of our fayth by cōsideration of our life for then not otherwise are we true Christians if wee fulfill in works that whereof we haue made promise in words That is in the day of our Baptisme we promised to renounce the pompe of this world together with all the workes of iniquitie which promise if wee performe nowe after Baptisme then are we true Christians and may be ioyfull But contrariwise if our life be wicked contrary to our profession it is saide by the voyce of trueth it selfe Not euery one that shall say to mee Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heauen And againe why doe yee call mee Lord Lord doe not performe the things that I tell you Heer-hence is it that God complained of his old people the Iewes saying this people honoureth me with their lips but their harts are farre off from me And the Prophet Dauid of the same people They loued him with their mouth and wyth their tongues they lyed vnto him Wherefore let no man presume to say he shall be saued if faith and good life be diuorced put a sunder which S. Chrisostome noteth by the wofull and heauie chaunce iudgment that happened vnto him who in the Gospell was admitted to the feast of Christian faith knowledge but for lacke of the ornament or garment of good life was most contumeliouslie depriued of his expectation Of whom Saint Chrisostoms words are these He was inuited to the feast and brought vnto the Table but for that by his foule garment he dishonored our Lord that had inuited him he was not onely thrust from the Table banquet but also bounde hande and foote and cast into vtter darknes where there is eternall weeping and gnashing of teeth Wherefore let vs not deere bretheren let vs not I say deceiue our selues and imagine that our dead and vnfruitfull faith wyll saue vs at the last day for except wee ioyne pure life to our beleefe and in this heauenly vocation of ours doe apparrell our selues with the worthy garmēts of vertuous deeds whereby we may be admitted at the mariage day in heauen nothing shall be able to deliuer vs from the damnation of this miserable man that wanted his wedding weede Which thing S. Paule well noteth when hauing sayde wee haue an euerlasting house in heauen not made with mens handes he addeth presentlie thys exception Si tamen vestiti et non nudi inueniamur That is if wee be founde at that day well apparrelled and not naked Would God euery Christian desirous of hys saluation woulde ponder well thys discourse of S. Chrisostome And so wyth thys alone to conclude our speeche in thys Chapter without allegation of further matters or authorities which are infinite to thys effect it may appeare by that which hath alreadie beene sette downe wherein the true profession of a Christian consisteth and thereby each man that is not partiall or blinded in his owne affection as many are may take a viewe of his state and condition and frame vnto himselfe a verie probable coniecture how he is like to speed at the last accounting day That is what profite or damage hee may expect by hys knowledge and profession of Christian Religion For as to him that beleeueth soundly and walketh vprightly in his vocation performing effectually euery way his professed duetie there remaine both infinite and inestimable rewards prepared so to hym that strayeth aside and swerueth from the right path of fayth and life prescribed vnto hym there are no lesse paines and punishments reserued For which cause euery Christian that is carefull of his owne saluation ought to sixe his eyes verie seriouslie vppon them both and as in beleefe to shewe himselfe constant firme humble and obedient so in life conuersation to be honest iust pure innocent and holie And for this seconde poynt concerning life and manners hath been already handled in my former booke which as I vnderstand is imprinted in England I shall neede to wade the lesse in further discourse heereof But for I haue beene admonished by the writinges of diuers howe my former booke hath beene misliked in two speciall poynts first that I speake so much of good workes and so little of faith secondly that I talke so largelie of Gods iustice and so breefelie of his mercie whereby the consciences of many haue beene offended let the last Chapter going before of beleefe and life aunswer the first and that which immediatly followeth serue for the latter obiection and so I doubt not but a Christian man may be thorowlie resolued OF THE ONLY IMPEDIMENT THAT IS WONT TO LET SINNERS FROM Resolution Which is the mistrust and diffidence in Gods mercy through the multitude and greeuousnesse of their offences CHAP. VI. AMong all other the moste greeuous and perrilous cogitations which in thys worlde are accustomed to offer themselues to a minde intangled and loden wyth great sinnes this vsually is the first through the nature of sinne it selfe and crafty suggestion of our ghostly enemie to fall into distrust and dyspaire of Gods mercie Such was the cogitation of most vnhappie Caine one of the first inhabitants of the earth who after the murder of his owne onely brother and other sinnes by him committed brake into that horrible and desperate speeche so greatly offensiue vnto his Lorde Maker Mine iniquitie is greater then that I may hope for pardon Such was in like manner the desperate conceite of wicked Iudas one of the first of thē that were chosen to the peculier seruice of our Redeemer who feeling hys conscience oppressed wyth manifolde iniquities and most of all with the prodition of his owne Lord and Maister tooke no other way of amendmēt or redresse but to destroy himselfe both in bodie and soule adioyning onoly these words full of miserable distrust and desperation I haue sinned in betraying the innocent and iust blood By which wordes and most wretched ende he more greeuouslie offended and iniured his most louing and mercifull Sauiour then by all his former iniquities committed against him This then most louing brother is the first and greatest rocke wherat a sinful soule ouer burdened wyth the charge of her owne iniquities and tossed in the waues of dreadfull cogitations by the blastes stormes of Gods threates against sinners doth cōmonlie make her shypwracke That is that most horrible depth and dungion wherof the holie scriptures saith The impious man when he is come into the bottome and profunditie of his sinnes contemneth all Thys is that remedilesse sore and incurable wound wherwith God himselfe charged Ierusalem when hee sayd Insanabilis fractura tua thy rupture is irremediable And the Prophet Michaeas considering the same people thorowe the multitude of their wickednes to encline now to dispayre of Gods goodnes towards them brake forth into thys most pittiful cōplaint For this will I
are common to vs with beastes and alwayes haue annexed theyr sting dyscontentation when they are past Morrall vertues for that they consist in a certaine perpetuall fight and warre with our owne passions which neuer giue vs reste or repose in thys life Finally whether soeuer wee turne our selues or what soeuer we lay our hands vppon in this life to make our felicitie or summum bonum it faileth vs saith Plato neither giueth it any durable contentation to our minde wherefore this felicitie is to bee sought and obtayned in the life to come Thus farâ— arryueth Morrall Phylosophie by reason to proue that mans felicitie or finall end cannot be in any thing of thys lyfe or world It proueth also by the same reason as in part it hath been touched before that thys felicitie of our mind in the life to come must be a spirituall and immateriall obiect for that our minde and soule is a spirit it must be immortall for that our soule is immortall But what goeth yet humaine phylosophie any further or can Plato assigne the particuler poynt wherein it standeth Heare his words and confesse that not without reason he was called Diuine In thys it coâ—â—isteth sayth he vt coniungamur Deo qui omnis beatitudinis fastigium meta finis That we be ioyned to God who is the toppe the butte and the end of all blessednes And can any Christian thinke you say more then thys Yet harken what a scholler of his saith for explication of hys Maisters sentence Supremus hominis finis supremum bonum id est Deus The finall ende of man whereto hee tendeth is a supreame or soueraigne good thing and thys is God himselfe By which wordes wee see that these Heathens by the ende of man could finde out GOD which was the seconde argument propounded in Morrall phylosophie A third argument vseth the Morral phylosopher for proofe of God which shal be the last I wyll alledge in thys place deduced from consideration of good and euill vice vertue especially of the reward which by nature reason and equitie is due to the one as also of the punishment belonging to the other For sayth he as in all other thinges creatures actions of thys world that passe from the Creator we see proportion order iustice wysedome prouidence obserued so much more must wee assure our selues that the same is obserued in the same Creators actions and proceedings towardes man that is the cheefe and principall of all other hys creatures Nowe then wee see and beholde that all other creatures are directed to theyr endes by nature and doe receiue comfort and contentation so long as they holde that course and losse disease and griefe as soone as they breake and swarue from the same Onelie man hath reason giuen him wherby to know and iudge of hys ende and the holie Scriptures whereby he may eyther direct his way to the same by vertue or runne astray by folowing of wickednesse Whereupon it ensueth that in all equitie and iustice there must remaine rewarde for such as doe well and follow the right pathe assigned them to theyr ende felicitie which is by good life and punishment for the other that abandoneth the same for pleasure and sensualitie But we see in thys world sayth the Phylosopher that most wicked men doe receiue least punishment and many there be as Princes high Potentates whose liues and actions be they neuer so vicious yet are they aboue the correction of mortall men and many poore men in the contrarie part vvho for theyr vertue patience and honestie receiue nothing in thys life but enuie malice contempt reproche despyte and oppression Wherefore saith hee eyther wanteth there prouidence and equitie in the gouernment and dysposition of these great affaires which we see not to want in thinges of lesser moment or els must there be a place of punishment and reward in the life to come vppon the soules of such as passe from hence and a iust and powerfull Iudge to make recompence of these inequalities iniustices permitted in thys world Which Iudge can be none but the Creator himselfe And so hytherto haue I declared howe euery particuler science among the Gentiles had particuler meanes and wayes to demonstrate GOD by contemplation of his creatures and by force of reason which no man coulde denie Nowe remaineth it to shewe howe the Iewe or faithfull Israelite before Christes appearaunce was able to confirme thys veritie to a Heathen which shal be the subiect of the section ensuing Howe the Iewes were able to proue GOD. SECT 3. THE people of Israell that for manie yeeres and ages were the peculier people partage of GOD as they dwelt inuironed wyth Gentiles of each side that impugned their Religion and worshippe of one God and had many weak-lings among them selues that were often tempted to doubt of the same Religion by the example of so manie Nations and Countries about them that made profession of a contrary Religion so had the Diuines and learned men of thys people diuâ—rs forcible proofes most reasonable arguments peculier to themselues besides the gyft of faith or any other demoÌ„stration that hetherto hath beene alledged to confirme theyr bretheren in the beleefe of one God to conuince all Atheists or Infidels in the world And albeit these proofes which they vsed were many as the Creation of the world by one God the deuiding of the Hebrue Religion from the beginning the conuersation of God wyth Abraham of whom the Iewes descended the miraculous deliuering of that nation from Egypt the lawe receiued from Gods own mouth by Moses the strange enteraunce of Iewes into the Land of promise the extinguishing of the Gentiles which before inhabited there the erection of the Iewish Monarchie and protection thereof against al Nations the miraculous deeds sayings of Prophets a thousande reasons besides which confirme most euidently that the Iewes God was the onely true God yet for that all these things and sayings wyth an Infidell had no more credite then the wrytings or scriptures wherein they were recorded heereby it came to passe that all which a Iewe could say for proofe of GOD more then a Gentile depended onely vppon the authoritie of hys scriptures for this cause he referred all hys proofes and arguments to euident the truth certaintie of these scriptures which thing once performed the beeing of one God cannot be called in controuersie for that these scriptures are nothing els but a narratioÌ„ of the acts gestes of that onelye God which the Iewes professe We are nowe to see then what the Iewe was able to say for proofe of hys scriptures and consequently for demonstration of God and of his iudgemeÌ„ts declared therin Which discourse as it was profitable in olde tyme for stay and confirmation of all such as were or might be tempted with infidelitie so can it not be but verie comfortable to
Ierusalem Babilon ESay the Prophet is wonderfull in foretelling the mysteries acts of the Messias hys natiuitie his life and all the perticulers that happened in his passion In so much that S. Ierome saith he may seeme rather to wryte a storie of deedes past then a prophecie of euents to come But yet among other things it is to be noted that hee liuing in a peaceable prosperous time in Iuda when the Iewes were in amitie and great securitie with the Babylonians he fore-sawe and fore-told the destruction of Ierusalem by the said Babylonians and the greeuous captiuitie of the Iewes vnder them as also the destruction of Babylon againe by Cyrus King of Persia whose expresse name and greatnesse he published in writing almost two hundred yeeres before hee was borne saying in the person of GOD First to Ezechias King of Iuda that reioyced in the freendship hee had wyth Babylon behold the dayes shal com when all that thou and thy fathers haue layd vp shall be carried awaie to Babylon and thy children shall be Eunuches in the King of Babilons Pallace And next to Babylon he sayd The destruction of Babylon which Esay the sonne of Amos sawe c houle and crie for that the day of the Lord is at hand c. The wonderfull prophecie for Cyrus King of Persia. THyrdly vnto Cyrus not yet borne who was preordained to destroy the same to restore the people of Israell from banishment to rebuilde the Temple in Ierusalem he saith thus I say to Cyrus thou art my sheepheard and thou shalt fulfill all my will I say to Ierusalem thou shalt be builded againe I saie to the Temple thou shalt be founded againe Thys saith the Lord to my annointed Cyrus I vvyll goe before thee and will humble the glorious people of the earth in thy presence I wil break their brasen gates and crush in peeces theyr yron bars for my seruaunt Iacobs sake haue I called thee by thy Name and haue armed thee where as thou knowest not me Can any thing be more cleerely or myraculously spoken in the worlde then to name a Heathen not yet borne that shoulde conquer so strong a Monarchie as Babilon was at thys time and shoulde builde againe the Temple of Ierusalem which others of hys owne Religion had destroied before him What cause what reason what likeli-hoode could be of this yet Esay speaketh it so confidentlie as he saith that he sawe it And hee nameth two witnesses thereof that is Vrias and Zacharias that were not borne in manie yeeres after saying and I tooke vnto mee two faithfull witnesses Vrias the Priest and Zacharias the sonne of Barachias Whereof the first was a Prophet in Ieremies time a hundred yeeres after Esay and the second lyued fourescore yeeres after that againe in the dayes of Darius as by the beginning of hys prophecie appeareth and yet both as you see were distinctly named by Esay long time before And wheras this booke of Esay was pronoūced openlie to the people as other prophecies were published into many thousand handes before the captiuitie of Babilon fell out and then carried also wyth the people and dispersed in Chaldea other parts of the world there can be no possible suspition of forgerie in this matter for that all the worlde both sawe it and red it many yeeres before the thing came to passe yea when there was no opinion of any such possibilitie to come The prophecies and dooings of Ieremie in the siedge of Ierusalem THE same captiuitie and destruction of Ierusalem by the Babylonians was prophecied by Ieremie a hundred yeeres after Esay and a little before the matter came to passe yea whiles the Babylonians were about the walles of Ierusalem and besiedged the same for two yeeres together Ieremie was within and tolde euery man that it was but in vaine to defende the Cittie for that God had nowe deliuered it And albeit hee were accounted a Traytor for so saying especially when by an Armie of Egypt that came to the ayde of Ierusalem from Pharao the siedge of the Babylonians was raysed for a certaine time yet Ieremie continued still in his asseueration and said to Zedechias the King thou shalt be deliuered into the handes of the King of Babilon And to the people haec dicit Dominus tradendo tradetur haec ciuitas c. This saith the Lord this Cittie most certainlie shall be deliuered into the handes of the Babylonians And so hee continued notwithstāding he were put in prison whipt and threatned dailie to be hanged vntill indeede the Cittie was taken and Zedechias eyes puld out his children slaine before hys face and all other things performed which Ieremie had prophecied and fore-told them before And which was yet more meruailous Ieremie did not onelie fore-tell the perticulers of this captiuitie but also the determinate time howe long it shoulde endure saying And all this land of Iurie shall be into wildernesse and astoniednesse and all this people shall serue the King of Babilon for threescore and ten yeeres and when threescore and ten yeeres shall be complete I will visite vppon the King of Babilon and vpon that Nation saith the Lord I will lay the same into eternall desolation But vppon Iuda will I cast my pleasant eyes will bring them backe to this lande againe c. In which prophecie is contained first the perticuler time howe long thys captiuity shold endure Secondly the destruction of Babylon and of that Monarchie by the Persians And thirdlie the returning home of the Iewes againe which three thinges to haue beene afterwarde fulfilled not onelie Esdras that lyued at that time and was an actor in performance of the last but all other Heathen Wryters besides doe recorde and testifie And this prophecie of Ieremie was so famous and certainlie beleeued amongst all the Iewes in the time of their captiuitie as when the daie of expiration drewe neere Daniell writeth thus of himselfe In the fyrst yeere of Darius I Daniell vnderstoode in the scriptures the number of the seauentie yeeres whereof God spake to Ieremie that they shoulde be fulfilled touching the desolation of Ierusalem and I turned my face to my Lord God and besought him in fasting sackcloth c. Neither onelie the Iewes vnderstood beleeued this prophecie but euen Cyrus himselfe that was a Gentile gaue full credite thereunto therby was induced to restore the Iewes as appeareth both by his own words proclamations sette downe by Esdras that Executed the same and by his deedes also in restoring home the Iewes and rebuilding theyr Temple at his owne great charges as all Historiographers of the Heathens doe confesse I might heere alledge infinite other examples and make no ende if I would follow the multitude of prophecies which are dyspersed throughout the whole scripture I might shewe howe Daniell fore-told to
Baltasar King of Babylon in the mydst of hys tryumph and in the hearing of al his peeres the destruction which insued vpon hym the verie same night after I might heere alledge howe the same Daniell in the first yeere of Darius the Median in the beginning of that seconde Monarchie of Medians and Persians foretolde how many Kings should raigne after hym in Persia and howe the last who vvas the fourth after hym and hys name also Darius should fight against the Grecians and be ouercome by a Grecian King which was Alexander and howe that kingdome also of Greece should be deuided torne in peeces after Alexanders death and not passe to hys posterity as Iustine and other Heathen Wryters doe testifie that it was by Antigonus Perdiccas Seleuchus Antiochus Ptolomeus and other Captaynes of Alexander that deuided the same among themselues aboue a hundred yeres after Darius was dead I myght declare also howe the same Daniell fore-sawe and fore-told the four great Monarchies of the world and described the same as distinctly as if he had liued in them all and as by experience wee find since to be true I might alledge the particuler description of the fight betwixt Darius and Alexander set down by Daniell vnder the names of the great Ramme and the fierce Goate wyth one horne which Goate himselfe interpreteth it to be meant of a Grecian King that should conquer the Persians And therfore Alexander as Iosephê°9 reporteth comming to Ierusalem about a hundred yeeres after and hearing thys prophecie of Daniel interpreted vnto him by Iaddus the High Priest assured himselfe that he was the man therein signified and so aâ—â—er long sacrifice doone to the God of Israel of whom he affirmed that hee had appeared vnto him in Macedon had exhorted hym to take this warre in hand and after hee had bestowed much honour and many benefites vpon the high Priest Inhabitants of Ierusalem he went forwarde in hys warre against Darius with great alacritie had that famous victorie which all the world knoweth A hundred such prophecies more which are as plaine as euident and as distinct as thys I might alledge of Elias Elizeus Samuell Dauid Ezechiell the twelue lesser Prophets and of other which I haue not named And in very trueth the whole Scripture is nothing els but a diuine kinde of bodie replenished throughout wyth the vitall spirit of prophecie and euery day some prophecie or other is fulfilled though we mark it not and shall be vnto the worlds end And the myracle of thys matter is yet more increased if we consider what manner of people they were for the most parte by whom these prophecies of hydden thinges were vttered to wit not such men as coulde gather the fore-sight of thyngs by Astronomie or Astrologie that is by contemplation of the starres as some fond Gentiles did pretend though Ptolomie denie that any such things can be fore-told but onely by inspiration from God neyther yet were they so sharpe witted as to attaine to prophecie by strange imaginations as most vainely Auerroes and his followers holde that some men may nor finally were they so delicatly fedde as by exact diet and rules of Alchimye to com to prophecie as Alchimists dreame that a man may doe and that Appolonius Thyaneus dyd who by styllified meates as they speake came to be stillified hymselfe and so by helpe of hys glasse called Alchimufi to fore-tell some matters and affaires to come Our Prophets I say knewe none of these fantasticall deuises beeing for the most part poore simple and vnlearned men as in particuler was recorded that Dauid was a shepheard and Amos was a keeper of Oxen yea oftentimes they were women as Marie the sister of Aaron called in the Scripture by the name of Prophetesse Debora the wyfe of Lapidoth Hanna the mother of Samuel Elizabeth the mother of Iohn Baptist Anna the daughter of Panuel finally the most holy and blessed Virgine Marie with the daughters of Phillip and many such other both in the olde and newe Testament who prophecied strangely nor could possibly receiue such fore-knowledge of things to com but onely from the spirit of the liuing God and by inspiration of the holy Ghost which is a manifest demonstration of the excellencie of Holie writ and of the certaintie contained therein THE EYGHT PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES AND nowe albeit thys might seeme sufficient in the iudgment conscience of euery reasonable man as the Iew supposeth to prooue that the Scriptures be onely from God and consequently by them that there is a God yet hath he one reason more to coÌ„firme theyr sinceritie which I will alledge in thys place and therewith make an end Hys reason is that although these holy writings which proceede of Gods spirite doe not take theyr testimonie or confirmation from man yet for more euidencie of the trueth GOD hath so prouided that al the principall most strange and wonderfull things recounted in scripture shold be reported also and confirmed by Infidels Pagans Gentiles and Heathen writers themselues albeit in some points they differ from the Scripture in the manner of theyr narration for that they adioyne superstitions therunto Which maketh the more for approbation of the things for that heereby it appeareth they tooke not their stories directlie from the Bible but by tradition and most auncient antiquities of theyr owne The creation of the worlde FIrst then he sheweth that the creation of the worlde which is the meruaile of all meruailes wyth the infusion of mans soule froÌ„ God is both graunted and agreed vpon by all those Heathen Phylosophers which I haue cited before albeit the particularities be not so sette downe by them as they are in Scriptures and by all other that doe see in reason that of necessitie there must be yeelded some Creator of these things The floude of Noe. NExt to thys the floude of Noe is mentioned by diuers most auncient heathen writers as by Baerosus Chaldeus Ieronimê° Egyptius Nicholaus Damascenus Abydenus and others according as both Iosephus and Eusebius doe prooue And in Bresile and other Countries dyscouered in our age wher neuer teachers were knowne to bee before they talk of a certain drowning of the world which in time past happened and doe saie that thys was left vnto theÌ„ by tradition from tyme out of minde by the first inhabitants of those places The long life of the first Fathers OF the long life of the first Patriarches according as the Scripture reporteth it not onelie the former Authors but also Manethus that gathered the Hystorie of the Egyptians Molus Hestiaeus that wrote the acts of the Phaenicians Hesiodus Hecateus Abderida Helanicus Acusilaus and Ephorus doe testifie that these first inhabitants of the worlde liued commonly a thousande yeeres a-peece and they alledge the reason thereof to be both for the multiplication of people
and for bringing all Sciences to perfection especiallie Astronomie and Astrologie which as they write coulde not be brought to sufficient perfection by any one man that had lyued lesse then sixe hundred yeres in which space the great yere as they call it returneth about Of the Tower of Babylon OF the Tower of Babilon and of the confusion of tongues at the same Eusebius citeth the testimonies at large both of Abydenus that lyued about King Alexanders tyme and of Sibylla as also the wordes of Hestiaeus concerning the Lande of Sennaar where it was builded And these Gentiles do shewe by reason that if there had not beene some such miracle in the diuision of tongues no doubt but that all tongues being deriued of one as all men are of one father the same tongues would haue retained the selfe same rootes and principles as in all dialects or deriuation of tongues wee see that it commeth to passe But now say they in many tongues at thys day we see that there is no likelihood or affinitie among them but all different the one from the other and thereby it appeareth that they were made diuers distinct euen from the beginning Of Abraham OF Abraham and hys affayres I haue alledged some Heathen wryters before as Berosus Hecataeus and Nicholaus Damascenus But of all other Alexander Polyhistor alledgeth Eupolemus most at large of Abrahams beeing in Egypt and of his teaching them Astronomie there of his fight and victorie in the behalfe of Lot of hys entertainment by King Melchisedech of his wyfe and sister Sara and of other his doings especially of the sacrifice of hys sonne Isaac To whom also agreeth Melo in his bookes written against the Iewes and Artabanus And of the strange Lake whereinto Sodom and Gomorra were turned by theyr destruction called Mare mortuum the deade Sea wherein nothing can liue Both Galen Paufanius Solinus Tacitus and Strabo doe testify shew the perticuler wonders therof Of Isaac Iacob Ioseph Iob c. FRom Abraham downe to Moses writeth very particulerly the forenamed Alexander albeit he mingle sometimes certaine fables whereby appeareth that he tooke hys storie not out of the Bible wholie And hee alledgeth one Leodemus who as he saith liued with Moses and wrote the selfe same thyngs that Moses dyd so that these writers agree almost in all thinges touching Isaac Iacob Ioseph and all theyr affaires euen vnto Moses and vvith these doe concur also Theodotus a most auncient Poet Artabanus Phylon Gentiles Aristaeus in like maner about Aristotles tyme wrote a booke of Iob. Of Moses OF Moses and hys actes not onely the forenamed especially Artabanus in his Booke of the Iewes doe make mention at large but many other also as namelie Eupolemus out of whom Polyhistor reciteth very long narrations of the wonderfull and stupendious thinges doone by Moses in Egypt for which he sayth that in hys time he was worshipped as a God in that Countrey and called by many Mercurius And that the Ethiopians learned circuÌ„cision of him which afterwarde alwaies they retained and so doe vnto this day And as for his miracles doone in Egipt his leading the people thence by the redde Sea hys liuing with them fortie yeeres in the wildernesse the Heathen writers agree in all thinges with the Scriptures sauing onely that they recount diuers things to the prayse of Moses which hee hath not written of hymselfe adding also his description to wyt that he was a long tale man with a yellow beard and long haire wherwith also accordeth Numenius Pythagoricus touching the acts of Moses whose life hee sayth that he had read in the auncientest recordes that were to be had The storie of Iosua the Iudges and the Kinges BVT the fore-named Eupolemus goeth yet forwarde and pursueth the storie of Iosua of the Iudges of Saul Dauid and of Salomon eueÌ„ vnto the building of the Temple which he describeth at large wyth the perticuler Letters written about that matter to the King of Tyrus which Iosephus sayth were in hys daies kept in the recordes of the Tyrians And with Eupolemus agree Polyhistor and Hecataeus Abderita that liued serued in warre with King Alexander the great and they make mention among other things of the inestimable riches of Salomon and of the treasures which he had hid buried according to the fashion of that tyme in the Sepulcher of his father Dauid which to be no fable though not mentioned by the scripture Iosephus well prooueth for that Hircanus the high Priest and King of Iurie beeing besieged in Ierusalem by Antiochus surnamed Pius not many yeeres before our Sauiour Christ his natiuitie to redeeme him selfe the Cittie and to pay for hys peace opened the said sepulcher of Dauid and fetcht out of one part thereof three thousand Talents in ready money which amount to sixe hundred thousand pounde English if we account the Talents but at the least size of talentum Haebraicum The things that ensued after King Salomons daies AND as for the things that ensued after Salomon as the diuision of the Trybes among themselues and theyr diuers warres afflictions and transmigrations into other Countries many Heathen writers do mention and recorde them among other Herodotê° Diodorê° Siculus And the foresayd Alexander Polyhistor talking of the captitie of Babylon saith that Ieremie the Prophet tolde Ioachim hys King what woulde befall him and that Nabuchodonoser hearing thereof was mooued thereby to besiege Ierusalem Of the flight of Senacherib froÌ„ the siege of Ierusalem and howe he was kylled at hys return home by his own sons in the temple according to the prophecie of Esay and storie of the booke of Kings for that hee had blasphemed the Lord God of Israell Herodotus witnesseth and that after his death he had a statue or Image of mettall erected in hys memorie with this inscription in Greek He that beholdeth me let him learne to be godly Confer Xenophon also in his seâ—enth booke De Cyropaedia you shal see him agree with Daniell in his narrations of Babylon And finallie I wyll conclude with Iosephus the learned Iewe that wrote immediatly after Christes ascention and protesteth that the publique writinges of the Syrians Chaldeans Phaenicians and innumerable histories of the Grecians are sufficient to testifie the antiquitie truth authoritie certaintie of the holie Scriptures if there were no other proofe in the world besides The conclusion of thys Chapter with the application SECT 4. THus farre haue I treated of the vvayes and meanes which haue beene left vnto the worlde from the beginning thereby to know and vnderstand theyr Maker In treating which poynt I haue stayed my selfe the longer for that it is the ground and foundation of all that is or may be saide heereafter It is the first finall and cheefest principle of all our eternall saluation or damnation and the
not attende nor euer dooth to that for which hee came into this worlde and consequently can neuer attaine heauen except God worke a miracle and therby doe cause him to spende out his riches to the benefit of his soule as sometimes he doth and so doe lessen the Cammell in such sort as hee may passe the needles eye Whereof wee haue a very rare example in the Gospell of Zacheus who beeing a very rich man did presentlie vpō the entering of Christ into his house but much more as appeareth into hys heart by fayth resolue himselfe to change his former course touching riches and at one blow to beginne with-all gaue away halfe of al he possessed to the poore for the rest made proclamation that who soeuer had receiued any wrong at his hands as commonly many doe by them that are rich he shoulde come and receiue foure times so much amends By which almes and restitution hee was deliuered from the Camels gibbe or bunche on his backe that letted his passage through the needles eye And thys extraordinary fauour and grace he receiued by the fortunate presence of his most blessed bountiful guest who had signified before in another place that himselfe was able so to drawe the Camell as he should passe the needles eye for that the thinges which are vnpossible wyth man are possible wyth God But to leaue this and to goe forwarde in our former purpose no meruaile it is if in the worlde abroade so fewe be saued seeing that of thousandes scarce one doth account of that businesse which of all other is the cheefe and principall Consider you the multitude of all sorts of people vpon earth and see what theyr traffique and negotiation is see whether they treate thys affayre or no see wherein theyr care studie and cogitation consisteth Howe many thousands finde you in Christendome who spende not one houre of foure and twentie nor one halfe day in fortie in the seruice of God or businesse of theyr soule How infinite haue you that breake their braines about worldly commodities how fewe that are troubled wyth this other cogitation How many find time to eate drinke sleepe disport deck trym themselues to the view of others yet haue no time to bestow in thys greatest businesse of all other businesse Howe many passe ouer whole daies weekes monethes yeres and finally their whole liues in hauking hunting and other pastimes without regard of this important affaire Howe many miserable women haue you in the worlde that spende more daies in one yeere in pricking vppe their apparrell and adorning their carcasse then they doe houres in prayer for the space of all theyr life And what alas shall become of this people in the end what wyll they doe or say at the day of account what excuse will they alleage what way wil they turne them If the Merchant-factor which I mentioned before after many yeeres spent in forraine Countries vppon his Maisters expences should returne at length and giue vppe his accounts of so much time mony spent in singing so much in dauncing so much in fencing so much in courting and the like who woulde not laugh at so fonde a reckoning but beeing further demaunded of his Maister what time he had bestowed vppon the Merchandize and affayres for which he was sent if the man should aunswere that he had no leysure to thinke vpon that thing for the great occupation which he had in the other who woulde not esteeme him worthie of all punishment confusion And much more shame and confusion no doubt shall they sustaine at the last dreadfull day in the face and presence of God and all his Angels who beeing sent into thys world to traffique so rich a Merchandize as is the kingdome of heauen haue neglected the same and haue bestowed theyr studies vpon the most vaine tryfles and follies of thys worlde without cogitation or care of the other O yee children of Adam saith the spirit of God why loue you so vanitie and seeke after lyes why leaue you the fountaine and seeke after Cesternes If a golden game of inestimable value shoulde be proposed for such as would runne could win the same and when the course or race were begunne if some should steppe aside and follow flyes or fethers that passed in the ayre without anie regarde of the prize and gole proposed who woulde not meruaile and take pittie of theyr follie Euen so is it with men of thys world if we beleeue Saint Paule who affirmeth that wee are all placed together in a course or race and that the kingdom of heauen is propounded vnto vs for the Game or Prize but euery man saith he arriueth not thether why for that most men do step aside leaue the marke Most men do run awrie and doe follow fethers vp and downe in the ayre most men doe pursue vanities and do wearie themselues out in the pursute thereof vntill they can neither run nor goe nor moue theyr lims any further and then for the most part it is too-late to amend their follie Will you heare the lamentations of such vnfortunate men these are theyr owne words recorded by scripture We are wearied out in the way of iniquitie and perdition and the way of God haue wee not knowne What profite haue wee receiued of all our pompe and pryde vaunting riches what good haue they doone vs They are nowe past away as a shadowe and as a Messenger that rydeth in post and we are consumed in our owne iniquities Thys is the lamentable complaint of such men as ranne awrie and followed a wrong course in theyr actions of thys life These are they who pursued riches honour pompe and such like vanities and forgate the great and weightie businesse for which they vvere sent These are they who were esteemed happy men in this world and thought to run a most fortunate course in that they heaped much riches together aduaunced thēselues and theyr families to great dignities becam gorgious glorious and dreadfull to others and finallie obtayned what soeuer their lust and concupiscence desired This made them seeme blessed to worldly cogitations the way wherein they ranne to be most prosperous and happie And I make no doubt by experience of these our times but they had admirours enuiours in great aboundance who burned in desire to obtaine the same course And yet whē I heare their complaint in thys place theyr owne confession wherin they say expresly we sencelesse men did erre from the waie of trueth when I consider also the addition of scripture Talia dixerunt in inferno they spake these thinges when they were in hel I cannot but esteem their course for most miserable condemne wholy the iudgment of flesh in this affaire Wherfore my deere brother if thou be wise yeelde not to thys deceite of worldlie lyppes tongues that vse to blesse
That which they are nowe thou shalt be shortly and of all follies it is the greatest not to profite or flee frō daungers by the example of others The difference betweene a wise man and a foole is that the one prouideth for a myscheefe while time serueth the other wold doe when it is too-late If thou mightest feele now the state case wherein thy poore hart shall be at the last day for neglecting the thing that of all other it should haue studied and thought vpon most thou wouldest take from thy meate and sleepe and other necessaries to repayre that is past Hetherto hast thou time to reform thy course of life if thou please which is no small benefite if all were knowne For in this sence no doubt it is most true which the wise man saith that better it is to be a liuing dogge then a dead Lyon For that while the day time of this life endureth all thinges amisse may easily be amended But the dreadfull night of death wil ouer-take thee shortly and then shall there be no more space of reformation Oh that men woulde be wise and foresee things to come sayth one prophet The greatest wisedome in the worlde deere brother is to looke and attend to our saluation for as the Scripture sayth most truelie Hee is a wise man indeede that is wise to hys ovvne soule And of this wisedome it is written in the verie same booke as spoken by herselfe In me is the grace of all life and truth and in me is the hope of all life and vertue In morral actions and humaine wisedome we see that the first and cheefest circumstaunce is to regard well and consider the ende And howe then doe we omitte the same in this great affaire of the Kingdome of heauen If our ende be heauen what meane wee so much to affect our selues to earth If our end be God why seeke we so greedilie the worldly fauour of men If our ende be the saluation and eternitie of our soule why doe we followe vanities and temporalities of thys life Why spend yee your mony and not in bread saith God by the mouth of Esay why bestow ye your labour in thinges that will not yeelde you saturitie If our inheritaunce be that wee should raigne as Kings why put we our selues in such slauerie of creatures If our byrth allowe vs to feede of breade in our fathers house why delight we in huskes prouided for the swyne But alas we may say with the wise man in the Scripture Fascinatio nugacitatis obscurat bona The bewitching of worldly trifles doe obscure and hide vs from the things that are good and behoouefull for our soules ô most dangerous enchauntment But what shall this excuse vs no truelie for the same spirite of God hath left recorded Populus non intelligens vapulabit The people that vnderstandeth not shall be beaten for it And another Prophet to the same effect pronounceth This people is not wise and therefore hee that made them shall not pardon them neyther shall he that created thē take mercie vpon thē It is written of fooles Ventum seminabunt turbinem metent They shall sowe and cast theyr seede vppon the windes and shall receiue for theyr haruest nothing els but a storme or tempest Wherby is signified that they shall not onely cast away and leese their labours but also be punished and chastened for the same Consider then I beseech thee my deere brother attentiuelie what thou wilt doe or say when thy Lord shall come at the last day and aske thee an account of all thy labours actions and time spent in thys lyfe when he shall require a reckoning of his talents lent vnto thee when he shal say as he said to the Farmour or Steward in the Gospell Redde rationem villicationis tuae giue account of thy stewardship charge committed vnto thee What wilt thou say when he shal examine and weigh and try thy doings as gold is examined tried in the fornace that is what ende they had whereto they were applyed to what glorie of God to what profit of thy soule what measure weight and substance they beare Baltasar King of Babylon sitting at his banquet merrie vppon a tyme espied suddainly certaine fingers without a hande that wrote on the wall right ouer against his Table these three Hebrue words Mane Thekel Phares Which words Daniel interpreted in three sentences vnto the King in thys manner Mane GOD hath numbred thee Baltasar and thy kingdome Thekel hee hath weighed thee in the Gold-smithes ballance and thou art founde too-light Phares for this cause hath he deuided thee from thy kingdome hath giuen the same to the Medes and Persians Oh that these three most golden and most significant words engrauen by the Angel vpon Baltasars wall were registred vpon euery doore and post in Christendome or rather imprinted in the hart of each Christian especially the two first that import the numbering and weighing of all our actions and that in the weights and ballance of the Gold-smith where euery graine is espyed that wanteth And if Baltasars actions that was a Gentile wer to be examined in so nise and delicate a paire of ballance for their tryall if he had so seuere a sentence pronoūced vpon him that hee shoulde be deuided from life and kingdome as he was the same night folowing Quia inuentus est minus habens for that hee was founde to haue lesse weight in him then hee shoulde haue what shall wee thinke of our selues that are Christians of whom it is written aboue al others I will search the sinnes of Ierusalem with a candle What shall wee expect that haue not onely lesse weight then we should haue but no weight at all in the most of our actions what may such men I say expect but onely that most terrible threat of diuision made vnto Baltasar or rather worse if worse may be that is to be deuided from God and hys Angels from participation of God and our Sauiour from communion of Saints from hope of our inheritaunce from our portion celestiall and life euerlasting according to the expresse declaration made heereof by Christ himselfe in these words to the negligent seruaunt The Lord of such a seruant shall com at a day when he hopeth not at an houre that he knoweth not and shall deuide him out and assigne his part with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Wherefore deere brother to conclude thys Chapter I can say nothing more in this dangerous case wherein the worlde so runneth a wrie but onely exhort thee as the Apostle doth not to conforme thy selfe to the common errour that leadeth to perdition Fall at length to some reckoning accounte with thy lyfe and see where thou standest and whether thou goest If hetherto thou haue wandered and gone astraie be sorie for
any man but in trueth shall hée bring forth iudgement He shall not be sorrowfull nor turbulent c. And finally in the forty nine Chapter he alleageth the words of God the Father vnto Christ touching hys commission in this sort It is too-little that thou be to me a seruaunt to raise vp the Trybes of Iacob and to conuert vnto me the drâ—gs of Israell Beholde I haue appointed thee also â—or a light vnto the Gentiles that thou be my saluation vnto the vttermost parts of the earth DANIELS PROPHECIE OF CHRIST AND to conclude thys matter without alleaging more prophecies for the same which in trueth are infinite throughout the Bible Daniell that liued in the ende of the captiuitie of Babylon a little before Aggaeus Zacharias and Malachias who were the last Prophets that euer florished among the Iewes almost fiue hundred yeeres before the natiuitie of Christ thys Daniell I say reporteth of himselfe that beeing in Babylon and hauing fasted worne sacke-cloth and prayed long vnto God there came the Angel Gabriell vnto him at the time of euening sacrifice and fore-told him not onely of the deliuerance of the people of Israell from the captiuitie of Babylon out of hande for that the seauentie yeres of their punishment fore-told by Ieremie were now expired but also he tolde him further that the time of the vniuersall deliueraunce of man-kind from the bondage and captiuitie of sinne was nowe shortenedâ— and that after seuentie Hebdomades which as shall be shewed after make vppe iust the tyme that passed from the rebuilding of the Temple of Ierusalem after theyr deliueraunce from Babylon vnto the byrth of Christ there should be borne the Sauiour of the world and be put to death for the redemption of man-kinde The Angels words are these I am come to shewe vnto thee O Daniell for that thou art a man of good desires And therefore doe thou marke my speeche and vnderstande thys vision The seauentie hebdomades are shortened vppon thy people and vpon thy holy Cittie to the end preuarication may be consumed and sin receiue an end to the ende iniquitie may be blotted out and eternall iustice brought in her place and to the ende visions and prophecies may be fulfilled and the SAINT OF SAINTS annoynted Knowe thou therefore and marke that from the end of the speech for rebuilding of Ierusalem vnto Christ the CAPTAINE there shall be hebdomades seuen and hebdomades sixtie two and after sixtie two hebdomades Christ shal be put to death and the people which shall denie him shall not be his people I might passe on further to other Prophets and make no ende if I would alleage what might be sayde in thys behalfe for that the whole Scripture runneth all to this one point to fore-tell and manifest Christ by signes figures parables prophecies and for thys cause was it principally written But that which is already spoken shall be sufficient for our first consideration whereby is seene that among the Iewes from age to age Christ was prophecied and fore-tolde together with the eternitie of hys kingdom that shoulde be spirituall The second consideration NOwe followeth there a second consideration of the qualitie of Christes person of no lesse importaunce then the former and wherein the later Iewes doe more dyscent from vs that is of the God-head of the Messias promised I say the later Iewes or Rabines are different heerein from vs as also they are in many other poynts and articles wherein theyr auncestors that were no Christians did fully agree Euen as all Heretiques are wont to doe that first breake in one point and then in another from the true Catholique fayth of Christ to followe mens traditions and so doe runne on from one to one making themselues in all thinges as dislike as they can for hatred of that vnitie whereunto theyr pryde wyll not suffer them to returne So is it in the generation of this reprobate people who first agreed wyth vs in all or most pointes touching Christ to come and denyed onely the fulfilling or applycation thereof in Iesus our Sauiour but afterward theyr vngracious of-spring beeing not able to stand in that issue against vs deuised a newe plea and betooke themselues to a far higher degree of impietie affirming that wee attribute many thinges vnto Iesus that were not fore-tolde of the Messias to come and among other that he shoulde be God and the sonne of God and the second person in Trinitiâ— c. But heerein no doubt these obstinate and gracelesse men doe shewe themselues both ignoraunt of theyr own Scriptures and disagreeing from the wrytings of theyr own fore-fathers For as for scriptures it is â—uident by all or most of the Prophets allâ—â—ged before that Christ or the Messias must be GOD and the sonne of God indued wyth mans nature that is both man and God So in Genesis where he is called the sâ—ede of the woman it is apparent that he shall be man and in the same place when hee is promised to crush the deuill and breake his heade vvho can do thys but onely God Likewise when he is called Germen Iehouae the seede of our Lord God his God-head is signified as is hys man-heade also when in the same place he is named the fâ—uite of the earth Who can interprete these speeches That his kingdom shall be euerlasting That he shall endure vntil the Moone be taken away after That God begate him before Lucifer was created That no man can tell or recounte his generation That all Nations and Angels must adore him That he must sitte at the right hande of God and many other such speeches pronounced directly and expresly of the Messias who I say can vnderstand or interprete them but of God seeing that in man they cannot be verified And as for the last of these testimonies concerning Christes sitting at hys Fathers right hande three of our Euangelists doe report that Iesus did blanck diuers of the learnedest Pharisies with alleaging onelie these words of Dauid The Lord said to my Lord sitte at my right-hande vntill I put thine enemies as thy foote-stoole For saide Iesus yf Christ be Dauids sonne howe did Dauid call hym hys Lord signifying heereby that albeit the Messias was to be Dauids Sonne according to his man-head yet was he to be Dauids Lorde according to his God-heade And so doe both Rabbi Ionathan and the publique Commentaries of the Hebrues interprete the place Micheas is plaine And thou Bethleem out of thee shall proceede a RVLER in Israel and his going soorth is from the beginning and from the dayes of eternitie This cannot be vnderstoode of any mortall man that euer was or shall be But yet Esay goeth further when he sayth A little child is borne vnto vs and a young sonne is giuen vnto vs and his principalitie is vpon his owne shoulder and his name shall be GOD the
they should giue him vineger to drinke deuide his apparrell and cast lottes for his vpper garment Psalme 68 verse 22 and 21 verse 19. That he should rise againe from death the thyrde day Psal 15 verse 19. Ose 6 ver 3. That he should ascend to heauen sitte at the right hand of God his father for euer Psalme 67 verse 19 and 109 verse 1. All these particularities a number more were reuealed in Scripture touching the Messias some foure thousande yeeres some two thousand and some one thousande and the last of all aboue foure hundred yeres before Christ was borne Which if wee lay together and doe consider withall hovve exactlie they were fulfilled afterwarde in the person of Christ as in the next Section shal be declared if we adde also to this that wee haue receiued these prophecies predictions from a Nation that most of al other doth hate vs and that the same are to be seene and read in theyr Bibles euen worde for word as they are in ours if you hold in memorie also what inuincible proofes wer alleaged before in the second chapter for the infallible truth and certaintie of those Hebrue Scriptures you shall finde that hardly any thing can be imagined for manifestation of a truth before it come to passe which God hath not obserued in fore-shewing the Messias The fift Consideration AND all these considerations are touching the Iewes There remaineth somewhat to be saide of the Gentiles who albeit they were to receiue theyr principall knowledge in thys affayre from the Iewish Nation to whom the Messias was first and principally promised and from whom the Gentiles had to expect both theyr Sauiour and hys Apostles as also the Scriptures for testimonie and witnesse of them both and finally all their certaine knowledge sound vnderstanding in the mysteries of Christ yet had they also among themselues some kinde of notice and fore-warning in thys matter which beeing ioyned with that which I haue sette downe before of the Iewes and examined at the light of Gods diuine prophecies before alleaged it will make very much for confirmation of our Christian veritie And therefore thys last consideration shall be of the fore-knowledge of Gentiles in thys behalfe For better vnderstanding whereof it is to be noted that besides al knowledge of the Messias that diuers Gentiles might haue by the Hebrue Scriptures which as I haue shewed before were in the Greek language diuers ages before Christ was borne or by the instruction or conuersation of the Iewes with whom many Pagans did liue familiarlie there remained three waies peculier to the Gentiles whereby they receiued some vnderstanding fore-warning of this great mysterie The first was by tradition writings of theyr auncestours The seconde by prophecies of theyr owne The thyrde by admonishment of theyr Idols and Oracles especially when the time of Christes appearaunce drew neere And for the first way it is euident that as the Iewes receiued diuers things by succession from theyr fore-fathers and they againe from Moses and Moses froÌ„ the Patriarches Iacob Isaac and Abraham who was the first man from whô that whole Nation proceeded and in whom they were distinguished from all other people in the world so had the Gentiles and other Nations theyr succession also of doctrine and monuments euen from the beginning albeit the lower they went the more corrupt they were and more obscured in diuine knowledge by their exercise in Idolatrie So we knowe that the Romans had theyr learning from the Graecians the Graecians from the Egyptians and the Egiptians from the Chaldeans who were the first people that receiued instruction in diuine matters from Adam Methusalem Noe and others of those first and auncient Fathers Nowe then it is to be considered that by consent of Writers there were three famous men that liued together in those auncient tymes to wit Abraham who descending from HEBER was the father and beginner of the Iewes or Hebrues and with him Iob and one Zoroastres that were not of that linage of Heber but as we call them for distinctions sake either Heathens or Gentiles albeit that difference was not theÌ„ in vre And of Iob wee knowe by the testimonie of hys Booke that hee was a most holy and vertuous man Of Zoroastres we know only that he was greatly learned and left testimonies thereâ—â— vnto his posteritie This Zoroastres liuing in Abrahams time might by account of Scriptures see or speak wyth Noe. For Abraham was borne threescore yeres before Noe deceassed And Noe was borne aboue fiue hundred yeeres before Methusalem died which Methusalem had liued two hundred and fortie yeres with our first Father Adam that had enioyed conuersation both with GOD and Angels And thereby no doubt could tell many high and secret misteries especially touching Christ in whom all his hope for redemption of hys posteritie did consist Which misteries and hidden knowledge it is not vnlike but that Abraham Iob Zoroastres and others who liued at that time with them might receyue at the thyrde hand by Noe and his children I meane Sem Cham and Iaphet who had lyued before the fludde and had seene Methusalem which Methusalem lyued as I sayd before so many yeeres with Adam Heerehence it is that in the wrytings of Zoroastres which are yet extant or recorded by other Authors in hys name there be found very many plaine speeches of the Son of God whom he calleth Secundam mentem the second minde And much more is to be seene in the wrytings of Hermes Trismegistus who liued after in Egypt and receyued hys learning froÌ„ thys Zoroastres that these first Heathen Philosophers had manifest vnderstanding of thys seconde person in Trinitie whom Hermes calleth The first begotten sonne of God his onely sonne his deere eternall immutable and incorruptible sonne whose sacred name is ineffable those are hys words And after him again amoÌ„g the Graecians were Orpheus Hesiodus and others that vttered the like speeches of the sonne of God as also the Platonists whose wordes and sentences were too-long to repeate in thys place But hee that wyll see them gathered together at large let him reade eyther Origen against Celsus the Heathen or els S. Cyril in his first booke against Iulian the Apostata And thys shall suffice for thys fyrst way whereby the Gentiles had vnderstanding of Christ. For the second thing which I mentioned is to be vnderstood that among the Gentiles there were certaine Prophetisses or women Prophets called Sibyllae which in the Greek tongue as Lactantius gathereth may signifie so much as eyther Counsellers to God or Reuealers of Gods councell And these women beeing indued as it seemeth with a certain spirit of prophecie did vtter froÌ„ time to time though in such termes as most Gentiles vnderstoode them not most wonderfull perticularities of Christ to come agreeing as it were wholy with the Prophets
meant heere by Daniell in all the prophecie Fyrst then when the Angell came to comfort hym and to open vnto him secrets for the time to come he sayde these words Marke my speeche and vnderstande the vision The seauentie hebdomades or weâ—kes are shortned or hastened vppon thy people and vppon thy holy Cittie to the â—nd all preuarication and sinne may take an ende and iniquitie be blotted out and euerlasting iustice be brought in place thereof to the ende that visions and prophecies may be fulfilled the HOLY OF HOLIES may be annointed In which words it seemeth that the Angell did allude by naming seauentie vnto the seauentie yeeres of captiuitie prophecied by Ieremie after which ended the people shoulde be deliuered from theyr temporall bondage in Babylon And therefore Daniell nowe beeing in that place and perceiuing the same time to be expired prayed to GOD with great instance to fulfill hys promise made by Ieremie Whereto the Angel aunswered that it should be doone And as after the expiration of seauentie yeeres God was nowe to deliuer them from the bodily captiuitie of Babylon so was he also after seauentie Hebdomades more to deliuer them from bondage of sinne and preuarication and that by the annoynted MESSIAS which is indeede the Holie of all Holies Thys I say may be the reason of naming seauentie Hebdomades thereby to allude to the number of the seauentie yeres of that Babylonicall seruitude For that immediatly after the Angell appointeth the whole exact number to be threescore nyne Hebdomades that is seauen to the building of the Cittie and Temple and sixtie-two from that to the death of Christ in these words Know thou marke that from the end of this speech to the time that Ierusalem shall be builded and vnto Christ the Captaine there shall bee hebdomades seauen and hebdomades sixtie two and the streetes and walles of Ierusalem shall bee builded againe though with much difficultie of the times and after sixtie and two Hebdomades Christ shall be slaine And the people that shal denie him shal not be his c. And then vnto consummation end shal perseuer desolation Nowe then if we put these yeeres together which are heere mentioned by Daniell that is first the seauen Hebdomadesâ— which make fortie and nyne yeeres and then the threescore and two from the restauration of Ierusalem which make foure hundred thirty and foure more wee shall finde the whole number to be foure hundred and eyghtie three yeeres Which beeing begunne from the first yeere of Cyrusâ— as some wil for that he first determined the Iewes reduction or from the second yeeres of Darius as others wyll for that he confirmed put the same in execution or from the twentie yeere of the sayde Darius for that then hee made a newe Edict in the fauour of Nehemias and sent hym into Iurie euery way they wil end in the raigne of Herod and Augustus vnder whom Christ was borne or in the raigne of Tyberius Caesar vnder whom hee suffered And by no interpretation in the worlde can it be auoyded but that thys time appointed by Daniell is nowe out aboue a thousande and fiue hundred yeeres past whyle yet the Temple stood and was not put to desolation And therefore of necessitie Christ must be come about that tyme and neuer more heereafter to be looked for The traditions and obseruations of the olde Iewes themselues doe meruailouslie confirme thys beliefe of ours for that they all dyd runne to thys one poynt that about the tyme of Augustus hys raigne wherein Iesus was borne the Messias shold appeare It is often repeated in the Thalmud that one Elyas left thys tradition that the worlde should endure sixe thousand yeeres that is two thousand before the Law of Moses two thousande vnder the same Lawe and two thousande after that vnder the Messias Which last two thousand yeeres by al computation could not beginne much from the birth of Iesus And the Rabines a great while agone complained in theyr Thalmud that there seemed to them in those daies seauen hundred and foure-teene yeeres past since Christ by the Scriptures should haue appeared and therefore they doe meruaile vvhy God so long deferreth the same An other obseruation they haue vppon the words of Esay Paruulus natus est nobis a litle child is borne vnto vs. In which words for that they finde the Hebrue Letter Mem to be shut in the midst of a word which is strange in that tongue for that Mem is wont to be open in the middest of words and shut onely in the end they gather many secrets And among other that seeing Mem signifieth sixe hundred yeeres so long it shoulde be after Esay vntil the time of Christ. Which account of theyrs falleth out so iust that if you reckon the yeeres from Achaz King of Iuda in whose time Esay spake these words vntill the tyme of King Herod vnder whom Christ was borne you shall perceiue the number to fayle in little or nothing A much like obseruation hath Rabbi Moses the sonne of Maimon whom the Iewes doe holde in extreame great reuerence calling him the Doctor of iustice in hys Epistle to hys Countrimen of Affrica concerning the tyme of Christes appearaunce Which he thinketh to be past according to the Scriptures aboue a thousande yeeres in his dayes he liued about the yere of Christ one thousand one hundred and fortie but that GOD deferreth hys manifestation for theyr sinnes To which purpose also appertaineth the tradition of one Elias as Rabbi Iosue reporteth it in the Thalmud that the Messias was to be borne indeed according to the Scripture before the destruction of the seconde Temple for that Esay sayth of the Sinagogue Before she was with child she brought forth and before the greefe of trauaile came she was deliuered of a man child That is saith he before the Sinagogue was afflicted and put to desolation by the Romaines shee brought forth the Messias But yet saith he thys Messias for our sinnes doth hyde hymselfe for a time in the Sea and other desert places vntil we be worthie of hys comming To the lyke effect is the obseruation of the Thalmud it selfe of diuers Rabbines therein concerning the wicked manners of men that should be at Christes appearance vppon earth of whom they doe pronounce these words The wise men in Israell shall be extinguished the learning of our Scribes and Pharisies shall bee putrified the schooles of Diuinitie shall bee stewes at that time Which thing Iosephus that lyued in the same age with Christ affirmeth to be fulfilled in the tyme of Herod in so much that if the Romains had not destroyed theÌ„ without doubt saith he eyther the earth woulde haue opened and swallowed them downe or els fyre from heauen would haue consumed them All then runneth to thys ende both by
the same or of the want of Gods holy assistance to that effect if we would with humilitie accept thereof Thys Esay made plaine when hee prophecied of thys perspicuitie that is of thys most excellent priuiledge in Christian Religion so many hundred yeeres before Christ was borne For after that in diuers Chapters hee had declared the glorious comming of Christ in signes miracles as also the multitude of Gentiles that shoulde embrace hys doctrine together with the ioy and exultation of theyr conuersion hee fore-sheweth presently the wonderful prouidence of God also in prouiding for Christians so manifest a way of direction for theyr faith religion as the most simple and vnlearned man in the world should not be able but of wylfulnes to goe astray therein His wordes are these directed to the Gentiles Take comforte and feare not Behold your God shall come and saue you Then shall the eyes of the blinde be opened and the eares of the deafe shall be restored c. And there shall be a pathe and a waie which shall be called The holie waie and it shall be vnto you so direct a way as fooles shall not be able to erre therein By which wordes wee see that among other rare benefits that Christes people were to receiue by hys comming thys should be one and not the least that after hys holie doctrine once published and receiued it shoulde not be easie for the weakest in capacitie or learning that might bee whom Esay heere noteth by the name of fooles to runne awry in matters of their beleefe so plaine cleere and euident shoulde the way for tryall thereof be made God hath opened himselfe vnto vs in the holie Scriptures the wrytings and doctrine of Moses and the Prophets of Christ and hys Apostles wherin is contayned whatsoeuer is necessarie for our saluation For although the inuisible thinges of God that is hys power and God-heade may be seene by the workmanship and creation of the world wherin as in a booke written with the hand of God and layde open to the eyes of men the glorie of GOD and hys mightie power appeareth Yet because eyther we reade not thys Booke at all or if wee doe wee reade it careleslie therefore it was necessarie that the Lord God should adde another Booke more plaine and easie to be read so as he may run that readeth it and this is as hath been said his holie wyll reuealed vnto vs in his wrytten word Which Saint Augustine therefore verie well calleth the Letters or Epistle of God sent vnto vs from our heauenly Countrey to teach vs to liue godlie and righteouslie whilst wee soiurne heere in thys present worlde Thys is that Lanthorne wherby our feete may be directed and that light wherby our pathes may be guided vnto Christ it is that most certaine infallible rule and leuell of all our actions wherby both our faith lyfe are to be squared and framed Yea it is that holy and vndefiled way and with all that plaine and easie way denoted by Esay which euen in the very entraunce thereof gyueth light vnderstanding as Dauid speaketh vnto the simple And although wee must confesse wyth S. Peter that there are some thinges in the Scripture harde to be vnderstoode yet wee may also say wyth the same Peter that they are harde to those that are vnlearned and vnstable which peruert and wrest them to theyr owne destruction So that if the Gospell of Christ be yet hid it is hid in them that perrish whose sences sathan hath closed that the light thereof should not shine vnto them And heere-hence is it that the Apostle Saint Paul pronounceth so peremptorilie of a contentious and hereticall man that he is damned by the testimonie of his owne iudgment or conscience for that hee hath abandoned this common direct and publique way which all men might see hath deuised particuler paths and turnings to him selfe And heere-hence is it that the auncient Fathers of Christes primatiue Church dysputing against the same kind of people defended alwaies that theyr errour was of malice and wilfull blindnesse and not of ignoraunce applying these words of prophecie vnto them They that sawe mee ran out from mee Thus then it appeareth that the plaine and direct way mentioned by Esay wherein no simple or ignoraunt man can erre is the doctrine taught by the mouth of our Sauiour Christ and hys Apostles which howsoeuer it seeme to be obscure and darksome to men of peruerse mindes that are not exercised in it yet to the godlie and studious readers and hearers that haue theyr eyes opened and theyr mindes lightened to see the trueth it is most plaine and easie to be vnderstood And thys is the cause that those holie and sage Apostles of Christ for the better preuenting of all bye-waies crooked paths and blinde lanes of errours that afterwardes might aryse as by reuelation from Iesus they vnderstoode there should doe manie so earnestly exhorted and so vehementlie called vpon the people to stand fast in the documents then receiued to holde firmelie the fayth and doctrine alreadie deliuered as a Depositum and treasure committed to be safelie kept vntill the last daie And aboue all other things they most diligently fore-warned them to beware of newe-fangled Teachers whom they called Heretiques who should breake from the vnitie of that bodie whereof Christ is the head and shoulde deuise newe glosses expositions and interpretations of Scripture bring in newe senses doctrines opinions and diuisions to the renting of Gods Church and Cittie nowe builded to the perdition of infinit soules The Apostle S. Paule euen whylst hee liued founde some of his Schollers to be remoued by new-fangled Teachers to another Gospell and the better to make them see theyr errour hee appealeth to the Gospell which he had taught them The Gospell he preached was not after man neyther receiued he it of man but by reuelation from Iesus Christ. He brought them no fancies visions dreames interpretations of scripture hatched in hys owne braine but the pure sincere doctrine receiued by reuelation from God himselfe and faithfully deliuered vnto them without hacke or mayme as hee receiued it Therefore Saint Ierome vpon that place considering howe all Heretiques haue iugled wyth the Scriptures from time to tyme sayth That Marcion and Basilides and other Heretiques the contagious botches plague sores of the Church haue not the Gospell of God because they haue not the spirit of God without which that which is taught groweth to be mans Gospell Thys maketh that learned Father to resolue vpon the matter that it is a dangerous thing peruersly to expound the holy Scriptures for by thys meanes that is by wrong and peruerse interpretation that which is Gods gospell is made mans Gospell et quod peius est and that which is worse saith this holy Father it is made the deuils Gospell
For discerning therefore of this kinde of most pernicious people and theyr deuilish dealing and least we shoulde be carried awaie wyth euery winde of doctrine by the wilinesse of men God hath ordained in his Church Apostles Doctors Prophets Pastors and Interpreters whom he hath so guided and gouerned from time to tyme with his holy spirit that they haue beene able by the Scriptures to represse and beate downe whatsoeuer errours and heresies haue beene raysed vp by the enemies of Gods trueth contrary to the analogie of fayth and rule of charitie that is to say beside the true sence and meaning of the Canonicall scripture When there rose vp certaine sedious fellowes among the Iewes in the primatiue Church making som contention about their ceremonies as did Simon Magus Nicholaus Cerinthus Ebion and Menander that were heretiques They were refelled and conuinced out of the scriptures by the Apostles and theyr schollers Martialis Dyonisius Areopagita Ignatius Policarpus and others who were no doubt directed guided by the spirite of God Afterward when Basilides Cerdon Marcion Valentinus Tatianus Apelles Montanus and diuers others troubled the Church wyth monstrous heresie they were cōfuted by Iustinius Martyr Dionisius byshop of Corinth Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian their equals who in all theyr controuersies had recourse vnto the scriptures and beeing instructed and ledde by the spirit of trueth preuailed mightily against their aduersaries And so downward from age to age vnto our daies whatsoeuer heresie or different opinion hath sprung vp contrary to the doctrine of Christ and hys Apostles it hath beene checked and controlled by the watchmen spirituall Pastours and Gouernors of the Church who alledged alway the consent of the scriptures for deciding of all doubts and were most graciously guided by the spyrite of God in all their actions And heereof it is that the word of God is called the sworde of the spirit because as it was giuen by inspiration at the first so being expounded by the direction of the same spirit it is most liuely and mightie in operation sharper thē any two edged sword and entering through euen to the deuiding a sunder of the soule and the spirit of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hart Thys is that spirituall sworde wherwith our Sauiour Christ preuailed against sathan the head Lord maister of all Heretiques who notwithstanding pretended scriptures for his deuillish purposes And the Apostle Paule being furnished wyth thys only weapon disputed against the peruerse ouerthwart Iewes which dwelt at Damascus and confounded them proouing by conference of Scriptures that thys was very Christ. Nowe as it was expedient that the Gospels should be written that we learning the trueth foorth of them should not be deceiued by the lyes of heresies so was it necessary that the same Gospels shoulde be preached for the confirmation of fayth And heereof it is that the Apostle S. Paule Rom. 10. sayth that fayth cōmeth by hearing the word of God because the word preached is the ordinary meanes to beget and increase faith in vs for the which cause also it is called the incorruptible seede whereby we are borne a newe and whereby the Church is sanctified vnto the Lord. Wherefore to conclude thys poynt seeing that the holy scriptures are that most infallible and secure way mentioned by Esay seeing they are the rule leuell both of our fayth and life contayning in them sufficient matter to confute errour and confirme the trueth able to make a man wise vnto saluation perfectly instructed vnto euery good worke this ought to be the duetie of the faithfull that I may vse the words of Basil to be thorowly perswaded in his minde that those thinges are true and effectuall which are vttered in the Scripture and to reiect nothing thereof For if whatsoeuer is not of fayth be sinne as saith the Apostle and if fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God without doubt when anie thing is without the holy scripture which cannot be of faith it must needes be sinne And therefore to speake as S. Augustine speaketh if any I will not say if wee but which S. Paule addeth if an Angell from heauen shall preach eyther of Christ or of his Church or of any other thing which pertaineth to faith or to the leading of our life otherwise then we haue receiued in the holy scriptures of the Law and the Gospel let him be accursed Now if forsaking all bie-pathes of mens inuentions and traditions we wyll search diligently in the scriptures wherein we thinke to haue eternall life wee shall see that they testifie of nothing so much as of the promises of God in Christ Iesus who as he is the ende of the Lawe for righteousnes to euery one that beleeueth so doe they sende vs directly and as it were leade vs by the hande like a careful Schoole-maister vnto him teaching vs to apprehend and lay holde on him with the hand of fayth and to apply hym wyth his gifts and graces vnto our selues and our owne saluation So that faith is made the meanes and as it were the Conduit to conuey Christ himselfe hys death burial and resurrection and all the rest of hys benefits vnto vs which the Apostle witnesseth Collos 2. 12. Yee are buried saith he with him through Baptisme in whom ye are also raised vp together through the fayth of God effectually working who raysed him from the deade Whereof it ensueth that all the faithfull doe not onely obtaine the benefite of Christes death buriall by their Baptisme wherby they die vnto sinne but also do receiue and enioy the fruite and effect of his resurrection by a liuely fayth whereby they are quickned and raysed vp vnto righteousnes in thys life and are assertained of resurrection to glorie in the life to come by hys mightie working that is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe Seeing therefore that the summe substaunce of our whole Religion and of our eternal saluation or damnation consisteth in the knowledge of this one vertue it shalbe worth the labour breefely but yet plainly to describe the forme force nature of this faith whereof we speake Wherein you shall not looke for the diuers significatiōs which that word receiueth in the Scripture nor for any declaration of those vnprofitable faythes whereof S. Iames speaketh which are common to the wicked and to the deuils themselues wherby they beleeue that Iesus is that Christ but heere my purpose is to entreate of that liuely and sauing fayth which is peculier and propper to the elect and chosen children of God whereby they beleeue that Christ is theyr Iesus by whom they are saued from theyr sinnes and from the punishment due vnto them for the same and by whom onely they are restored vnto the fauor of God and
similitude The fourth argument in Metaphysick Prouidence * Lucretius made diuers bookes against the workmanship of the world Galen lib. 5. de vsu part Lib. 3. de vsu part A wonderfull speeche of a Heathen Plotin lib. de proui The fift argument in Metaphysicke Immortalitie of the soule Plato lib. 10. de repub When the desire of our soule shal be satis-fied * Themist in lib de anima Plut. de placit Philoso The meaning of old Phylosophers touching Anima mundj Eccle. 12. The first argument of Morrall phylosophie * Tertullian handleth thys poynt excellently in Apolog. Seneca lib. 1. de ira Sueton in Callig The saying of Zeno touching the death of Atheists The reason why there can be but one GOD. Lact. lib. 2. diui instit cap. 2. Deus es non dij Plato ep 13. ad Dionys. Cyrillus lib. 2. contra Iulian. Plotinus Enneâ— 1. lib. 8.1 2. â—â— Eu. 6. lib. 4. cap. 12.3.4 Porphy lib. 2. de abst et lib. de occa cap. 21. Procl in theolo Platon et lib. de anima et Daem 1.31.42.53 Socrates Apuleius Alegus et Laerti in vita Socratis Aristotle and the Peripatetickes Iustin. in Apolo Arist. lib. de mundo Theo. in metaph Alex. Aphrod lib. de prouident Zeno and the Stoickes Plut. de oracul defect de tranq de quest Plat. Seneca de vita beat de prouid in epist. Epict. apud Arrianum The Academickes * So in thys time of varietie of sects Arnob. contrae gentes All old Phylosophers acknowledged one GOD. * Vide apud Plutarch de placitis Philos. Trismeg in Paemand et in Asclep The recollection of the first argument in Morrall Phylosophie Trismeg in Pâ—man cap 2.3 4.5.6 c In Asclep cap. 1. 2. 6. c. Cicero his opinion of the multitude of Panyme gods howe they were made The seconde argument of Morrall phylosophie Euery thing in this worlde hath a naturall desire to hys ende The felicitie of beastes Cic. lib. definib bonorum et malorum The contention of Phylosophers about the felicitie of man Aug. lib 19. de ciuit cap. 1. The sentence of Plato in Phaedon How nothing in thys life can be our felicitie Howe farre Morrall phylosophie reacheth in determining mans felicitie Plato in Phaed. Plotinus Enu 1. lib. 4. cap. 1. The thyrd argument in Morrall Phylosophie touching reward punishment * See of thys matter Sociates in apolog Plato in Cratill et in Gorgia et in phaed. et in li. 10. de legibus Plut. de Sera numinis vindicta others The people of Israell Gods partage Diuers things whereby the Iewes shewe GOD. Comfortable to heare the certaintie of Scriptures declared Antiquitie * Iosephus lib. 10. contra Appion handleth thys at large * Eusebius assigneth them 570. in Chron. Euphemerus Missen in Genealo Deorum Cic. de natâ—â—a Deorum Euse. lib. 9. de praep Euang. cap. 2.3.4 Theyr manner of writing and conseruing How scriptures were authorised The care of conseruation The estimation that the Iewes had of theyr Scriptures The sinceritie of the writers The liues and deathes of the Prophets * See Epiphan de vitis propheta A peculier coÌ„sideration of Moses first writer in the Bible Euseb. lib. 9. et 10. de prep Euang. Ioseph lib. 1. de content Appio et L. 2. anti Exod. 3.4.8 The myraculous works of Moses Exodus 14. Exodus 16. Numb 11. Iosua 5. Psalme 77. Numb 16. Ioseph lib. 4. antiq cap. 2. â—t 3. Numb 16. Deut. 11. Psalm 1 25. The playne and sincere proceeding of Moses Numb 20. and 17. Deut. 31. Exodus 32. Genesis 49. Numb 12. Deuter. 14. Numb 27. Deute 3. Consent Foure considerations externall Considerations internall Their argument end Philosophers Hystoriographers Heathen Law-makers Deute 6. Prophets and Soothsayers Versifyers and Poets Psalme 17. The vehement loue of Dauid Psalme 72. Prophane writers treat onely of men Theyr style * See S. Augustine of this at large lib. 12. de ciuit Dei Simplicitie Profunditie Genesis 1. The grauitie and maiestie of speech in the scriptures Deut. 4. 16. and 22. The force of the scriptures in moouing of affections Flauius Iosephus de Antiq. Iudaic. See S. Ierom. lib. de scrip Ecclesi Genesis 22. Iudges 11. Two myracles reported by Aristaeus Aristaeus libello de translat Bibliorum et apud Euse. lib. 8. dâ— praep euang cap. 1. Theopompus Theodectes The Contents High doctrines The prophecies in scripture doe declare theyr Authour Esay 41 23. Howe the deuils and other creatures may fore-tel things to come The opinion of a HeatheÌ„ touching the prophecies of hys gods Porphy lib. de resp et oracu Oenomaus de falsitate oraculorum et de artificibus maleficijs Deceitfull Oracles Euseb. lib. 5. de praep euange capit 10. The circumstaunces of prophecies set downe in the scriptures Gene. 12. 13. 15. 17. 18. c. Gene. 15. Exodus 1â— Gala. 3. * Porphy lib. 4. contra Christia Appion lib. 4. contra Iudaeos Genesis 49. Iosephus de antiq lib. 14. Vulikelihoods of this prophecie Exodus 2 Iosua 19. 1 Regum 1 and 8. 1. Regum 9. * Dauid 1 Regum 16 3 Regu 12 2. Para. 11. The wonderful prouidence of God towards the house of Iuda Eusebius in Chron. Genesis 48. Iosua 16. 17. Ecclesi 47. Esay 7. 28. Ieremie 31. Ezechiel 37. Osee. 5. Genesis 49. Iosua 14. Exod. 12. Galâ— 3. Acts. 13. Numb 34. 35. 36. Iosua 15.16.17 Deut. 31. 32. Deu. 32. v. 21 Iosuaâ— 6 3 Reg. 16. 3 Regum 12 3 Reg. 13. Disobedience punished greeuously in Gods deerest 4 Reg. 23 Chap. 23. Hieron in prolog Galeat 4. Reg. 20. verse 17. Esay 5. 4. Reg. 20. Esay 13. Esay 24. Esay 25. * This he saith for that Cyrus was an Infidel Esay 13. Esay 8 v. 2. Iere 26 v. 20 Zach 1 v. 1. Circumstances of certaine trueth Iere. 37. v. 16 Iere. 38. v. 3. Ieremie 39. 4. Reg. 24.25 Iere. 25. v. 11. The yeeres foretold of the captiuitie of Babylon Iere 24 v 5 c Iere 29 v. 10 1 Esdras 1. 2. 3 Esdras 2. Daniell 9. verse 1 Gentiles beleeued the Scripture 1. Esdras 1. 3. Esdras 2. The prophecies of Daniel Daniell 5. Daniell 11. * Behold three Kings shal yet stand in Persia and the fourth shall be rich aboue all the rest Daniell 11. verse 2. Iustin. hist. lib. 12. et 13. The four Mâ—narchies of Assyrians Persians Grecians and Romans Daniell 2. Daniell 8. The fore-telling of great Alexander Iosephus lib. 1. de antiq Iudaic. capit 8. What manner of persons our Prophets were Ptolom in lib. de fructu Moses Narbon in li. Abubacher et Auampare Roger. Baco lib. de sex scient experimentalib Amos 1. Exod. 1â— Iudg. 5. 1 Reg 2 Luke 1 2. Acts. 21. Approbation of Heathen wryters Genesis 1. and 2. Gene. 6,7,8 Ioseph lib. 1 de antiq Iudaic. Eusebius lib 9. de praep euang capit 4. Genesis 5 10 and 11. Genesis 11. Eusebius li. 9. de praepar cap. 4. Marke thys reason