A Vindication OF THE Holy Scriptures. Or the Manifestation of JESUS CHRIST The true MESSIAH Already Come. Being the Christians Antidote against the poisons of Judaism and atheism of this present Age. Proved out of Sacred Scripture, Ancient Historians, and Jewish Rabbins. By that Learned, and late Eminent Divine, JOHN HARRISON. LONDON, Printed by J. M. and sold by J. Benson, and J. Playford, at their shops in Dunstan's churchyard, and in the Inner Temple. 1656. The author's EPISTLE To the forlorn and distressed Jews in Barbary; and in them, to all others now groaning under the heavy yoke of Captivity, in what Nation soever; scattered and dispersed throughout the world. Grace, Mercy, and Peace be multiplied, in Christ Jesus the true Messiah. BEing employed not long since into Barbary, the land of your Captivity, where at this present you live in great Bondage and Slavery, and so have done this long time (as do also the rest of your Brethren and Nation elsewhere, dispersed throughout the world, Accounting from their first entrance to the day of their departure thence. Exo. 12.40. groaning under the yoke of their cruel taskmasters, as did your forefathers in the land of Egypt four hundred and thirty years; this Captivity of yours having continued now almost four times four hundred years; the last and greatest of all, than the which was never heard nor read of greater of any people, from the Creation of the World to this day, nor shall be) The King at that time of my arrival, upon his expedition towards Fez, I appointed to stay at Saphia till his return back from those wars; where I remained in the lower Castle almost six months, solitary, and in suspense, expecting the doubtful event thereof. Whether resorted to me often to accompany me, and for my better instruction in the Hebrew (whereof I had a little taste before) one of the chief Rabbins of that your Synagogue, Rabbi Shimeon, a man of grave and sober carriage, and pleasant otherwise, of whose company I was very glad. Now and then (among other matters) arguing and reasoning of the Messiah (as ye say, yet to come, but as we say, and are able to prove, by invincible arguments and demonstrations, both out of your own Law and Rabbins, already come) which gave me occasion (having little else to do, and not knowing how to pass that tedious time better) to gather together all those arguments and reasons I had read, or for the present could conceive of myself, drawn out of the sacred Scripture, and other Books, as touching that controversy. Whereby I might be the more able, over and besides the matter of employment and business I came about, to maintain that Religion professed in my Country, and the undoubted Faith, whereof his Majesty, the King of great Britain (as others his Predecessors have done) pro●●ss●th himself a chief Defender; according to that his most just Title, Defender of the Faith. And afterwards, when the King sent for me to Morocco, being lodged amongst you by his appointment in the Judaria, in one of your principal houses; where I stayed, before I could get a dispatch from the King, three months and an half; where also I grew familiarly acquainted with divers of your Nation and was presented at sundry times (especially at your Marriages and solemn Feasts) with divers of your Dainties, which I took very kindly, and ever since have studied what Christian Dainties I might send you back again in recompense; or rather Duties instead of those Dainties. Seeing also in the mean time (which I could not choose but see with much pity and compassion) the great and grievous oppression under which you groan; taxations, vexations, exactions; grammings (as you call them) even with torments rather than fail; drubbings (so many hundred blows at once, as myself have both seen and heard) with that base servile and most contemptible state and condition (otherwise above any other Nation or People) under which you live: not only in Barbary, but in all other parts of the world besides, as a fatal effect of that heavy curse laid on you by your own forefathers long ago upon the death of Christ (when Pilate the Judge washed his hands, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just man, look ye to it) they cried with one consent, his blood be upon us, and on our children. As also of that prophecy of our Saviour in his life time, when he wept over Jerusalem, saying, Oh if thou hadst even known, at the least in this thy day, those things which belong to thy Peace, but now are they hid from thine eyes, &c. And more particularly to his Disciples, he reneweth it over and again; When ye shall see Jerusalem besieged with soldiers, then know ye that her desolation is at hand. For these be the days of vengeance, to fulfil all things that are written. For there shall be great distress in this land, and wrath over this people. And they shall fall on the edge of the Sword, and shall be led captive into all Nations, &c. Which heavy curse of your own forefathers, and prophecy of his, how truly they have been fulfilled both the one and the other, all the world seeth, and ye yourselves feel the effect, as before. The Lord in mercy take away the veil from your hearts, that at length ye may know those things which belong to your peace, which now are hid from your eyes: For why will ye die, O ye house of Israel? These considerations (I say) and reasons, with some others, have moved me; and partly in recompense of those your Defina's and Dainties, whereof I tasted so often while I was amongst you, to send you here a small banquet, of such Dainties as Christendom can afford; wishing you would but taste some part of mine (as I did of yours) being indeed Sabbath days dainties: taste (I say) and see how sweet the Lord is. Psal. 34.8. And the rather do I invite you to this Banquet, yea rather provoke you thereunto, Rom. 11.11. even to your own salvation, which through your fall is come to us Gentiles to provoke you; as it as in that place, for that now the time of your redemption draweth near (with ours, much nearer now than when we believed) foretold also both by Christ and his Apostles, as was your desolation; and shall one day as surely and certainly come to pass, the one as the other. For God that hath promised, is of power to perform it, he will do it; He is able to graft you in again into your own Olive Tree. Luk. 13.35. Verily I tell you (saith our Saviour to the Pharisees) ye shall not see me, until the time come, that ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Therefore such a time shall come, without all doubt, wherein ye shall so say, that is to say, most willingly obey the heavenly calling, without any more resisting the holy Ghost, Acts 7.51. Luk. 21.24. as did your forefathers, Also in another place, And Jerusalem shall be trodden under foot of the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled: So long, and no longer, there is the period. And Paul the Apostle in a most fervent manner, both prayeth and prophesieth to this effect: Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, Rom. 10.1. that they might be saved. Then prophesieth at large in the chapter following, and that most divinely, as of their fall, so of their general call in due time, with many arguments and reasons to that purpose. Which Prayer and prophecy of h●●, proceeding from a Divine Instinct and Revelation, no doubt shall one day take effect. For it cannot be but that the word of God should take effect. For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first, and also to the Grecian: To the Jew first, there is the promise, there is the privilege. Lift up your heads now therefore O ye Jews, sons of Abraham, children of the promise, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, Rom. 9.4. and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the promises: of whom are the Fathers and of whom concerning the flesh, Christ came. I say, lift up your heads, and listen to the heavenly calls of Christ and his Apostle Paul, For your Redemption draweth near. This is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek thy face: Psal. 24.6. Jacob, Selah. Lift up your heads ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in. And let us Christians also (upon whom the ends of the world are come) lift up our heads and know (remembering that parable of the figtree) when we see these things begin to come to pass, Luk. 21.28. that the Kingdom of God is near, even at the doors. Mat. 24.32. Verily, I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be done: Acts 20.32 Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. They are the words of our Saviour. And now Brethren (to return to Paul) I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Psal. 51.18. Be favourable unto Zion, for thy good pleasure build the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of righteousness, even the burnt Offering and Oblation, then shall they offer Calves upon thine Altar. Psal. 53.6. O give salvation unto Israel out of Zion; when God turneth the captivity of his people, then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. Psal. 126.1 When the Lord brought again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream; then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with joy: Then said they among the Heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. Psa. 106.47. The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice. O Lord bring again our Captivity, as the Rivers in the South. Psal. 90.15. Save us (O Lord our God) and gather us from among the heathen, that we may praise thine holy Name, and glory in thy praise. Psa. 102.13. Comfort us according to the days that thou hast afflicted us, and according to the years that we have seen evil. Thou wilt arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to have mercy thereon, for the appointed time is come. For thy servants delight in the stones thereof, and have pity on the dust thereof. Then the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord, and all the Kings of the Earth thy glory: When the Lord shall build up Zion, and shall appear in his glory: and shall turn unto the Prayer of the desolate, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come, and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord, for he hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary, out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth: That he might hear the mourning of the Prisoner, and deliver the children appointed unto death; that they may declare the Name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem. For God will save Zion, and build the Cities of Judah, Psal. 69.35. that men may dwell there, and have it in possession: The seed also of his servants shall inherit it, and they that love his Name shall dwell therein. Surely the Lord will not fail his people, Psal. 105.8. neither will he forsake his Inheritance. Psal. 94.24. He hath always remembered his Covenant and promise, that he made to a thousand generations. Psal. 74.2: Thou wilt think upon thy Congregation which thou hast possessed of old, and on the rod of thine Inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, and on mount Zion wherein thou hast dwelled. Yea when the Lord turneth again the captivity of his people, which will be when they turn unto him by hearty repentance, not before; & 107.6. when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, he delivered them out of their distress; then will he make even their very enemies to become their friends, and give them grace and favour in the sight of all those Kings and Princes under whom they now live, and groan in most miserable slavery and bondage (as in their former captivities may be observed) He saw when they were in affliction, & 106.44. and heard their cry. He remembered his Covenant towards them, and repented, according to the multitude of his mercies, and gave them favour in the sight of all them that led them captive; Prov. 21: 1 for the hearts of Kings are in the hands of the Lord, as the Rivers of waters, he turneth them which way soever it pleaseth him. Ezra 1.1. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus' King of Persia (after that their seventy years' captivity in Babylon, chap. 6.1. as also Darius and others, to write in their behalf, sundry most favourable Edicts for their return into their own Country again, with large liberality for the re-edifying of the Temple of God in Jerusalem: For the Lord had made them glad, chap. 6.22. and turned the heart of the King of Asshur unto them, to encourage them in the work of the house of God even the God of Israel. Therefore Ezra blesseth the Lord for all these extraordinary favours, chap. 7.28. saying, blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers, which so hath put in the King's heart to beautify the House of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, &c. Yea rather than fail of his promised deliverance to his people, when they cry unto him in their distress, Psa. 105.14. He will rebuke even Kings for their sakes: As he did Pharaoh King of Egypt, in the days of old; with this peremptory command by the hand of Moses over and over; Exod. 7.16▪ & 8.1.20. & 9.1.13. & 10.3. Let my people go, that they may serve me, or if thou wilt not, &c. inflicting upon them one plague after another, till at length they were forced to drive them away (as it is in that place) Rise up, Exo. 12.31. get you out from among my people, and go serve the Lord, as ye have said. And the Egyptians did force the people, because they would send them out of the Land in haste (for they said, we die all) giving them favour in the mean time in the sight of the Egyptians: Also Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, & 11.3. in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. Behold, & 7.1. I have made thee Pharaoh's God (saith the Lord) so he brought out Israel from among them, Psa. 136.11. Accounting the time as before. for his mercy endureth for ever; with a mighty hand, and outstretched arm, &c. after four hundred and thirty years' captivity in Egypt. And when the four hundred and thirty years were expired, even the self same day departed all the hosts of the Lord out of the land of Egypt. Exo. 12.41, And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, & 13.21. and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. He divided the Sea in two parts, Psa. 236.13. and made Israel to pass through the midst of it, and overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the red Sea, for his mercy endureth for ever. So leading them through the wilderness, and feeding them forty years with Manna from heaven; till at length he brought them safe and sound (as it were upon eagle's wings) maugre all difficulties and oppositions of enemies whatsoever, even to the promised Land of Canaan, the lot of their Inheritance. Where thy continued in peace and prosperity so long as they served him, and kept his Commandments; but when once they sinned against him (or rather as often as they sinned, for it was not once, but often) and forgot the Lord their God, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of Bondage: then he suffered their enemies to prevail against them, and tyrannize over them, sometimes one, and sometimes another, till at length they were carried captives to Babylon. Yet ever (as the Burden of that Psalm is) when they cried to the Lord in their trouble, he delivered them out of their distress, raising up from time to time Judges as he did Moses and Joshua at the first, Judg. 2.16 which delivered them out of the hands of their Oppressors. Othoniel, Judg. 3.7. who delivered them out of the hands of the King of Aram, as it is in that place, where it is said, That the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served Baalim; therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim, King of Aram, whom they served eight years. But when they cried unto the Lord the Lord stirred them up a Saviour, even Othoniel, &c. So the land had rest forty years. Ehud, chap. 3: 12. who delivered them out of the hand of Eglon, King of Moab. Then the children of Israel again committed wickedness in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon King of Moab, &c. So they served Eglon King of Moab eighteen years. But when they cried unto the Lord, the Lord stirred them up a Saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, &c. So the land had rest eighty years. And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, Judg. 3.30. which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an Ox-goad, and he also delivered Israel. Deborah and Barack who delivered them out of the hand of Jabin, & 4.1. King of Canaan. And the children of Israel began again to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, whose chief Captain was Sisera. Then the children of Israel cried to the Lord, &c. & 4.4. And at that time Deborah a Prophetess judged Israel; Then she sent and called Barack &c. And the Lord destroyed Sisera, and all his Chariots, &c. And the Land had rest forty years. & 5.31. Gedeon, who delivered them out of the hands of the Midianites. & 6.1. Afterward the children of Israel committed wickedness in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years, &c. So was Israel exceedingly, impoverished by the Midianites: & 6.6. therefore the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, &c. and he raised them another Saviour, even Gedeon, that valiant man, who with three hundred men (and no more) such as lapped water with their tongues (the rest sent away by the Lord's command) overthrew the whole host of Midian, Judg. 6.12. & 7.5. with this cry, & 7.20. The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon. & 8.28. Thus was Midian brought low before the children of Israel, so that they lift up their heads no more: And the Country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon. But when Gideon was dead, & 8.33. the children of Israel turned away, &c. and remembered not the Lord their God which had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side, &c. After him succeeded Abimelech his son, after Abimelech Tola: after Tola, Jair the Gileadite. After these arose Jepthe, who delivered them out of the hand of the Ammonites. & 10.6. And the children of Israel wrought wickedness again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, &c. and forsook the Lord, and served not him. Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and the Lord sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon, &c. Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, Judg. 10.10 &c. So the Lord raised them up another valiant man, even Jepthe. Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jepthe, &c. So Jepthe went unto the children o● Ammon to fight against them, & 11.1. & 11.29. and the Lord delivered them into his hands. Thus the children of Ammon were humbled before the children o● Israel. And Jepthe judged Israel six years. & 12.7. After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. After him Elon. After Elon, & 13.1. Abdon But the children of Israel continued to commit wickedness in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines forty years. Then God raised up Samson, who with the Jaw bone of an Ass slew a thousand of the Philistines at once. & 25.15. v●i. 20. And be judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. Thus may we see by at these examples (and make use thereof, if we be wise) what the state and condition of God's people hath been ever of ●old, the effect in brief, or burden of the Song, nothing else but this: When they sinned against the Lord, he delivered them into the hands of their enemies: but when they cried to the Lord in their trouble (that is to say, repented) he straightway delivered them out of their distress, raising up from time to time one Saviour or Deliverer after another, and so immediately governing them by Judges till the day of Samuel. When this people growing worse and worse, and not contented with this sacred kind of Government, immediately from God himself, but desiring a King like all other Nations: Make us a King to judge us, like all other Nations: He gave them a King in his anger, saying to Samuel: Hear the voice of the people in all that they shall say unto thee; 1 Sam. 8.5. for they have not cast thee away, but they have cast me away, that I should not reign over them, &c. And as before under the Judges, so now under the Kings still as they sinned and multiplied their transgressions, so did the Lord inflict and multiply upon them his judgements one plague after another, till at length they were carried captives into Babylon. After which long captivity, yet restored again upon their repentance, the time was not long, but they fell again to their old bias, and forgot the Lord their God, which had done so great things for them▪ yea, rather now worse than ever, persecuting the Prophets from time to time, whom God raised up amongst them, and killing them one after another, even till the coming of the Messiah, and him also they crucified. Whereupon ensued this last and final desolation as the full measure of their sine deserved, and as themselves desired, saying, His blood be upon us, and upon our children; which hath continued now almost these sixteen hundred years; the longest captivity, and greatest misery that ever happened to any people; and, so shall continue, till they (as did their forefathers) turn to the Lord by true and hearty repentance, & cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and then will the Lord deliver them out of their distress, according to the former examples, and not before. And this is the state and condition of the Jews at this day the miserable state I say, with the cause and the remedy which God grant they may make use of, Amen. AN alarum TO THE JEWS, Or the MESSIAH already come. FIrst for the promises and prophecies of old, as touching the coming of a Messiah, whom we call CHRIST, both they and we agree; both of us reading daily in our Churches and Synagogues, teaching and holding for canonical the very self same Scriptures, even the Law and the Prophets. In so much that the Gentile is often times enforced to marvel, when he seeth a people so extremely bent one against another, as the Jews are against Christians, and yet do stand so peremptorily in defence of those very principles, which are the proper causes of their disagreement, But in the Interpretation and Application thereof ariseth all the controversy, they understanding and applying all things literally and carnally to their long looked for Messiah yet for to come: We after a Spiritual manner, understanding all those promises and prophecies to be most truly and real● fulfilled in the person of our blesse● Messiah already come, they expecting a temporal King to rule and conquer in this world, we acknowledging a spiritual King, whose Kingdom is not of this world, as himself did many times protest while he was in the world: My kingdom is not of this world. To begin with Adam, and so forward. God's promise to Adam. THe first promise, as touching the Messiah is this made to Adam after his ●all, Gen. 3.15 for the restoring of mankind to wit that the seed of the Woman should break the serpent's head, that is to say, one of her seed to be born in time, should conquer the Devil, Death and Sin, as the ancient Jews understand this place, which being a spiritual conquest, and against a spiritual enemy the Devil, he (I mean the Messiah) must needs be a spiritual, and consequently not a temporal King, as the Jews imagine. God's promise to Abraham. THe second to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, often repeated. To Abraham, Gen. 12.3. In thee shall all the Families of the earth be blessed. To Isaac, Gen. 26.4. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. To Jacob Gen. 28: 14. In thee and in thy seed shall all the Families of the earth be blessed. Therefore the Gentiles as well as the Jews, the blessing is general without exception, all the Families of the earth, all Nations, no Prerogative of the Jew, no exception of the Gentile, as touching the Messiah, I mean the benefit of this so general and great a blessing, though otherwise much every way, Rom. 3.2. Rom. 9.4. as the Apostle reasoneth to the Romans. Whereupon I infer as before, that the Messsiah must be a spiritual, and not a temporal King: otherwise it had been but a very small benediction to Abraham, or others after him (who never saw their Messiah actually) if he must have been only a temporal King, and much less blessing had been to us Gentiles, if this Messiah of the Jews must have been a worldly and temporal Monarch, to destroy and subdue all those Nations formerly blessed (and blessed shall they be) to the servitude of Jury, as the latter Teachers do imagine. The prophecy of Jacob. THe third, (which confirmeth the former) is the prophecy of Jacob at his death, Gen. 49.10. the rod or sceptre shall not depart from Judah. nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, till Shiloh come, and the People or Nations shall be gathered unto him. Which the Chalde Paraphrase, as also Onkelos, both of singular authority among the Jews, do interpret thus. Until Christ or the Messiah come (which is the hope and expectation of all Nations, as well Gentiles as Jews) the government shall not cease in the House or Tribe of Juda. Whence I infer the same conclusion as before, that if the Messiah must be the hope and expectation, as well of the Gentiles as of the Jews, then can he not be a temporal King to destroy the Gentiles, as the latter Jews would have it, but a spiritual King, as before hath been declared. Secondly, if the temporal Kingdom of the house of Juda, whereof the Messiah must come, shall cease and be destroyed at his coming, and not before, that being a certain sign of the time of his manifestation, how then can the Jews expect yet a temporal King for their Messiah, the sceptre already departed and gone, their Kingdom and Priesthood defaced, their City and Temple destroyed, themselves scattered amongst all Nations, and so have continued almost this sixteen hundred years, yea such a fatal and final desolation by God's just judgement brought upon that woeful Nation, and that not many years after the death and passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Luk. 19.42 according to his prophecy in his life time, as may fully settle our faith in this point. The prophecy of Moses. THe fourth is that of Moses to the people of Israel, Dut. 18.13 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet like unto me, from among you, even of thy brethren, unto him ye shall harken, &c. and in the verses following, Ver. 18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee (saith God to Moses) and will put my words into his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him, and whosoever will not harken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. Which words cannot be understood of any other Prophet that ever lived after Moses amongst the Jews; but only of the Messiah, as appeareth most plainly in another place in Deutrenomy, where it is said, There arose not a Prophet in Israel like unto Moses, Deut. 34.30 whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the miracles and wonders which the Lord sent him to do, &c. no such Prophet except the Messiah ever after to be expected: but the Messiah he it is that must match and overmatch Moses every way, he must be a man as Moses was in respect of our infirmities, even according as the people of Israel themselves desired the Lord in Horeb, saying, Deut. 18.14 " Let me hear the voice of the Lord God no more, Deu. 18.16. nor see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord said unto Moses, they have well spoken, I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee. &c. He must be a lawgiver, as Moses was, but of a far more perfect Law, as hereafter shall appear, he must be such a one whom the Lord hath known face to face, as he did Moses, but of a far more divine nature. Isa. 53.8. For as it is in Isaiah, Who shall declare his age? Lastly, he must be approved to the world by miracles, signs and wonders, as Moses was, which the Lord shall send him to do, as he did Moses. But no such Prophet hath ever yet appeared in the world, nor ever shall, who hath so fitly answered this type, so perfectly observed the Law of Moses (which Moses himself could not do) giving us instead thereof a far more excellent Law, as was prophesied long before, that he should. And finally, so miraculously approved himself to the world, to be sent from God, by signs and wonders done both by himself and his Apostles, as hereafter shall appear) except this Christ which we profess, therefore he alone is the true Messiah, and no other to be expected. The prophecy of David. THe fift, is the prophecy of David, a type also of the Messiah, who for that he was a holy man, a man after God's own heart, out of whose lineage the Messiah was to come, had this Mystery most manifestly revealed unto him, for the assurance whereof as of a great mystery, even that of Christ and his Church, God bindeth himself by an Oath, saying, Psal. 89.3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I establish for ever, and set up thy Throne from generation to generation, Selah. Which words although the lattter Jews will apply to King Solomon (and so in some sort they may, for that he also was a type of the Messiah) yet properly these words, I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever, 2 Sam. 7.13 so often repeated, cannot be verified of Solomon, whose earthly Kingdom was rent and torn in pieces, straight after his death, by Jer●boam, and not long after, as it were extinguished, but they must needs be understood of an eternal King and Kingdom, 1 King. 12, as must also those other words of God in the Psalms: Psal. 2.7. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, ask of me, and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession, Thou shalt crush them with a rod of Iron, and break them in pieces like a potter's Vessel: which prophecy was never fulfilled in Solomon, nor in any other temporal King in Jury after him. And much less this that followeth, Psal. 72.5. They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and Moon endureth, from Generation to Generation. In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth. Vers. 7. His dominion also shall be from Sea, to Sea, and from the River unto the ends of the Earth. They that dwell in the Wilderness shall kneel before him, and his enemies shall slick the dust. The Kings of Tharshish, and of the Isles shall bring presents: the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts, yea all Kings shall worship him, all Nations shall serve him. His Name shall be for ever, his Name shall endure as long as the Sun, all Nations shall be blessed in him, and shall bless him. And blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel, which only doth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious Name for ever, and let all the Earth be filled with his glory, Amen, Amen. And so he endeth; as it were, in a trance, ravished beyond measure, with the sweet and Heavenly contemplation of this spiritual and everlasting Kingdom of the Messiah, for to him, and to no other can all these Circumstances, and Hyperbolical speeches of David (rapt with the Spirit of prophecy) properly and primarily appertain, though literally the Jews understand them of Solomon, as they do many other places in like case, applying them only to the type, never looking to the substance, whereof those types and fitures were but shadows and semblances; God of his mercy in his good time take away the veil from their hearts, that at length they may see the true Solomon in all his royalty, not any longer to grope at noon days, winking with their eyes against the clear Sun like their forefathers, as it is in Isaiah: a most fearful judgement of God laid upon that Nation of old, objected to them many times and oft, both by Christ and his Apostles, but in vain, Go and say unto this people, Isa. 6.5. ye shall hear indeed but shall not understand, ye shall plainly see and not perceive, make the heart of this people fat, make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert And be healed. Whereupon ensueth (even upon this winking and wilful obstinacy) a most severe denunciation of final desolation. Lord how long (saith the Prophet) and he answered, until the Cities be wasted without inhabitant, the houses without a man, and the Land be utterly desolate, &c. But yet a tenth reserved to return, a holy seed remainig in due time to be converted. This judgement and desolation hath been a long time upon them, they feel it and groan under the burden of it, as their forefathers did in Egypt under Pharaoh, and yet winking, shut their eyes, and will not see it, I mean, acknowledge the true cause of these so great judgements revealed from Heaven upon them, even the contempt of God's holy Prophets sent unto them from time to time, but especially of the Messiah, whose blood lieth heavily upon them, even to this day, as their forefathers desired, His blood be upon us and on our Children, which all the world seeth is come to pass yea they themselves feel it, yet winking with their eye they will not see it. But there is a tenth to return, &c. The rest which will not this Messiah to reign over them, let them look into that Parable in the Gospel, there shall they find a far more fearful destruction denounced then the former. The first being but for a time, but a type of the other, but a beginning of woes, the other eternal, for ever and ever. The first he pronounceth with tears over Jerusalem, the second he denounceth as an angry Judge, provoked at length to execute his fierce wrath upon them, without any compassion at all. His words are these, Luk. 19.27 Moreover, those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither, and slay them before me. Which words of our Saviour although they will in no wise believe, no more than they did the former, yet shall they find his words one day, as truly fulfilled to them in the one as they have done already in the other. And howsoever hitherto they have esteemed of him as a false Prophet, a Deceiver, yet hath he been to them but too true a Prophet in all their calamities both first and last. And so after this long digression I come to the next. The prophecy of Jeremy. THe sixt, which confirmeth the former, is that of Jer. 23.5. Behold the days come, saith the Lord that I will raise up unto David a righteous branch, and a King shall reign, &c. And this is the name whereby they shall call him, The Lord our righteousness. This was spoken of David's seed about 400. years after David was dead and buried, which proveth manifest, that the former promises were not made unto him for Solomon his Son, or any other temporal King of his line, but only for the Messiah, who was called so peculiarly the Son and Seed of David. The prophecy of Ezekiel. THe seventh which also confirmeth the other, is that of Ezek. 34.23. I will set up a Shepherd over them, he shall feed them, even my servant David, &c. In which words the Jews themselves do confess in their Talmud, that their Messiah is called by the name of David, for that he shall descend of the seed of David, and so it must needs be, for that King David being dead so long before, could not now come again in his own person to feed them himself. The prophecy of Isaiah. THe eighth is the prophecy of Isaiah, 2.2. It shall be in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all Nations shall flow unto it, &c. For the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge among the Nations. Which very words Michah repeateth, Chap. 4.1. and are applied there as also here unto the Messiah, they can have no other meaning, by the judgement of the Jews themselves. Isa. 4.2. In that day shall the Bud of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent. Isa. 9.6. Unto us a Child is born, and unto us a Son is given, and the Government is upon his shoulders, he shall call his name Wonderful, counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the increase of his Government shall have none end. And in the 11. Chapter, There shall come a rod forth of the stock of Ishai, and a graft shall grow out of his root, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Behold your God cometh, &c. Then shall the eyes of the blind be lightened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened; then shall the same man leap like a Hart, and the dumb man's tongue shall sing, &c. Chap. 35.4.' And he said, It is a small thing that thou shouldst be my servant, to raise up the Tribes of Jacob, and to restore the desolations of Israel. I will also give thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou Mayst be my salvation unto the ends of the earth, Chap. 49.6. Out of all which places before alleged, I conclude, first the coming of a Messiah, which the Jews will not deny: secondly, that he must be King, as well of the Gentiles as of the Jews, which they cannot deny: thirdly, that he must be a spiritual & a temporal King, as they imagine. It followeth next to be proved, that he must be both God and man, even the Son of God: the second person in Trinity to be blessed for evermore, which also they shall not deny. That the Messiah must be both God and Man. THe Jews at the first agreed with us in all, or most points, as touching the Messiah for to come, denying only the fulfilling or application thereof in our Saviour, but since the latter Jews finding themselves not able to stand in that issue against us, they have devised a new plea, saying, that we attribute many things unto Jesus, that were not foretold of the Messiah to come, namely, that he should be God, and the Son of God, the second person in Trinity, which we will prove both by Scriptures, as also by the writings of their own forefathers. For Scriptures, it is evident by all (or the most) alleged before, that the Messiah must be God, even the Son of God, endued with man's nature, that is, both God and man. Genesis, where he is called the seed of the woman, it is apparent he must be man, and in the same place, where it is said, he shall break the serpent's head, who can do this but only God? So in Isaiah, Isa. 4.2. where he is called the bud of the Lord, his Godhead is signified, and when he is called the fruit of the earth, his Manhood. Isa. 7.14. And so in another place. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bare a Son and thou shalt call his name Immanuel, that is to say, God with us; which name can agree to none, but to him that is both God and man. And who can interpret these speeches, That his Kingdom shall be everlasting, Isa. 9 That his name shall be for ever, it shall endure as long as the Sun and the Moon. That all Kings shall worship him, all Nations serve him, Psa. 72 worship him all ye Gods, Ps. 97. That no man can tell his age, Isa. 53, That he must sit at the right hand of God, Ps. 110. Who, I say, can understand or interpret them but of God, seeing in man they cannot be verified, with which place of Scripture the Evangelists do report, that Jesus did put to silence divers of the learned Pharisees: for, saith he, If the Messiah be David's Son, how did David call him Lord? signifying thereby, that albeit he was to be David's Son, as he was man yet was he to be David's Lord, as he was God, and so do both Rab. Jonathan, and their own public Commentaries interpret this place. Michah 5.2 Michah is plain, His going forth is from the beginning, and from everlasting. And Isaiah is bold to proclaim him by his own name, even God, and to give him his right stile, with all additions, (as Herolds to great Kings and Princes use to do) He shall call his name Wonderful, councillor, Isa. 9.6. the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace, &c. In vain therefore is that objection of the Jews, that El, or Elohim, signifying God, is sometimes a plied to a creature, here it cannot be so, nor in the next place following, Ps. 45.6. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever. &c. Wherefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows: Which cannot, be applied to Solomon, but as a type of the Messiah. Howsoever the name JEHOVAH, which is of such reverence among the Jews, that they dare not pronounce it, but in place thereof read Adonai, that I am sure they will never grant to belong to any creature. Then what say they to that of Jer. 23.6. where the Messiah is called in plain terms Jehovah, And this is the name whereby they shall call him, Jehovah our righteousness. So likewise Chap. 33.16. over again is he called by the same name Jehovah our righteousness. And so do the ancient Jews themselves expound this place, namely, Rabbi Abba, who asketh the question what the Messiah shall be called, and answereth out of this place, he shall be called the Eternal Jehovah. The like doth Misdrasch, upon the first verse of the 20. Psalm. And Rabbi Moses Hadersan upon Gen. 41 expounding that of Zephany 3 9 concludeth thus: In this place Jehovah signifieth nothing else but the Messiah. And so did one of the Jews at unawares acknowledge to me, alleging that place out of the psalms, The Lord doth build up Jerusalem, &c. that their Messiah at his coming should build a new City and Sanctuary, much more glorious than the former. So did he also interpret that place of Hag. 2.10. of a third Temple. Whereupon I inferred, seeing in those words he alleged, The Lord doth build up Jerusalem, the Hebrew word is Jehovah, therefore by his own interpretation the Messiah must be Jehovah which he could not well shift off, but said that Adonai (for Jehovah they dare not name) must there be understood, which point of the Godhead of the Messiah the most ancient Jews did ever acknowledge, proving by sundry places of Scripture, not only that he should be the Son of God, but also the word of God incarnate. First that he should be the Son of God, they prove out of Gen. 49.10. The sceptre shall not depart &c. till Shiloh come. Which Rabbi Kimhi proveth to signify his Son, that is the Son of God Oat of Isaiah, Isa. 4.2. where he is called,' The bud of the Lord Out of the Psalms, where it is said, Psal. 2.7. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And a little after' Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish, blessed are all they that trust in him. Which last words cannot be understood of the Son of any man, for it is written, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, Jer. 17.5. Secondly, that he shall be the Word of God, they prove out of Isaiah, as also out of Hosea, Hos. 1.7. where it is said, I will save them by the Lord their God. Jonathan translateth it thus, I will save them by the Word of their God. So where it is said, The Lord said to my Lord, Psal. 110.1. sit at my right hand, &c. The Lord said to his Word, Psal. 107.20 sit at my right hand. Also where it is said, He sent his Word and healed them. Rabbi Isaac Arama upon Gen. 47. expoundeth it to be meant of the Messiah, that shall be God's Word: So likewise that of Job, Job 19.16. I shall see God in my flesh, &c. Rabbi Simeon upon Gen. 10. gathereth thereupon, that the Word of God, shall take flesh woman's womb. Another out of these words; Deut. 6.4. Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, proveth the blessed Trinity, saying, by the first Jehovah, is signified God the Father, by the next, which is Elohim, God the Son, and by the other Johovah, God the Holy Ghost proceeeding of them both: to all which is added the word one; to signify, that these three are indivisible, but this secret (saith he) shall not be revealed until the coming of the Messiah. These are the words of Rabbi Ibda, reported by Rabbi Simeon in a Treatise called Zoar, of great authority among the Jews, where also they said Rabbi Simeon, interpreteth those words of Isaiah, Holy, Holy Holy, Lord God of Hosts, in this manner. Isaiah by repeating three times Holy (saith he) doth signify as much as if he had said, Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit: which three Holies do make but one Lord God of Hosts, which mystery of the blessed Trinity. Rabbi Hacadosch gathereth out of the very letters of JEHOVAH, Ier. 13.6. upon those words of Jeremy before recited, the two natures of the Messiah, both Divine and human, his two filiations, the one whereby he must be the Son of God, the other whereby he must be the Son of Man: concluding thereupon, that in him there shall be two Distinct Natures, and yet shall they make but one Christ, which is the same that we Christians hold. Philo that learned Jew shall end this first consideration, touching the Nature and Person of the Messiah, as himself writeth in his Book De Exulibus, By tradition we have it, saith he, that we must expect the death of an high Priest, which Priest shall be the very Word of God, void of all sin, whose Father shall be God, and this Word shall be the father's wisdom, by which all things in this world were created, &c. Therefore the Messiah must be both God and Man, both by the Scriptures, as also by their own Writers they cannot deny it. That the Messiah must change the Law of Moses. AS the Messiah must be both God and Man, even the natural and only begotten Son of God, and the very Word of God incarnate, void of all sin, able to satisfy the wrath of his Father, and to fulfil the Law of Moses for us: which Moses himself could not do, nor any other after him. It was a burdensome law to the Children of Israel, Acts. 15.10 A yoke which neither they nor their forefathers were able to bear: so having once in his own person most exactly accomplished the same here on earth, together with all Rites, Ceremonies, prophecies, Types, Figures and Circumstances, of his coming clearly fulfilled in him, and by him. It was necessary (I say) the substance being once come, those shadows and ceremonies should cease and be abolished, I mean the ceremonial Law totally, for as touching the moral Law, or the Commendments he saith, I came not to destroy the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them, only thus far hath he abolished that too, he hath taken away the curse of it, hanging it on his cross; even the hand writing that was against us, together with himself crucified. This ceremonial Law of Moses (I say) consisting of such a multitude of Ceremonies, Figures, Types, Sacrifices, &c. all of them for the most part pointing at the Messiah to come; for by those outward signs and services appointed by God to his people, they were still put in mind of his Covenant, and assured of his promise, that the Messiah should come. Moreover it being proper and peculiar to one only Nation in all the world, namely Jury, the exercise thereof permitted, but in one only place of that Country, namely Jerusalem, whither every man was bound to repair three times every year, to wit, at the Pasqua, Pentecost, and the Feast of Taberbernacles, there and nowhere else to offer sacrifice. I say this Law of Moses, being altogether Ceremonial, and peculiar to that Nation, it was necessary at the coming of the Messiah, the same should be abolished, and a more general and perfect Law given and established, a Law that should be common to all men, serve for all countries, times, places, and persons, otherwise how could the Gentiles be made partakers of the Covenant, as well as the Jews, how could all these nations so far distant from Jerusalem, repair thrice every year thither, how should every woman dwelling in the East or west India's repair thither for her purification, after every Childbirth, as by the Law of Moses she was commanded, Levit. 12. Therefore it is manifest, that this Law of Moses was given to continue but for a time even till the coming of the Messiah, and then another to come in place to continue, till the world's end. This signified Moses to the people, after he had delivered the former Law to them, saying, The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet like unto me, from among you, even of thy brethren, Deu. 18.15. unto him shalt thou harken. As if he had said, ye shall hear me till he come, who must be a Lawgiver as myself but of a far more absolute and perfect Law, and therefore more to be reverenced and obeyed. And then he addeth in the person of God himself, this thundering sentence against all misbelievers: Whosoever will not harken unto my Word, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. Which words cannot be verified in any other Prophet after Moses until Christ, for that of those Prophets' there arose none in Israel like unto Moses, Deut. 34.10. They had no authority to be Lawgivers, as Moses had, but were all bound to the observation of his Law till Christ should come, whom Moses here calleth a Prophet like unto himself, that is, a Lawmaker, exhorting all men to hear and obey him. Hereunto the Prophets subscribe, none of them all presuming to take upon them that privilege to be like unto him. A Prophet like unto Moses, they must let that alone to the Messiah, whose office it is to change the Law of Moses, given upon mount Sinai, and in stead thereof to promulgate a new Law, to begin at Zion, as saith the Prophet Isaiah, The Law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Isa. 2.3. Which cannot be understood of Moses Law, published eight hundred years before this prophecy, and that from Sinai, not from Zion, but of the preaching of the Gospel, which began at Jerusalem, and from thence was spread over all the world. Which the same Isaiah foresaw, when talking of the Messiah, he saith, Isa. 29.28. In that day shall five Cities in the Land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, &c. In that day shall the Altar of the Lord be in the midst of the Land of Egypt, and a pillar by the border thereof, unto the Lord. And the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and do sacrifice and oblation, and shall vow vows, &c. which could not be verified of the Law of Moses, for by that Law, the Egyptians could have neither Altar nor Sacrifice, but it was fulfilled upon the coming of Christ, when the Egyptians were made Christians. Also in another place, And the Isles shall wait for his Law. The same was likewise foretold by God in Malachy, where he saith to the Jews, and of the Jewish Sacrifices, I have no pleasure in you, neither will I receive an offering at your hands, Isa. 42.4. Mal. 1.10. for from the rising of the Sun, until the going down of the same my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering, for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of Hosts. Wherein we see, first a reprobation of the Jewish Sacrifices, and consequently of the Law of Moses, which dependeth principally thereupon. Secondly, that among the Gentiles there should be a pure manner of Sacrifice, more grateful unto God than the other, not limited either in respect of time or place, as the Mosaical Law and Sacrifice was. For so saith God in Ezekiel, I gave them statutes which were not good, Ezek. 20.25 and judgements, wherein they shall not live, that is not good to continue perpetually, nor shall they live in them any longer, but till the time by me appointed. Of which time he determineth more particularly by Jeremiah in these word, Behold the days come, saith the Lord, Ier. 31.31 that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and Judah, not according to that Covenant which I made with their Fathers, &c. Where you see a new Covenant or Testament promised different from the old, Whereupon I conclude, the old Law of Moses by the Messiah must be changed into a New. The time of his manifestation with all other circumstances. NOw for the time of his manifestation, with all other circumstances, of his birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension and those things also that fell out afterwards, if we shall consider how particularly, and precisely they were all foretold by the Prophets, and how long before (some hundreds, some thousands of years) before they fell out; as also how exactly they were all fulfilled in the person of our blessed Saviour: all directed like so many lines to one centre: we shall (as it were in a mirror) see and behold both the truth of Christan Religion settled upon a most firm and unmovable centre; as also the vanity of all other Religions whatsoever, especially this most vain expectation of the Jews to this day, of their Messiah yet for to come, as vain and fond altogether, as was that opinion of one of the Philosophers which the word centre hath put me in mind of, that the Earth, forsooth, did move, and the Heavens stand still: and how far they are degenerate, not only from all true light and understanding in heavenly matters, but also even from common sense and reason itself in things of that nature tending thereunto. And first for the time. Daniel who lived in the first Monarchy, foretold that there should be three Monarchies more, the last the greatest of all, to wit, the Roman Empire, and then the Eternal King or Messiah should come, his words are these. In the days of these Kings, shall the God of Heaven sir up a Kingdom which shall I never be destroyed, Dan. 2.44. And just according to this time was the Messiah born, namely in the days of Augustus Cesar, Luk. 2. (as both we Christians account and the Jews acknowledge) even in those Halcyon days of peace, when the Temple gates of Janus were commanded to be shut, and upon that very day when Augustus commanded that no man should call him Lord, was this Prince of Peace born. Therefore to him agreeth this circumstance of time very fitly, most vainly therefore do the Jews after this time expect another. Secondly, Jacob who lived many years before, Gen. 49.10. prophesied of this time very precisely, as already hath been alleged, that the Messiah whom he there called Shiloh, should come at that time, when the sceptre or Government Regal was departed from the house of Judah, which was in the days of Herod, and never till then, who first usurped that government, his Father-in-Law King Hircanus with all his offspring of the blood Royal of Judah, together with the Sanhedrim put to death. The Genealogies of the Kings and Princes burned. A new pedigree for himself devised. In a word, all authority regal whatsoever belonging to that Tribe, at that time, quite extinguished. And just according to this time was our Saviour born, namely in the days of Herod, Mat. 2.1. Therefore to him agreeth this circumstance of time very fitly: most vainly therefore do the Jews after this time expect any longer. Thirdly, God himself saith by his Prophet Haggai, that the Messiah whom he there calleth The desired of all Nations: shall come in the time of the second Temple, which was then but new built, far inferior in stateliness and glory to the former built by Solomon, which the old men in the book of Ezra testify by their weeping when they saw this second Temple, Ezr. 3.12. and remembered the glory of the first. The words of the Lord by his Prophet Haggai, are these. Speak unto Zerubbabel, who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory, and how do you see it now? it is not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? yet now be of good cheer O Zerubbabel, for thus saith the Lord of Hosts, yet a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth, and the Sea, and the dry Land. And I will move all Nations, and the desire of all Nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of Hosts. The glory of this last house shall be greater than the first, &c. which must needs be understood of the coming of the Messiah, to wit, his personal presence in this second Temple, in whom is the fullness of glory, and therefore could he and none other, fill it with glory, being himself indeed the King of glory. Psal. 24.7 Lift up your heads O ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. So doth Malachy prophesy in these words. The Lord whom ye seek shall speedily come to his Temple, Mal. 3.1. even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye desire, behold he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts, &c. And so indeed he did, for Christ Jesus came into the world during this second Temple, and did himself likewise foretell the destruction thereof, which came to pass even in that age. Therefore to him agreeth this Circumstance of time very fitly, most vainly therefore do the Jews after this time, to wit, the destruction of the second Temple expect any further. Fourthly, the Messiah by the true computation of Daniels prophecy, accounting his Hebdomades or Weeks for so many years to be multiplied by seven: that is to say, Weeks of Years (as they must needs be understood) was to come just according to the time before mentioned, his words are these: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thine holy City: know therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to bring again the people, and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks. And after threescore and two weeks shall the Messiah be slain and not for himself. And the people of the Prince that shall come, shall destroy the City and Sanctuary, and he shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblations to cease. Which Hebdomades, or weeks of years, whether we account from the first year of Cyrus who first determined the Jews reduction, or from the second of Darius, who confirmed, and put the same in execution, or from the twentieth year of Darius, for that he then made a new Edict in the favour of Nehemias, and sent him into Jury: every way they will end in the reign of Herod and Augustus, under whom Christ was born, or in the reign of Tiberius, under whom he suffered. And by no interpretation can it be avoided, but that this time is now our, above one thousand five hundred years. Besides this being a clear prophecy of the Messiah (howsoever somewhat more intricate and obscure, in respect of the years, wherein the Prophet alludeth to the Captivity of Babylon, as some think) must needs be interpreted according to the former prophecies also of the Messiah. And so doth the Prophet expound himself in the former words, namely, That the Messiah should be slain, before the destruction of the City and Sanctuary. Yet is there one week more to make up the number of seventy, in the midst of which week the Messiah should be slain, which came to pass accordingly, for in the midst of that week, that is, about three years and an half after his baptism▪ Christ Jesus the true Messiah was slain, and not for himself, for Pilate could find no fault in him: I find no fault in the man, I find no cause of death in him, Luk. 23.14.22. Mat. 27. Isa. 53.5. I am innocent of the blood of this just man, look ye to it. Not for himself, but for us was he wounded (as saith the Prophet Isaiah) He was wounded for our transgressions. Therefore to him doth this circumstance of time bear witness, and consequently the Jews after these times by God himself appointed for the Messiah, expecting yet for another, besides the vanity of this their expectation, they make God himself a liar, yea and all their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Ioh. 8.56. Act. 3.21. Chap. 8.44. and all the holy Prophets (whose Children they hold themselves to be) who all of them saw these days, and prophesied of them, Abraham rejoiced to see my day (saith our Saviour) and he saw it, and was glad. All these make they liars with themselves whereby they show themselves, rather to be the Children of the Devil, who is the Father of lies, than of Abraham, who is the Father of the Faithful only. For so did that vile Serpent at the first, even dare to give God himself the lie (as it is in Genesis) God saith there to Adam: In the day that thou eatest of such a tree thou shalt die the death: Gen. 2.17. Gen. 3.4. Mat. 3.7. No (saith the Devil) it is not so, ye shall not die at all. So do these Imps of Satan, Generation of Vipers, as John the Baptist in his time called them, even just after the same manner. For saith God by his Prophets, at such a time will I send the Messiah into the world, and by such and such marks ye shall know him: no saith this froward Generation, it is not so, he hath not yet sent him, he is not yet come, we acknowledge no such marks, as that he shall be poor and of no reputation in this world, put to death. We look for a magnificent Prince, we will none of such a base fellow, as this Jesus to reign over us, a false Prophet, a deceiver, and so forth, with whatsoever else their malicious hearts can imagine, their blasphemous tongues being set on fire of hell, are ready to utter to his disgrace. But let them look into that Parable of our Saviour, and there they shall find him another manner of person than they imagine, I will repeat it unto them. Luk. 19.27 Moreover those mine enemies who would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me. God of his mercy give them repentance in time of their heinous and high blasphemies, that they may mourn for him whom they have pierced, every Family and Tribe apart. Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, And think not to say with yourselves. We have Abraham to our Father, for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Now is the axe put to the root of the Tree. The last Trumpet will blow, and then it will be too late, when ye shall hear that shrill voice ringing in your ears, arise ye dead and come to judgement, that voice will awake you out of all your dreams, and mate you arise whether you will or no, when ye shall see the Son of man come in his glory, even your long looked for Messiah, like a magnificent Prince indeed, but little to the comfort of those that remain obstinate. Awake therefore to your salvation, Eph. 5.14. that ye be not awakened hereafter to your condemnation; Awake thou that sleepest, stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light; shake off all your idle dreams and foolish fantasies of our imaginary Messiah, fitter for Children than Men of discretion; consider with yourselves at length, how long you have overslept yourselves, how many ages are now past and gone, since both by computation of Scriptures (as aforesaid) as also by the observation of your own Doctors and Teachers, your Messiah was to come, and yet you see him not, no nor any likelihood at all of his coming, more than at the first, yea rather all evidences and probabilities to the contrary that may be; look into your Talmud, and there you shall see plainly, if you be not blind there also, as you are in the Scriptures, the vanity of vanities of this your expectation, for so it is indeed. It is often repeated in your Talmud, that one Elias left this Tradition, that the world should endure six thousand years, that is, two thousand before the Law, two thousand under the Law, and two thousand after that, under the Messiah. Which last two thousand years, by all computation, could not begin much from the birth of Jesus. And your Rabbins long since complained in that their Talmud, that there seem-to them in those days seven hundred and odd years past since the Messiah by the Scripture should have appeared; therefore they do marvel why God so long deferreth me same, much more than may ye marvel upon whom the ends of the world are come. Another observation Cabalistical they have upon those words of Isa. 9 7. The increase of his Government and Peace shall have no end, where the Hebrew word is Lemarbeh, signifying to increase or multiply ad multiplicandum: In which word, because they find mem to be shut, which is not usual in the middle of a word they gather many secrets, and and among other, that seeing mem signifieth 600 years, so long it should be from that time of Isaiah, until the time of the Messiah, which account of theirs falleth our so just, that if you reckon the years from Acha● King of Judah, in whose time Isaiah spoke these words, until the time of Herod under whom Christ was born, you shall find the number to fail in little or nothing. A much like observation hath rabbi Moses ben Maimon in his Epistle to his Country men the Jews in Africa, concerning the time of the Messiah, which he thinketh to be past, according to the Scriptures above a thousand years (he lived about the year or Christ one thousand, one hundred and forty) but that God deferreth his manifestation for their sins, since which time, hath passed almost 500 years more and yet ye hear nothing of his coming. Consider this ye Jews of Barbary, for to you partly seemeth this Epistle to be written. Will you then stay still, and say still after so many hundred years past and gone, that for your sins God referreth yet his coming, putting it off from one five hundred years to another, and so in infinitum? it is all one as if you say, that for your sins God hath broken his promise now, 1 thousand and six hundred years; and consequently it may be for your sins the Messiah will never come, this must be your last refuge, you may as well say the one as the other. But howsoever you make yourselves sinful, yea out of measure sinful, Psal. 71.4. Rom. 3.4. yet let God be just and righteous in his promise (as it is Written) make not him a liar as you have done hitherto. To this purpose also appertaineth the Narration of one Elias (as rabbi Josua reporteth it in the Talmud) that the Messiah was to be born indeed according to the Scriptures before the destruction of the second Temple, for that Isaiah saith of the Synagogue: before she travailed, she brought forth, and before her pain came, Isa. 66.7. she was delivered of a man child, that is, saith he, before the Synagogue was afflicted and made desolate, by the Romans she brought forth the Messiah. But yet, saith he, this Messiah for our sins doth hide himself in the Seas and other deserts, till we be worthy of his coming. Which is as much in effect as if he had said (the one as probable as the other) that perhaps for our sins and unworthiness the Messiah may not come at all, but return to Heaven back again from whence he came. And why I pray have you not stayed as well in Heaven all this while, rather than in the Seas and deserts for so many years, to no purpose, I am persuaded if Balaam's Ass were alive again, and did hear these, and such like your idle fantasies and dreams touching your Messiah, the very Ass would reprove you to your faces, and make you ashamed of them, whereof though I have read somewhat in divers Authors, yet could I hardly believe any such absurdities to be delivered, much less defended by any reasonable creatures, till I had heard something myself. I urged that place of Genesis to one of them, to wit, that the sceptre should not depart from Judah till Shiloh came, that is, the Messiah, which being so long since departed and gone, I asked what reason they had, as yet to expect for a Messiah, he answered, the sceptre was not departed, they had their Sheckes, that is to say, chief men of their Tribes, in all parts where they inhabit. Moreover that some of the moors, forsooth had brought them word of a People or Nation of the Jews, inhabiting in a far Country, he could not tell me the place where, but first there is a River to be passed, two Trees growing on either side directly one against another, which two trees every saturday, and no day else, do of their own accord bow one towards another, making, as it were, a bridge for men to go over. Now the Jews by reason that day is their Sabbath, may not attempt to pass over it. But the Messiah at his coming shall bring them altogether, into the Land of promise they know not how, rebuild the City and Sanctuary in a trice, much more glorious than ever it was before. To which purpose he alleged that place out of the Psalms, Psal. 147.2. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem, and gather together the dispersed of Israel. Hag. 2.10. So likewise interpreting that of Haggai (the glory of this last house shall be greater than the first) of this third imaginary Temple. So literally applying that of Isaiah, Isa. 11.6. that in those days the wolf should dwell with the Lamb the Leopard lie with the Kid, the Calf and the lion, and the fat beasts together, and a little child to lead them, &c. That these things should thus come to pass literally, according to the very Hebrew Characters. This is all the knowledge they have in the Scriptures, the bare Hebrew letters, and no more. Yet can they not speak one word of the true spiritual language of Canaan, but in stead of Shiboleth (like those Ephraimites, Judg. 12.6 they pronounce Siboleth, no interpretation spiritual of the Celestial Canaan, the Heavenly Jerusalem, of the spiritual Temple, of the mystical body of the Messiah, that is to say, his Church no relish at all of the spirit of God, or any spiritual worship amongst them. And yet, forsooth, they will be the people of God alone, and who but they, the Children of Abraham, and of the promise, and none but they, yea they are so vainly puffed up with the foolish pride of this their high pedigree, that they think verily, and will speak it confidently (I have heard it from them) that none of them, unless for very heinous offences, as Perjury or such like shall be judged after this life, or be in danger of hell fire, they only to have their punishment in this world, and not else. As though hell fire were only prepared for us Gentiles, and Heaven only for the Jews, which unless they repent, they shall find quite contrary, if the words of our Saviour be found true, which hitherto they have found but too true, to their woe, as I noted before. I say unto you that many shall come from the East, and from the West, Mat. 8.11. and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Where are now the Jews with their lofty pedigree, Even as Esau sold to Jacob his birthright for a mess of pottage, so have the Jews to us Gentiles their birthright to the Kingdom of Heaven, for a mess of idle dreams and fantasies they imagine to themselves, Towers and Castles in the air, Crowns and Kingdoms in expectance, even in this world, another paradise here on earth. But in the end they shall find themselves to have been all this while in a fool's paradise, and as it were in a dream, which when one awaketh vanisheth, and so I leave them to their dreams and profound sleep, till it shall please God of his mercy to awake them. Thus than it is manifest both by Scripture, Tradition, and Observation of the Jews themselves, that about the time before mentioned, to wit, in the days of Augustus Cesar, the new Roman Emperor, and of Herod the usurpers' King of Jury, who was the first that took away the sceptre from Judah, even in the time of the second Temple, the true Messiah was to be born. And hence it was that the whole nation of the Jews remained so accent at this time, more than ever before or since in expecting the Messiah. Whereupon so soon as ever they heard of John Baptist in the desert. Ioh. 19 The Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem, to ask if he were the Messiah. And in another place it is said,' As the people waited and all men mused in their hearts of John if he were the Messiah, John answered and said unto them, Lu 7.3.15. &c. So that you see in those days the whole people of the Jews waited for his coming, all men mused upon their Messiah, So did also John himself being in prison, sent two of his Disciples to Jesus, Mat. 11.3. demanding, Art thou he that shall come, or shall we look for another: and again at the feast of the Dedication, they came flocking to him from all parts, they came round about him, as it is in that place, saying, How long dost thou hold us in suspense, Ioh. 10.24. if thou be that Christ tell us plainly. All which importeth the great expectation wherein the people remained in those days, of which fame, expectation, and greedy desire of the people divers deceivers took occasion to call themselves the Messiah, Judas Galilaeus, Judas the Son of Hezechias, Atonges a Shepherd, Theudas and Egyptus, all notable deceivers. But above all one Barcozham, who as the Talmud affirmeth, for thirty years together was received for the Messiah by the Rabbins themselves, till at last they slew him, because he was not able to deliver them from the Romans. Which facility in the people, when Herod saw, he caused one Nicholaus Damascenus to devise a pedigree for him from the ancient Kings of Juda, and so he as well as the rest took upon him the title of the Messiah, whom divers carnal Jews that expected the Messiah to be a magnificent King, as Herod was, would seem to believe and publish abroad, whereupon they are thought to be called Herodians in the Gospel, who came to tempt Christ. Mat. 22.16. But all these deceivers are vanished and gone, their memorial is perished with them: whereunto our Saviour, seemeth to allude, Joh. 10.8. where he saith, All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I say all these false Messiahs with their followers, they are vanished and gone; only Jesus Christ and his Religion, contrary to all other Religions in the world, without either sword, spear or shield, against all world strength and policy hath increased and multiplied, and shall do to the end of the world, as Gamaliel long ago prophesied to the Jews, wilfully bent, put all in vain, even in the very first infancy thereof to have destroyed it. His words are these.' And now I say unto you, refrain yourselves from these men, and let them alone: for if this council, or this work be of men it will come to nought, but if it be of God, ye cannot destroy it, lest ye be found even fighters against God. Wherefore to conclude, at length this main point of the time of Christ's appearing, which cutteth the very throat of the Jews vain expectation, seeing at or about that time there concurred so many signs and arguments together, Dan. 2.44. as 1 the establishment of the Roman Empire newly erected (for then by Daniels prophecy was the God of heaven to set up his Kingdom.) 2. The departure of the Rod or sceptre from the house of Juda. 3. The destruction of the second Temple, foretold by our Saviour, and coming to pass accordingly even in that age. 4. The just calculation of Daniels Hebdomades, or weeks of years. 5. The observation of Rabbins. 6. The public fame and expectation of all the Jews together with the palpable experience of more than sixteen hundred years past since Jesus appeared; wherein we see the Jewish people in vain do expect another Messiah, they being dispersed over all the world without Temple, Sacrifice, Prophet, or any other pledge at all of God's favour, which never happened to them, till after the death of our Saviour, for that in all other their banishments, captivities and afflictions, they had some prophecy, consolation or promise left to them for their comfort, but now they wander up and down (God having set a mark upon them as he did upon Cain) as a people forlorn, and abandoned both of God and Men. His lineage or pedigree. SEcondly, the Messiah by the Scripture was to be born of the Tribe of Judah, and to descend lineally from the house of David. There shall come a rod out of the stock of Ishai, &c. Isa. 11.1. So did our Saviour, as appeareth by his Genealogy set down by his Evangelists, Mat. 1. Luk. 3. as also by the Thalmud itself, which saith, That Jesus of Nazareth crucified, was of the blood royal from Zerabbabel of the house of David, confirmed by the going up of Joseph and Mary his Mother to Bethlehem to be taxed,' Which was the City of David, Luk. 2.4. who was born there, as also it is manifest, for that the Scribes and the Pharisees, who objected many matters of much less importance against him: as that he was a Carpenters Son, &c. yet never objected they against him, that he was not of the house of David, which could they have proved, would quickly have ended the whole controversy. His Birth with the Circumstances thereof. THirdly the Messiah by the Scripture was to be born of a Virgin, so saith Isaiah, Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son: Isa. 7.14. the Hebrew is He emphaticum, the Virgin. And Isaiah appointeth this to Achaz, for a wonderful and strange sign from God▪ therefore, saith he, The Lord himself will give you a sign behold, which he could not have done in reason, if the Hebrew word in that place had signified a young woman only, as some latter Rabbins will affirm, for that is no such sign nor strange thing, but very common and ordinary for young women to conceive and bring forth Children, and so did the elder Jews understand it, as Rabbi Simeon noteth. And Rabbi Moses Haddersan, upon those words, Truth shall bud forth of the Earth, saith thus. Here Rabbis Joden noteth, that it is not said, Truth shall be engendered, but Truth shall bud forth, to signify that the Messiah, who is meant by the word Truth, shall not be begotten as other men are, in carnal copulation. To the same effect, and after the same manner to be interpreted is that of Jeremy, The Lord hath created a new thing in the Earth, a Woman shall compass a Man. And Rabbi Haccadosch proveth by Cabala out of many places of Scripture, not only that the Mother of the Messiah must be a Virgin, but also that her name shall be Mary. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was thus, etc, that is to say, Mat. 1.18. after this strange and extraordinary manner, therefore must he needs be the true and undoubted Messiah. The Messiah by the Scripture was to born at Bethlehem in Judea, for so it is written by the Prophet. Mich. 5.2. Mat. 2.5. And thou Bethlehem Ephrathah art little to be among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that shall be the Ruler of Israel, &c. which place the chief Priests themselves quoted to that purpose to Herod, demanding of them where Christ should be born, and they answered him, at Bethlehem in Judea, for so it is written by the Prophet, as before. So also David after much restless study and industrious search to find out this mystery, &c. I will not enter into the Tabernacle of my house, Psal. 132.3. nor come upon my pallet or bed, nor suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eyelids to slumber, until I find out a place for the Lord, &c. At length, the mystery being revealed unto him, he doth as it were, point to the very place in the words following, Lo we heard of it at Ephratah, which is Bethlehem, Gen. 35.19. and found it in the fields of the forest. Then addeth,' We will enter into his Tabernacle, and worship before his footstool: foreshowing that divine worship there afterwards done to Jesus by those Magi or wise men, who came from the East to worship him in that place, even in the Cratch, and before his footstool, Presenting unto him gifts of Gold, Mat. 2.1. Frankincense and myrrh: as was also prophesied in another place, that presents and gifts should be brought unto him from far countries and by great personages. Psa. 72.10. The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents, the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts. Cyprian saith, it is an old tradition of the Church, that those Magi or wise men were Kings, or rather little Lords of particular places, which is to be understood, such little Kings as Josuah slew thirty in one battle: 〈◊〉 12. howsoever it is manifest they were men of place and reputation in their countries (neither are prophecies always so strictly and literally to be understood) They brought with them a great treasure, Gold, Frankincense and myrrh, yea both Herod and all Jerusalem took notice of their coming. They had private conference with the King, as touching the star that appeared unto them, leading them to that most bright morning star whereof Balaam long before prophesied, saying, I shall see him, but not now, I shall behold him, but not near, Numb. 24.17. there shall come a star of Jacob, &c. Jesus then being born at Bethlehem in Judea (as was prophesied long before the Messiah should be) and indeed it standeth with great reason, that he that was to be the Son of David, should also be born in the City of David: the circumstances also of his birth duly considered both before and after, first the angel's salutation to his Mother Mary, Luk. 1.28. Chap. 2.21. foretelling that his name should be Jesus, before ever he was conceived. So Esdras prophesied in the person of God himself, saying, Behold, the time shall come, 2 Esd. 7.26. that these tokens which I have told thee shall come to pass, &c. for my son Jesus shall appear, &c. and after these same years shall my son Christ die: Here is both his birth and passion, both his names, Jesus, Christ, plainly expressed. Which book, though it be not canonical, yet was it extant in the world before ever Christ was born. Also Rabbi Haccadosch proveth by art Cabalist out of many places of Scripture, that the name of the Messiah at his coming shall be Jesus, and among other he addeth this reason, that as the name of him who first brought the Jews out of bondage into the Land of promise, was Jesus or Josua (which is all one) so must his name be Jesus, that shall the second time deliver them. Secondly, the Angels appearing to the Shepherds in the night of the Nativity, with this joyful message from Heaven, Behold I bring you tidings of great joy, that shall be to all people, that unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord: And this is shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the child swaddled and laid in a cratch. Thirdly, the star that appeared, notifying his coming into the world, whereof not only the wise men before mentioned, but also generally, all the Astronomers and Soothsayers of that age took special notice, adjudging it to portend universal good to the earth, some gathering thereupon, that some God descended from heaven to the benefit of mankind, and for that cause had that star an image erected to it in Rome, and as Pliny's words are, Is Cometa unus toto orbe colitur. That only Comet in all the world is adored. Fourthly, his presentation in the Temple, Luk. 2. according to the Law of Moses, where openly came old Simeon by the motion of the spirit (for he had a revelation from God, that he should not see death, till he had seen the Lord's Christ) took the child in his arms, acknowledged him for the Messiah, prophesied that he should be a light to be revealed unto the Gentiles, appointed for the fall and rising again o many in Israel, with other events, which afterwards came to pass. So did likewise Anne the Prophetess, as it is in the same Chapter. Fiftly, that most pitiful murder of all the Infants in and about Bethlehem, Mat. 3.16. upon this occasion, as was prophesied by Jeremy, saying, A voice was heard on high, mourning and bitter weeping. Rachel weeping for her children, and refused to be comforted, Jer. 31.15. because they were not, Rachel was buried in the way to Ephrath which is Bethlehem: and for that cause those infants were called her children, Gen. 35.19. albeit she were dead above two thousand years before they were slain, and above one thousand and five hundred before Jeremy wrote this prophecy. Among which Infants Herod also for more assurance, slew an infant of his own, for that he was descended by the mother's side, of the line of Judah. Which cruelty coming to Augustus his ears, he said he had rather be Herod's swine, than his son, for that he being a Jew, was prohibited by his religion to kill his swine, though not ashamed to kill his Son. Sixtly his flying into Egypt hereupon, as also to fulfil that prophecy, Mat. 2.13. Hos. 11.1. Isa. 19 ●. Euseb. lib. ' out of Egypt have I called my Son; which Isaiah enlargeth further, saying, Behold the Lord rideth upon a light cloud (which is his flesh or humanity) and shall come into Egypt, and all the Idols of Egypt shall tremble at his presence: Which latter point Eusebius showeth, was fulfilled most evidently in the sight of all the world, for that no nation came to Christian Religion with so great celerity and fervour, as did the Egyptians, who threw down their Idols before any other Nation. And as they had been the first in Idolatry to other countries, so were they the first by Christ his coming unto them that afterwards gave example of true return unto their Creator. It followeth in Isaiah, I will deliver the Egyptians into the hands of cruel Lords (these were the Roman Lords and Princes, Pompey, Caesar, Antony &c.)' And a migh-King shall reign over them, &c. this must needs be Augustus the Emperor, who after the death of Cleopatra the last of the blood of the Ptolemy's, took possession of all Egypt and subjected it as a Province to the Roman Empire. But after these temporal afflictions threatened against Egypt, behold a most Evangelical promise of deliverance: In that day shall five Cities of the Land of Egypt speak the Language of Canaan, &c. In that day shall the Altar of the Lord, be in the midst of the Land of Egypt, &c. They shall cry unto the Lord, because of their oppressors, and he shall send them a Saviour, and a great man, and shall deliver them, &c. The Lord of Hosts shall bless them saying, Blessed be my people of Egypt, &c. This blessing (I say) the Egyptians obtained by our saviour's being in Egypt, whom here the Prophet calleth by his own name Jesus, a Saviour, a great man. Finally the coming of John Baptist, his forerunner or Messenger, as was prophesied, Behold, Mal. 3.1. I will send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me, Chap. 4.5. and the Lord whom ye seek shall speedily come to his Temple. And again, I will send you Eliah the Prophet, that is to say, John the Baptist, in the spirit and power of Eliah, as an Angel from Heaven expoundeth it, appearing to Zacharias his Father in the Temple, sent to foretell him both of his birth, as also by what name he should call him, even John, saying, Luk. 1.13. Thou shalt call his name John, he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, he shall go before him in the power and spirit of Eliah. And therefore out Saviour in plain terms he calleth him Eliah, Mat. 11.14. And if you will receive it, this is that Eliah which was to come, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And as our Saviour gave him his due, before a multitude then assembled, calling him Eliah: So did this Eliah also give our Saviour his due, in acknowledging him for the Messiah, not assuming unto himself that honour offered unto him by the Jews, but refusing it absolutely, and laying it upon Jesus our Saviour the true owner. Then this is the record of John, when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Ioh. 1.19. who art thou? and he confessed and denied not, and said plainly, I am not the Christ. I am not the Messiah; I baptise you with water, but there is one among you, whom you know not, he it is that cometh after me, which is preferred before me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to unloose, These things were done in Bethabara, beyond Jordan, where John did baptise. The next day John seeth Jesus coming to him, and saith behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he whom I said, after me cometh a man that is preferred before me, for he was before me, and I knew him not, but because he should be declared to Israel, therefore am I come baptising with water. So John bare record saying, I saw the spirit come down from Heaven, like a Dove, and abiding upon him. And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the spirit come down, and stay still upon him, that is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God. According as it is, in the other three Evangelists more at large expressed, how that Jesus when he was baptised came straight out of the water, and lo the Heavens were opened unto him. Mat. 3.16. Mar. ●. 10. Luk. 3.21. And John saw the spirit of God descending like a Dove; and lighting upon him. And lo a voice came from Heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. The next day John stood again, and two of his Disciples, and he beheld Jesus walking by and said: Joh. 1.31. Behold the Lamb of God, and the two Disciples heard him speak, and followed Jesus. All this was done at Bethabara, beyond Jordan, in the sight and hearing of a number of people there present, as three of our Evangelists do report, which they would never have presumed to have done, had not the matter been most evident, and without all compass of denial or contradiction. And truly no one thing in all this story of Jesus life, doth more establish certainty of his being the true Messiah, then that John the Baptist, whose wisdom, learning, virtue and rare sanctity is confessed, and recorded by the writings of all our adversaries, should refuse the honour of the Messiah offered unto himself, and lay it upon Jesus, and also should direct those Disciples that depended upon him, to the only following and embracing of Jesus doctrine which is most evidently proved, that he did, for that so many followers and Disciples as himself had, not one appeared ever after, that was not a Christian. These circumstances I say of the birth and coming of the Messiah into this world, so long before foretold by the Prophets, and fulfilled so exactly in the person of our blessed Lord and Saviour well considered; I may at length conclude. Heaven and Earth concurring. Men and Angels with all other Creatures applauding thereunto, yea and God himself from Heaven pronouncing it This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. That therefore as sure as God is God, and cannot lie nor give Testimony to any untruth, so sure is Jesus Christ the Son of God, the true Messiah and Saviour of the world, no other to be expected. His preaching or doctrine. THus having evicted by the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, together with the circumstances, both before and after, that he was by birthright the only legitimate (as I may say) and true born Messiah, all others that were before him, or since, have sprung up, or shall do hereafter to the world's end, but bastards and usurpers, yea thieves and robbers, and that in the highest degree of thee very that may be, even robbing God of his honour▪ which he will not impart to any other: it remaineth yet further to demonstrate the same by his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, with all other accidents and circumstances accordingly to be observed, which may make this mystery more and more manifest, or rather palpable as the Apostle witnesseth, saying that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with these our eyes, which we have looked upon, and these hands of ours have handled, &c. that I say which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you: what can be more palpable? After his baptism he began to preach (having before gotten his living (as most conjecture) with his own hands, and eaten his bread with the sweat of his brows, to show himself true man, and that he was made a curse for us (as it is written, In the sweat of thy brows shalt thou eat thy bread) and what was his doctrine? of this world, or worldly delights, of pleasure, or profit, no, no, quite contrary to the humours of this wicked world, and to the corruptions of flesh and blood, which procured him the more hatred (as in all the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who recorded both his sayings and doings may appear) wholly tending to the sincere service of God in spirit and truth, to the exaltation of God's glory, the beating down of man's pride, by discovering his misery, to the contempt of this wicked world, and vain pomp thereof, to the mortification of all sins in us, patience, peace of conscience, &c. in a word, all directed to the manifestation of his father's will, and amendment of man's life; tending wholly to this one ground or principle, Deut. 6.5. Mat. 22.37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, which is the first and great commandment; and thy Neighbour as thyself, on which two hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets. The manner of his Doctrine was simple, plain, and easy, altogether according to the evidence of the Spirit, not in the enticing words of man's, wisdom, like the Heathen Orators and philosophers, nor like the Scribes and Pharisees, but with power and authority, without either fear or flattery of any man's person, rebuking all men's sins even to their faces, which (I say) procured him such a general hatred. It took away no one spiritual point of Moses Law (but the Ceremonial only and Provincial, which by the coming of the Messiah was to be taken away) yea rather revived, interpreted, and made perfect the same, corrupted much by the Jews false interpretations and glosses. That (as they taught) commanding external observance only, this adding internal obedience also. For whereas that enjoined (according to the letter, and as they interpreted) to love our neighbours and friends, and no further; this adjoineth love also your enemies, bless them that curse, you, Matth. 5.43. Where that prohibited actually to commit adultery and no more (as they imagined) this forbiddeth the adultery of the eye, and of the very heart. And so of all the rest of the decalogue, our saviour's doctrine is nothing else but a most exact and sincere exposition, according to the true intent of the lawgiver, God the Father. Therefore I conclude this doctrine so quite contrary to the gross humours of this wicked world, and so repugnant to flesh and blood, so wholly devoted to God's glory, and the sincere observation of his Law, is the doctrine proper to the Messiah, which the Prophets of God foretold should be delivered by him (at his coming) into the world. His life and conversation. FOr his life and conversation (the express Image of his Doctrine) it was stainless, and without reproof, even by the testimony of his very enemies; acknowledged also by the devils themselves. A man of such gravity, as never in his life he was noted to laugh, but often to weep: of such humility, as being the Son of God, yet scarce took upon him the dignity of a servant; of so mild and sweet a nature, as all the injuries of his enemies never wrested from him an angry word, but on the contrary prayers and tears in their behalfs. In prayer often; the day he spent in the Temple, and elsewhere, preaching to the broken hearted, doing good to all men, healing all manner of diseases, as the Prophets foretold the Messiah should do; the night on mount Olivet, and other places in prayer. In fastings often, forty days and forty nights together, that the Jews might know he was more than a man. Finally he was such a one as was described by God in Isaiah so many ages before he was born. Behold my servant &c. Isa. 42.1. Zach. 9.9. Porph. lib. De laud. Philo. he shall not cry. A bruised reed he shall not break. As also in Zachary, Behold thy King cometh unto thee, he is just, and having salvation, lowly, &c. Such an one I say was our Saviour as touching his integrity sanctity, piety, humility, and all other virtues, even by the testimony of his greatest enemies, Porphyry, and others, yea of the devils themselves, Ergo. His Miracles. FOr his miracles which he wrought for the confirmation of his doctrine, and approbation of his person, as sent from God, the Jews themselves do grant, and record the same in divers places of their Thalmud; yea they make mention of many wonderful things that Jesus did, which are not written by our Evangelists. So doth Mahomet in his Alcoran, affirming him to have been a great Prophet, and to have wrought his miracles by the only power and spirit of God; and they were such as first were foretold by the Prophets that the Messiah should work, as namely, Isa. 35.5. to give sight to the blind, to open the ears of the deaf, to make the lame to leap, the dumb to speak, &c. Secondly, such as were altogether unpossible for any mortal man to effect, but by the mere power and finger of God, as the raising of the dead to life again, as he did Lazarus after he had lain four days stinking in the grave. Jairus his daughter, a chief Ruler of the Synagogue. Ioh. 11.17. Mark 5.22. Luke 7.11. The widow's son before the gates of the City Nain in the presence of a multitude of people there assembled to the funeral, with many other strange miracles recorded by such faithful witnesses (the Evangelists I mean) four in number, though two or three had been sufficient in Law, Deu. 19.15. who afterwards sealed the truth thereof even with their dearest blood, as did infinite others after them. Neither could the Jews of those times, compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses, ever deny the truth thereof; the parties themselves then living, and conversing amongst them, upon whom they were wrought. They had no other evasion but this, to say (and that most blasphemously, contrary to their own knowledge and conscience and therefore our Saviour layeth it to their charge as that fearful sin against the holy Ghost not to be prayed for) that he wrought these his miracles by the help of Beelzebub the Prince of devils. Whereas it is most apparent the devil himself had never that power given him to raise one from the dead; and though he had, yet would he sooner by his good will take away both life and breath from all men at once (if it were possible) wishing all men in the world had but one head or neck, like that cruel Tyrant in Rome, rather than give life to any one; for he is a murderer from the beginning. And yet the Jews themselves in their Thalmud do acknowledge, that the Messiah at his coming shall be most wonderful in working miracles. And in their public commentary upon Ecclesiastes they have these words. All the former miracles of the Prophets or Saints shall be nothing to the miracles of the Messiah when he cometh. But such were the miracles of our Saviour, the whole multitude applauding hereunto: Mat. 9.33. the like was never seen in Israel, he hath done all things well; never man spoke leek this man. Seeing also it is impossible, yea blasphemy to think that God should give testimony to any untruth, it must needs follow that all was true which Jesus affirmed, and therefore seeing he affirmed himself to be the Son of God, and the Messiah, it must needs follow (I say) by these his miracles, that he was so indeed, according to that speech of his to the Jews; Ioh. 10.25.37. the works that I do in my father's name, they bear witness of me: Luk. 7.20. And again, If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not, but if I do them, though ye believe not me, yet believe my works. As also that answer of his to John's Disciples sent to inquire of him as touching that mystery of the Messiah, Art thou he that shall come? Luk. 7.20. &c. Jesus answered, Go and tell John what things ye have seen and heard, the blind see, the halt go, the Lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead rise again, &c. The calling of his Apostles. HEreunto (as an Appendix to his miracles) I may well annex the calling of his Apostles, Disciples, and Followers, whereof Josephus maketh mention as of a great miracle, who being of divers callings, states, and conditions in the world, yet all on the sudden upon his call left both Father, Mother, Wife, Children, and other temporal respects, and followed him, who had nothing to give or promise them in this world, but crosses and afflictions: Mat. 16.24▪ He that will be my Disciple, let him take up his cross and follow me. A man that never spoke them fair, but ever crossed them in their humours favouring of flesh and blood; Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence unto me: Cha. 16.23. His doctrine ever harsh, hard, and repugnant to flesh and blood; This is an hard saying, who can hear it? Joh. 6.60. A man in disgrace with the higher Powers, the Rulers, high Priests, Scribes and Pharisees, Ch. 7.48. Do any of the Rulers, or of the Pharisees believe in him? A man that had neither friends in the world to bear him out, nor a house to put his head in: Mat. 8.20. The foxes have kotes, and the Fowls of the heaven have nests, but the Son of man hath not whereon to rest his head. And yet notwithstanding all this, that worldly men and women, and some also notorious sinners, and loose livers before, should leave all their worldly hopes, ease, profit, pleasure (and their sweet sins too) to follow such a man, with so great inconveniences, losses, dangers, and disgraces (as they did) and should continue with him in all his afflictions, temptations, and persecutions, and be content to die, and lose their lives, rather than forsake him, or abandon his service; this I say is such a miracle, as never in the world fell out the like, and must needs be granted by the enemy to be supernatural. We read of an Emperor that taking in hand to conquer the world, made this Proclamation for winning men unto his party: Plut. Apo. Prisc. regum. Whosoever will come and be my servant, if he be a Footman, I will make him a Horseman; if he be an Horseman, I will make him ride with Coaches; if he be a Farmer, I will make him a Gentleman; if he possess a Cottage, I will give him a Village; if he have a Village, I will give him a City; if he be Lord of a City, I will make him Prince of a Region or Country; and as for gold, I will pour it forth unto them by heaps and weight, and not by number. This was the Proclamation of Cyrus the great King of Persia to his followers, very glorious (as we see) in pomp of words, and to the eye of flesh and blood. Let us now compare herewith the proclamation of our Cyrus, Jesus Christ, to his Disciples and Followers; the entrance and preface whereof was this, Repent, &c. Mark 1.15. And then it followeth (instead of whosoever will come and be my servant, if he be a Footman, I will make him a Horseman) If any man will follow me, Mat. 16.24. saith Christ, let him forsake himself, and take up his cross and follow me; not on horseback, as the Pope doth, with all his proud Cardinals & Bishops, in his pontificalibus; Eccl. 107. I have seen servants on horses, and Princes walking as servants on the ground: So did an Emperor barefooted to his Holiness: But what would Solomon have said if he had seen a Prince hold his stirrup? and yet forsooth will this proud Prelate be Servus servorum, a follower of Christ, and Peter's Successor. Instead of possessing lands and Lordships, gold and treasures, he saith, Mat. 10.9. Possess not gold nor silver, nor money in your purses, nor a scrip for the journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor so much as a staff in your hands. instead of these preferments and pleasures of the world, saith Christ, contrary to Cyrus, Ioh. 16.33. In this world ye shall have affliction: Mark 13.9. yea which is more,' Ye shall be delivered up to the counsels, Ch. 13.13. Luk. 21.16. and to the Synagogues, ye shall be beaten, and brought before Rulers and Kings for my sake, ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, ye shall be betrayed also of your Parents, brethren, kinsmen and friends. And which is most of all, Ye shall be put to death; Mat. 36.25. for whosoever will save his life, Luk. 14.26. shall lose it: Finally, If any man come to me, and hate not his Father and Mother, and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my Disciple. And whosoever beareth not his cross, and cometh after me, he cannot be my Disciple: For which of you minding to build a Tower, sitteth not down before and counteth the cost? &c. So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh nor all that he hath, he cannot be my Disciple. This was the Proclamation and Edict of Christ to his followers. This was the entertainment proposed by Jesus to such as would come and serve under his colours, with express protestation that himself was sent into the world not to bring peace, rest, and ease to flesh and blood, but rather to be the cause of sword, fire, Mat. 10.34. and tribulation. Think not that I am come to send peace into the earth, I came not to send peace, but the sword: and yet with these cold offers presented to the world, first by himself to his Apostles and Disciples won thereby to follow him, even upon the first call, they left all and followed him; and by them to all others afterwards: I say, by this Doctrine so cross and opposite to man's nature, inclination, and sensual appetite, he gained more hearts unto him within the space of forty years, than ever did Monarch in the world possess loving subjects, by whatsoever temporal allurements they did or might propose; which argueth the omnipotent puissance of him, that contrary to man's reason in so short a time could bring to pass so miraculous a conquest, were there no other argument in the world of the truth of Christian Religion, this were sufficient. His Death and Passion. FOr his Death and Passion, with all the disgrace, despite, and indignities were done unto him by the Jews, it was also foretold by the Prophets, and so expounded by their own Rabbins, as also by our Saviour himself: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, Luk. 18.31. and all things shall be fulfilled to the Son of man that are written by the Prophet, Mat. 21.2. &c. He made his entrance into the city upon an Ass, in all humility as was prophesied the Messiah should do, Zach. 9.9. rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, &c. Fulfilled even at the same time, when the people spread their garments in the way, cut down branches from the Trees, and strewed them in the way, crying, Mat. 21.8. Hosanna to the Son of David, &c. He was betrayed by his own Disciple, Psal. 55.13. as David in divers places had foretold, under a type of those his secret enemies, in the days of Saul, & 109.4. as also himself prophesied beforehand, saying, Mat. 26. ●●. He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me. Being apprehended, he was most barbarously entreated by the Jews. according to that of Isai, Mat. 26.67. Isa. 50.6. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to the nippers, I hid not my face from shame and spitting. After all this inhuman dealing, he was nailed to the cross hand and foot, according to that of David: Luk. 23.33. Psal. 22.16. Zach. 12.10 They pierced my hands and my feet, I may tell all my bones; they beheld and looked upon me, they parted my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. And in another place, They gave me gall in my meat, Psal. 69.21. and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Luk. 23.32. He was crucified between two malefactors or evil doers, one on the right hand, the other on the left; according to that of Isaiah, Isa. 53.12 He was counted with the Transgressors; yea Barrabas, a murderer in the esteem of the Jews, preferred before Jesus, and quit by a common consent, and cry away with him, and deliver unto us Barrabas, Luk. 23.18. crucify him, crucify him. He prayed for his enemies and persecutors; Father forgive them, for they know not what they do, according to that of Isaiah, He bare the sin of many, Isa. 53.12. and prayed for the trespassers. Ioh. 19.36. Exo. 12.46. Not a bone of him was broken, according to that Law of the Passover, a lively type thereof. To conclude, that Christ should die for the sins of the world, it was a received opinion of the Jews in all ages, both prefigured and foretold throughout all the Scripture prefigured by the sacrifice of Isaac, Gen. 22.1. Num. 21.8. the lifting up of the brazen Serpent, and by all other sacrifices in the Law. Foretold not only by the Scriptures before mentioned, but also by Daniel in most plain terms, Dau. 9.26. After threescore and two weeks shall the Messiah be slain, &c. acknowledged also by Caiphas himself, high Priest even the self same year that Christ suffered; his words are these to the Pharisees, taxing their great blindness in this point and in them the whole Nation of the Jews to this day: Ioh. 11.49. Ye perceive nothing at all, nor yet do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man die for the people, and that the whole Nation perish not, &c. But he that will read the whole story of Christ crucified, with the particulars described many hundred years before the same fell out, let him turn to Isaiah, and acknowledge him for an Evangelist, who to signify the strangeness of the case, beginneth first with a preface, Isa. 53. Who will believe our report? &c. All which narration Rabbi Jonathan, the author of the Chaldy Paraphrase applieth to the murder of the Messiah by the Jews, whereunto agree Rabbi Simeon, Rabbi Hadersan, and others: proving further out of Dan. 9.27. That after the Messiah shall have preached half seven years he shall be slain: which disagreeth little or nothing from the account of us Christians. Also in their Thalmud it is set down for a principle, and the sentence pronounced beforehand peremptorily, and in plain terms, that the Messiah at his coming shall be put to death. So than I may conclude upon all these particulars of Christ his Death & Passion, foretold by the Prophets, prefigured in the Law, and so expounded and acknowledged by the Jews themselves, the ancient Rabbins before mentioned, and finally, so exactly fulfilled in our Lord and Saviour (as by the quotations in the margin may appear) together with the mild manner of his death, Mat. 27. praying for his enemies, Father forgive them: and meekly recommending his soul into the hands of God, Luk. 23. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, with other strange accidents and circumstances, that miraculous eclipse of the Sun at that very instant, from the sixt to the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land, the veil of the Temple rent in twain, from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the stones were cloven, and the graves did open themselves, and many bodies of the Saints which slept, arose, &c. I say, upon all these particularities and circumstances, I hope, I may conclude (as it is in that place) with the Centurion, and those that were with him watching Jesus, who when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. So may I conclude, Truly this was the Son of God, truly this is the Messiah, and let all the people of the Jews come together again to this sight, and behold him whom they have pierced, and smite their breasts, pricked in their hearts, Acts 2.37. like those Jews in the Acts, and cry out. Men and Brethren, what shall we do? and return to the Lord, and be baptised every one in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, which God grant. And the Lord pour upon them the spirit of grace and of compassion, that in soul and spirit they may look upon him whom they have pierced, Zach. 12.10 and lament for him (as it is in the Prophet) every Tribe and Family apart. His Resurrection. FOr his Resurrection it was also foretold by the Prophets, and prefigured in Ionas. David saith in the person of the Messiah, of whom he prophesied in divers places, and was a type, Psal. 16. ●. I have set the Lord always before me, &c. Wherefore mine heart is glad, and my tongue rejoiceth, my flesh also doth rest in hope, for thou wilt not leave my soul in the grave, nor suffer thine holy One to see corruption. Also Hosea saith, Hos. 6.2. After two days will he revive us, and in the third day he will raise us up. Us in the plural number, pointing (as it should seem) both at the Resurrection of our Saviour the third day, as also the raising of a number of the Saints together with him at the same time, prefigured in Ionas, together with the time of his abode in the sepulchre, Jonah 1.17 and foreshowed many times by our Saviour himself to his Disciples, such and such things shall be done to the Son of man: He shall be apprehended, evil entreated, mocked, Luk. 18.31. scourged, put to death, but the third day he shall rise again. Also to the Jews demanding a sign, he answered, Destroy this Temple, John 2.18. and in three days I will raise it up again. And at another time, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign, Mat. 12.38. but no sign shall be given them, save the sign of the prophet Ionas: for as Ionas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Which prophecy of his they full well remembering, and fearing the event, immediately upon his burial they went to Pilate, saying, Sir, Ch. 27.62. we remember that Deceiver said while he was living, within three days I will rise again: Command therefore the sepulchre to be made sure till the third day, lest hit Disciples steal him away by night, and say unto the people, he is risen from the dead: and so the last error be worse than the first. All which was done according to their desire: a strong watch appointed, the sepulchre sealed up, all things made so sure by the Jews as might be: for they had gotten from Pilate a special commission for that purpose to whom he was as forward to grant it, as they to ask it, and that in as large and ample manner as themselves knew or could devise. All which, notwithstanding after a most miraculous manner, Mat. 28.2. The Angel of the Lord descending from heaven with an earthquake, and rolling back the stone from the Door of the sepulchre, the Keepers astonished, and become as dead men: Jesus our Saviour according to the former prophecies is risen again, and hath appeared to his Apostles and Disciples his faithful witnesses, a number of them, at divers several times, Act. 1.3. to whom he presented himself alive (as S. Luke writeth) by many infallible tokens, being seen of them by the space of forty days, and speaking of those things which appertain to the Kingdom of God: howsoever the Jews suborned the Soldiers, giving them largely, to say, His Disciples came by night and stole him away, while they slept; which saying is noised among the Jews to this day. How probably (the former circumstances considered) let the world judge. Therefore I will conclude this point also (with that of Paul) touching the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Rom. 4.4. He hath declared himself mightily to be the Son of God by the Resurrection from the dead, and consequently, that Messiah promised before by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures, Rom. 1.2. as the same Apostle urgeth. His ascension. FOr his Ascension, it was also foretold by the Prophets, and necessarily followeth upon his Resurrection to be believed▪ to wit, that having finished the work of our Redemption here one earth, he ascended up into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of God. Psa. 68.18. David saith, Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, &c. Psal. 110.1. And in another place, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, &c. which is the place alleged by our Saviour, wherewith he put the Jews to silence, both as touching the Deity and the Humanity of the Messiah; for saith he, If David call him Lord, how is he than his Son? Where we may see David acknowledgeth him his Lord, and consequently his God, even the Son of God, sitting at the right hand of God (for the present, as touching his Divinity) afterwards to be accomplished also in his Humanity, which David believed as verily should come to pass, and foresaw by the eye of Faith, as did Thomas, when it was come to pass, putting his hand into his side, and crying, My Lord and my God; so saith David here, my Lord: The Lord said unto my Lord, &c. I say, this article of our Faith, as touching his Ascension, it followeth necessarily to be concluded upon his Resurrection it needeth no other proof. For that whosoever seeth and acknowledgeth that Jesus being dead could raise himself to life again, will easily believe also that he was able to ascend up to heaven at his pleasure. And hereof we have also all his Apostles and Disciples for witnesses, eye witnesses; in whose presence and sight he ascended: as it is in that place, Acts 1.10 They looked steadfastly towards heaven as he went: and in witness thereof gave up their lives, and sealed the same with their blood. Therefore I conclude upon all these premises so necessarily following and depending one upon another, to wit, his birth, life, doctrine, actions, death, resurrection, & ascension; seeing nothing hath happened in the same which was not foretold by the Prophets of God, nor any thing foretold by the same Prophets concerning the Messiah, which was not fulfilled most exactly in the person of our Saviour; We may most certainly assure ourselves, that as God is truth, and therefore can neither foretell an untruth, nor yield testimony to the same; so it cannot be but that these things which have been showed to be so manifestly fore prophesied, and so evidently accomplished in the person of this our blessed Lord and Saviour; must needs (I say) assure us Christians, that he was indeed the true Messiah: and quite confound the Jews in their vain imagination and expectation of another. The sending of the holy Ghost, with the first Plantation, and wonderful increase of the Church. NOw for those things that followed after his Ascension, as arguments and effects of his Divine power, they were also foretold by the Prophets: to wit, the sending of the holy Ghost (that Comforter) from on high, with the sudden, strange, and miraculous increase of his Church throughout the world, even against all worldly power and policy, by the only power and ministry of his word, confirmed with signs and wonders that followed, wrought by his Apostles, Disciples, and other his faithful servants and witnesses in the Primitive Church: then the which there can be no greater argument in the world of the truth of Christian Religion; if we consider how all other Religions in the world have grown and been maintained by force of Arms, Fire, and Sword; this only by the preaching of Christ crucified, in all Nations hath increased and multiplied, and shall do more and more to the end of the world; this must increase, all others decrease; howsoever the Turks have possessed the greatest part of the world at this day, Mat. 24.14. yet our saviour's prophecy in the end shall be found true: this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached throughout the whole world, for a witness unto all Nations Now for the first increase of it, Luk. 24.47 How small a number were there gathered together after the ascension at Jerusalem, from whence they were to march (even the twelve Apostles, no great army God wot) to conquer the world? Isa. 2.3. as it is in that place, The Law shall go forth from Zion, and the Word of God from Jerusalem. There was the rendezvous, there they stayed, there they rested, there they continued in prayer and fasting, Ioh. 14.26. ch. 15.26. and 16.7. till such time as Christ after his ascension, according to his promise, sent them the Comforter, even the holy Ghost, enduing them with power from on high, and arming them at all points for so great a work. When and where being gathered together, Acts 2.4. all with one accord in one place, suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind, and filled all the house where they sat. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the holy Ghost, and began to speak with other Tongues, as there is mentioned. And with these fiery cloven tongues these twelve silly souls without any means, men, money, or munition, in a very short time conquered a great part of the world; insomuch that at one Sermon of S. Peter, at the same time there were added to the Church three thousand souls: and so multiplied successively from time to time, and from place to place, spreading itself from one Country to another, and from one Nation to another and so at length into all Nations: There is neither Speech nor Language where their voice is not heard, Their line is gone forth through all the earth, and their words into the ends of the world: as we see it is come to pass this day. Of which coming of the holy Ghost in the time of the Messiah, Joel prophesied saying; Joel 2.28. And it shall be in the last days, that I will pour out my spirit, &c. and on my servants and on my handmaids I will pour out my spirit, &c. It filled all the house where they sat, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the holy Ghost Here is a deluge of God's grace poured upon the world immediately upon the ascension of our Lord and Saviour. First upon his Apostles and Disciples of those times in greater measure, as the first fruits of his spirit by the which they wrought miracles, spoke all manner of languages, healed all manner of diseases, cast out devils, raised the dead, and lastly sealed the same with their blood. Poor Fishermen and such like of no reputation in the world, without learning, without credit, without means (as before) yet by this means conquered the world to the subjection of their master Christ; Psal. 118 22 Act. 4 11. that stone cast aside of the Builders, but now become the headstone of the corner; this the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. The sincerity of the Evangelists. NOw for the Evangelists, or writers of the Gospel, that is to say, the registers of his Birth, Life, Doctrine, and Death: It is to be noted, that our Saviour being God, took a different way from the custom of man, in delivering unto us his Laws and Precepts. For that men who have been lawmakers unto the world, knew no surer way of publishing their Laws, and procuring authority to the same, then to write them with their own hands, and in their life time to establish their promulgation So Lycurgus, Solon, and others among the Grecians, Numa to the Romans, Mahomet to the saracens. But Jesus (to show his Divine power in directing the Pen and style of the Evangelists, would not leave any thing written by himself, but passed from this world in simplicity and silence, without any other show or osten●ation of his own doings. Meaning notwithstanding afterwards, to his glory, and the edification of his Church here on earth, by four irrefragable witnesses or remembrancers (the four Evangelists) every word should be established and recorded: as may appear by that place where he saith. John 14.25 These things have I spoken unto you being present with you, but the Comforter, which is the holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall bring all things to your remembrance which I have told you. Whereupon I infer, that the Evangelists and Apostolical writers were all of them guided and directed by one and the same spirit, even the spirit of God, for the registering of all things either said or done by our Saviour, so far forth as seemed best to his Divine will and pleasure, to be registered and recorded for the benefit and edification of his Church; Joh. 20.30.21.25. For there were many other things which Jesus did (as John the Evangelist testifieth) which are not written: that is to say, which the holy Spirit of God thought needless to faith and salvation, but saith he, These things are written that ye might believe, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that in believing ye might have life through his name. Now for these Evangelists four in number, (which some have resembled to the four Beasts in Ezekiel) the first and last are Apostles, Ezek. 1. that wrote as they had seen; the two middle are Disciples, who registered things as they had understood by conference with the Apostles. The first Gospel was written by an Apostle, Luk. 1.2. to give light to the rest; and the last also by an Apostle, to give authority and confirmation to the former. The first was written in the Hebrew Tongue, for that all those miracles which Jesus wrought were done in that Country; Mat. 15.24 He was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, to the end that either the whole Nation might believe them, or the obstinate impugn them, which yet never any of their Rabbins took in hand to do. The other three were written in the most famous and populous language of all Nations at that time, to wit, the Greek Tongue. They wrote their stories in divers Countries, far distant one from another and yet agreed they all most exactly in one and the same narration (as is to be seen) though diversely related, yet in truth and substance all one: one sometimes supplying what another hath not, according to the discretion of one and the same spirit, wherewith they were all guided and directed, like those four Beasts in Ezek. 1.12. Every one went straight forward, whither their spirit led them they returned not. They wrote in divers times, one after another; and yet the latter did neither correct nor reprehend any thing in the former, as Heathen writers use to do. They published their writings when infinite were alive that knew the facts, and of them no small number, who desired by all means to impugn them. They set down in most of their narrations, the time the day, the hour, the place, the village, the house, the persons, with all other circumstances, which the more they are in number, the more easy to be refuted, if they were not true. Neither did they write of things done in far Countries or places remote, but in the same Country where they were born, in Towns and Cities that were publicly known, in Jerusalem itself, in Bethania and Bethsaida, villages hard by Jerusalem, in the Suburbs and Hills about the City, in such a street, at such a gate, at such a porch of the Temple, at such a Fish-pool, public places, familiarly known to every one, Acts 26.26 for these things were not done in a corner, as saith the Apostle. All which circumstances duly considered (never yet impugned) methinks (should persuade any man of reason to become a Christian: as Agrippa in that very place acknowledgeth to Paul, saying, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. They published their writings in their life time. They altered not their writings afterwards as other Authors are wont in their latter editions, nor ever corrected they one jot of that which they had first set down. And (that which never happened in any other writings in the world besides, nor ever Monarch was able to bring to pass for credit of his Edicts) they gave their lives for defence and justifying of that which they had written. Their manner of writing is sincere and simple, as becometh so divine a History; without all art or Rethorical amplifications, as Historians use. They flatter none, no not Jesus himself, whom they most adore, nor in confessing him to be their God, do they conceal his infirmities of flesh, in that he was man: as his hunger and thirst, his being weary, Mat. 21.18. Luk. 19.41. Mat. 14.33. how he wept, his passions of fear, and the like. Nay, these Evangelists were so sincere and religious in their narrations, as they noted especially the imperfections of themselves, and of such others, as they principally respected. Mat. 10.3. Mar. 14.67. Matthew nameth himself Matthew the Publican. Mark (Peter's Disciple) recordeth how S. Peter thrice denied his Lord and Master, and so of the rest. These men's writings were published for canonical, and received for undoubted truth by all that lived in the very same age, and were privy to every particular circumstance therein contained. They were copied abroad into infinite men's hands, and so conserved with all care and reverence, as holy and divine Scripture. They were read in Churches throughout all Countries and Nations, expounded, preached, and taught by all Pastors, and Commentaries made upon them by holy Fathers from time to time. So that no doubt can be made at all either of the authority of them, as originally and immediately proceeding from the holy Ghost, or of the certainty: but that we have the very same incorrupt, as the Authors left them, for that it was impossible for any enemy to corrupt so many Copies over the world, without discovery and resistance. And thus much for the credit and authority of our Evangelists. The confession of Martyrs. NOw for the Martyrs (or witnesses) appointed by God for the sealing and delivery of this Doctrine of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to all the world, they were first and principally his own Apostles and Disciples; Luk. 24.48 Now ye are witnesses of these things: who both heard his Doctrine, and saw his Miracles: as S. John testifieth, 1 Joh. 1.2. That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, &c. That I say which we have seen and heard, 2 Pet. 1.16. declare we unto you. And S. Peter, For we followed no deceivable Fables when we opened unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but with our eyes we saw his Majesty. This Doctrine (I say) of the glorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Luke 1.2. whereof they were so fully persuaded, they did not only profess it with their mouths, yea even before Kings, Acts 23.12. and were not ashamed, as God saith to Paul, Ch. 27.24. as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome: thou must be brought before Caesar: but in witness thereof they gave up their lives, and by their deaths sealed and delivered to the world the truth of that which in their lives they professed, they have sealed that God is true: These are witnesses worthy to be believed, these are Martyrs. Next to these are all those holy Disciples of theirs, all those holy Confessors of the Primitive Church put to death with most exquisite torments, under those cruel Roman Tyrants, during those ten famous persecutions upon record, called the ten persecutions, Catexochen, in respect of the rage, fury and cruelty thereof: and all against poor harmless and innocent Christians, daily torn in pieces, and butchered by those Wolves, as Sheep appointed for the slaughter: whereof our Saviour long before had forewarned his Disciples: Mat. 10.16. Rev. 6.9. Behold I send you as Lambs among Wolves &c. persecuted even to the death, for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they maintained. In which extreme and most incredible sufferings of Christians, three points are worthy of great consideration. The first, what infinite multitudes of all estates, conditions, sexes, qualities and age, did suffer daily for testimony of this truth. The second, what intolerable and unaccustomed torments, not heard of in the world before, were devised by Tyrants for afflicting this kind of people. Thirdly and lastly, What invincible courage, and unspeakable alacrity these Christians showed in bearing out these afflictions and torments, which the enemies themselves could not attribute but to some Divine power, and supernatural assistance. The subjection of Spirits. ANother consideration followeth of his Divine power and omnipotency, declared and exercised upon the spirits infernal, which in those days spoke in the Oracles, and till that time had possessed and deluded all Nations. Hear the complaint of one of them▪ Hei mihi, cogemiscite, hei mihi, hei mihi, Oraculorum defecit me clari●as. woe unto mes lament ye with me, woe, woe to me, for that the honour of Oracles hath now forsaken me. Which woeful complaint is nothing else but a plain confession that Jesus was he of whom a Prophet said divers ages before, Zeph. 2.11. He shall consume all the Gods of the earth, and every man shall worship him from his place, even all the Isles of the Heathen. This confessed also the wicked spirits themselves, when at Christ's appearing in Jewry they came and did their homage to him, and besought him not to afflict or torment them before the time, nor command them presently to return to hell, but rather to permit them some little time of entertainment in the Sea, or Mountains, or among herds of Swine or the like; which confession they made openly before all men, and declared the same afterwards by their deeds. For presently upon Christ his death, and upon the preaching of his Name and Gospel throughout the World, the Oracles in all places ceased, whereof the Poets themselves bear witness: Juv. Sat. 6. Cessant Oracula D●lphis. Whereupon Plutarch that lived within an hundred years after Christ, Plut. de defectu Oraculor. made a special Treatise to sift out the causes why the Oracles of the Gods (as they deemed them) were ceased in his time. And after much turning and winding many ways, at length resolved upon two principal points, or causes thereof. The first, for that in his time there was more store of wise men then before whose answers might stand instead of Oracles: and the other, for that perhaps the Spirits accustomed to yield Oracles were by length of time grown old and dead. Both which reasons, in the common sense of all men must needs be false, and by Plutarch himself cannot stand with probability. For first in his Books which he wrote of the Lives of Famous Men, he confesseth, that in such kind of wisdom as he most esteemed, they had not their equals among their posterity. Secondly in his Treatise of philosophy he passeth it for a ground, that Spirits cannot die, or wax old. And therefore of necessity there must be some other cause yielded of the ceasing of these Oracles: which cannot be but the presence and commandment of some higher Power: according to that saying of S. John, 1 John 3.8 for to this end and purpose appeared the Son of God, to wit, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Neither did Jesus this alone in his own person, but gave also power and authority to his Disciples and Followers to do the like; according to that their Commission in the Gospel. Luke 9.7. Then called he the twelve Disciples together, and gave them power over all devils, &c. And not only to these twelve did he give this absolute power and authority over unclean Spirits, but to the rest likewise; as may appear in the next chapter following upon the return of their Commission: Luk. 10.17. And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subdued to us through thy Name. And he said unto them, I saw Satan like lightning fall down from heaven: and so reneweth their Commission, saying, Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy (that is to say the devil) Nevertheless (saith he) in this rejoice not, that the Spirits are subdued unto you, but rather rejoice because your Names are written in Heaven. And this authority over the Spirits Infernal given by Jesus to his Disciples in the primitive Church, extended itself so far, that not only their words and commandments, Lact. l. 2. Div. Inst. c. 16. but even their very presence did shut the mouths, and drive into fear the miserable Spirits, as both Lactantius and others do witness; whence it proceeded, that in all Sacrifices, Conjurations, and other Mysteries of the Gentiles, there was brought in that phrase recorded by scoffing Lucian, exeant Christiani, Let Christians depart, for that while they were present, nothing could be well accomplished. And that professed enemy of Christianity, Porphyry, Porph. l. 7. cont. Christ apud Euseb. l. 5. c. 1. de prep. Evan. who of all other most earnestly endeavoured to impugn us Christians, and to hold up the honour of his enfeebled Idols, yet discoursing of the great plague that reigned most furiously in the City of Messi●a in Sicily, where he dwelled, yieldeth this reason, why Aesculapius the god of physic (much adored in that place) was not able to help them in that extremity. It is no marvel (saith he) if this City so many years be vexed with the plague, seeing that both Aesculapius, and all other gods be now departed from it by the coming of Christians: for since that men have begun to worship this Jesus, we could never obtain any profit by our gods. Thus much confessed this Patron of Paganism concerning the maim that his gods had received by the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: which albeit he spoke with a malicious mind, to bring Christians in hatred yet is the confession notable, and confirmeth that story, which Plutarch in his forenamed Book doth report, That in the latter years of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius, a strange voice, and exceeding horrible clamour, with hideous cries, screetches, and howlings were heard by many in the Grecian Sea complaining, That the great God Pan was now departed. And this affirmeth Plutarch (that was a Gentile) to have been alleged and approved before the Emperor Tiberius, who marvelled greatly thereat, and could not by all his Diviners and Soothsayers, whom he called to that consultation, gather out any reasonable meaning of this wonderful accident. But we Christians comparing the time wherein it happened, unto the time of Christ his death and passion and finding the same fully to agree, we may more than probably persuade ourselves, that by the death of their great god Pan (which signifieth all) was imported the utter overthrow of all wicked Spirits, and Idols upon earth; according to that Vision of our Lord and Saviour before mentioned, I saw Satan like lightning fall down from heaven, Joh. 12.31. 2 Cor. 4.4. Eph. 2.2. &c. and again in another place, Now is the judgement of this world, now shall the Prince of this world be cast out, even this great god Pan, who in another place is called the god of this world, the Prince that ruleth in the air, and therefore may well be said by our Saviour to fall down from heaven, being before time worshipped in those Idols Oracles, and heathenish profanations, as a God in all the world and exalted (as it were) into the highest heavens. But behold as Dagon, that Idol of the Philistines, 1 Sam. 5.2. fell flat on his face (and that twice) his head and hands dismembered before the Ark of God in Ashdod; so did Satan this great god Pan, the god of this world, the Prince of the air, &c. (let me give the devil his due, yea rather more than his due, as doth the holy Scripture) so did Satan (I say) immediately upon the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ into this world, and preaching of his Gospel (the Ark of his everlasting Covenant) fall flat on his face to the ground, his head and hands dismembered: according to that first promise and covenant to our first parents, which was this: that he (to wit the Messiah) should break the serpent's head, Gen. 3.15. &c. which he had done not only in his own person, by subduing Satan with all his whole legions of devils and Powers infernal, trampling them under his feet, but also in his members, to whom he gave like authority; as before, he gave them power and authority over all devils; yea over all the power of the enemy: which argueth again the power and omnipotency of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who not only in his own person here on earth but also in his servants, disciples, and followers, was able to conquer and subdue even the devils themselves, as they themselves acknowledge; Jesus I acknowledge, and Paul I know, Acts 19.15 &c. And thus much of the subjection of Spirits. The punishment of Enemies. NOw resteth this his Divine Power and Omnipotency yet further to be manifested, by another consideration of his Justice and severity showed from heaven upon divers his greatest enemies here on earth, after his departure out of this world: Jos. Ant. l. 17. c. 10. as we may read in Josephus of Herod the first, who persecuted Christ even in his cradle, and slew all those Infants in and about Bethlehem: and that other Herod, Tetrarch of Galilee, who put John Baptist to death, Luk. 23.12. and scorned Jesus before his passion: himself scorned afterwards by the Emperor, and disgracefully sent into exile: lib. 18. c. 9 first to Lions in France, and after that to the most desert and inhabitable places in Spain, where he with Heredias wandered up and down in extreme calamity all their life time, and finally ended their days, as forlorn and abandoned of all men. In which misery also it is recorded, Niceph. l. 1. cap. 10. that the dancing daughter of Herodias, who demanded John Baptists head, being on a time to pass over a frozen River, suddenly the Ice broke, and she in her fall had her head cut off by the same Ice, without hurting the rest of her body. So likewise it is recorded in the Acts of Herod Agrippa, Acts 12.1. Who stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the Church, killed James the brother of John with the sword, and imprisoned Peter, how immediately thereupon (as it is in that chapter) going down to Caesarea, he was there in a solemn assembly stricken from heaven with a most horrible disease, Jos. Ant. l. 19 c. 7. whereby his body putrified, and was eaten of worms: as also Josephus maketh mention. Eutr. Hist lib. 7. Pilate that gave sentence of death against our Lord and Saviour, we read that after great disgrace received in jury, he was sent home into Italy, and there slew himself with his own hands. And of the very Emperors themselves who lived from Tiberius (under whom Jesus suffered) unto Constantine the great, under whom Christian Religion took Dominion over the world (which contained the space of some three hundred years or thereabouts) very few or none escaped the manifest scourges of God's dreadful justice, showed upon them at the knitting up of their days. Whereas since the time of Constantine (whiles Emperors have been Christians, as one hath observed) few or no such examples can be showed, Evag. Schol. l. 3. hist. c. 41 except upon Julian the Apostata, Valens the Arrian heretic, or some other of like detestable and notorious wickedness. And thus much of particular men chastised by Jesus. But if we desire to have a full example of his justice upon a whole Nation together, let us consider what befell Jerusalem, and the people of that place, for their barbarous cruelty practised upon him in his death and Passion. And if we believe Josephus and Phylo, the Jewish Historiograpers, who lived in those times, it can hardly be expressed by the tongue or pen of man, what insufferable calamities and miseries were inflicted upon that people presently after his ascension, first of all by Pilate their governor under Tibarius▪ and then again by Petronius under Caligula, after that by Cumanus under Claudius, and lastly by Festus and Albious under Nero; through whose cruelties that Nation was enforced at last to rebel, and take arms against the Roman Empire: which was the cause of their utter ruin and extirpation by Titus and Vespasian. At what time, besides the overthrow of their City burning of their Temple, and other infinite distresses (which Josephus an eye witness, protesteth, that no speech or discourse human can declare) the same Author likewise recordeth eleven hundred thousand persons to have been slain, and fourscore and seventeen thousand taken alive: who were either put to death afterward in public triumphs, or sold openly for bondslaves, into all the parts of the world: And in this universal calamity of the Jewish Nation, being the most notorious and grievous that ever happened to any people or Nation either before or after them (for the Romans never practised the like upon others) it is singularly to be observed, that in the same time and place in which they put Jesus to death before; that is, in the time of P●scha when their whole Nation was assembles at Jerusalem, from all Parts, Provinces and Countries, they received th●● their most pitiful subversion and overthrow, and that by the bands of the Roman Caesar, to whom by public cry they had appealed from Jesus not long before: We have no King but Caesar, Joh. 19.15. &c. Yea further it is observed, that as they apprehended Jesus, and made the entrance to his passion upon Mount Olivet, where he used much to pray and meditate: So Titus (as Josephus writeth) upon the same Mount planted his first siege for their final destruction. And as they led Jesus from Caiphas to Pilate, afflicting him in their presence; so now were they themselves led up and down from John to Simon (two seditious Captains within the City) and were scourged and tormented before the Tribunal seats. Again, as they had caused Jesus to be scoffed, beaten, and villainously entreated by the soldiers in Pilate's palace: so were now their own principal Rulers (as Josephus writeth) most scornfully abused, beaten, and crucified, and that by the soldiers: Which latter point of crucifying or villainous putting to death upon the Cross, was begun to be practised by the Romans upon the Jewish Gentry, immediately after Christ his death, and not before. And now at this time of the war, Josephus affirmeth, that in some one day, five hundred of his Nation were taken, and put to this opprobrious kind of punishment: insomuch that for the great multitude, he saith, Lib. 5. c. 28 Nec locus sufficeret Crucibus, nec Cruces corporibus. This dreadful and unspeakable misery fell upon the Jews about forty years after Christ's ascension, when they had showed themselves most obstinate, and obdurate against his Doctrine delivered unto them, not only by himself, but also by his Disciples; of which they had now slain S. Steven and S. James, and driven into banishment both Peter and Paul, and others that had preached unto them. This then was the providence of God for the punishment of the Jews at that time. And ever after their estate declined from worse to worse, and their miseries daily multiplied throughout the world. Whereof he that will see a very lamentable Narration, let him but read the last book of Josephus, De Bello, Judaico, wherein it is reported, besides other things, That after the War was ended, and all the public slaughter ceased, Titus sent threescore thousand Jews as a present to his Father to Rome there to be put to death in divers and sundry manners. Others he applied to be spectacles for pastime to the Romans that were present with him. Whereof Josephus saith, that he saw with his own eyes two thousand and five hundred murdered and consumed in one day, Jos. de Bell. l. 7. c. 20, 21. by fight and combat among themselves and with wild Beasts, at the Emperor's appointment. Others were assigned in Antioch, and other great Cities, to serve for Faggots, in their famous Bonfires at times of triumph. Others were sold to be Bondslaves. Others condemned to dig and hew stones for ever. And this was the end of that war and desolation. Quis talia fando, Myrmidonum, Dolopumve, aut duri miles Vlyssi, Temperet a Lachrymis? After this again under Trajan the Emperor there was so infinite numbers of Jews slain and made away by Marcus Turbo in Africa, and Lucius Quintus in the East, as was wonderful And in the eighteenth year of Adrian the Emperor one Julius Severus being sent to extinguish all the remnant of the Jewish generation, destroyed in a very short time ninety and eight Towns and villages within that Country, and slew five hundred and fourscore thousand of them in one day. At which time also he beat down the City of Jerusalem in such sort, as he left not one stone standing upon another of their ancient Buildings, but caused some part thereof to be re-edified, and inhabited only by Gentiles. He changed the name of the City, and called it Aelia, after the Emperor's name. Aelius Adrianus. He drove out all the Progeny and offspring of the Jews forth of all those Countries, with a perpetual Law confirmed by the Emperor, That they should never return, no nor so much as look back from any high or eminent place to that Country again. And this was done to the Jewish Nation by the Roman Emperors, for accomplishing that demand which their principal Elders had made not long before to Pilate the Roman Magistrate (after he had washed his hands before the multitude to clear himself, at least wise in outward show, from the blood of Jesus, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just man, look you to it:) Then answered all the people and said, His blood be upon us, Mat. 27.24 and upon our children: and so it came to pass accordingly, even in that very age. Then the which what greater argument of the Deity and Omnipotency of our Lord and Saviour, who from heaven was able in so short a time, and that in so full measure, to revenge himself upon his enemies here on earth. Yea, a whole Nation together brought to final desolation. And so much for the punishment of enemies. The fulfilling of prophecies. THe last consideration followeth, and so an end; which is, The fulfilling of prophecies, all those prophecies uttered by our Lord and Saviour, while he was here upon earth: Especially this one of the destruction and desolation of the Jewish Nation already declared, might suffice for all, which over and over while he was conversant among them, he denounced against them: and foretold should shortly be accomplished upon them, in most fearful manner, as namely at one time, after a long and vehement commination made to the Scribes and Pharisees (in which he repeateth eight several times that dreadful threat, woe) he concludeth, That all the Righteous blood injuriously shed from the first Martyr Abel, Mat. 23.35 and so successively, should very shortly be revenged upon that generation: Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation: and in the next words threatneth that populous City Jerusalem, that it should be made utterly desolate. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, How often would I have gathered thy children together, as the Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold, your Habitation shall be left unto you desolate. And at another time, even that solemn time of his Entry and Riding into Jerusalem before his Passion, it is said in the Gospel, That when he was come near, Luk. 19.41. he beheld the City, and wept over it, saying, O if thou hadst even known at the least in this thy day, those things which belong unto thy place, but now are they hid from thine eyes; then denounceth that fearful desolation following, That not one stone should be left upon another, but all thrown down even to the ground: Executed upon them, and made good by Titus the son of Vespasian, and finally, accomplished by Julius Severus, who in the days of Adrian (as before is rehearsed) utterly defaced the very ruins of that City in such sort, as he left not one stone standing upon another of all their ancient Buildings, but laid them even with the ground. Again at another time, as some spoke of the Temple, how it was garnished with goodly stones, and consecrate things, he said, Luk. 21.6. Are these the things you look upon? The days will come wherein a stone shall not be left upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down And yet more particularly in the same chapter he foretelleth the signs whereby his Disciples should perceive when the time was come: When ye shall see Jerusalem besieged with soldiers, Luk. 21.20. then know ye that her desolation is at hand. This foretold Jesus of the misery that was to fall upon Jerusalem, and upon that people (by the Romans) when the Jews seemed to be in most security, and greatest amity with the Romans, when they could away with no other government but that: We have no King but Caesar; Joh. 19.15 vers. 12. He that maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar: and consequently at that time they might seem in all human reason to have less cause than ever to misdoubt such calamities. And yet how certain and assured foreknowledge, and as it were most sensible feeling Jesus had of these miseries, he declared by those pitiful tears he shed upon sight and consideration of Jerusalem (as before is mentioned) when he wept over it; as also by that tender speech he used to the women of that City who wept for him as he was led to be crucified, Luk. 23.28. persuading them to weep rather for themselves, and for their children (in respect of the miseries to follow) then for him. All which prophecies and Predictions of Jesus, with sundry other his speeches, foreshowing so particularly the imminent calamities of that Nation, and that at such time when in human reason there could be no probability thereof; when a certain Heathen Chronicler named Phlegon (about a hundred years after Christ's departure) had diligently considered, having seen the same also in his days most exactly fulfilled (for he was servant to Adrian the Emperor, by whose command the final subversion of that Jewish Nation was brought to pass) This Phlegon (I say) though a Pagan, yet upon consideration of these events, and others that he saw (as the extreme persecution of Christians foretold by Christ, and the like, he pronounced, That never any man foretold things so certainly to come, or that so precisely were accomplished, as were the predictions and prophecies of Jesus. And now albeit these predictions and prophecies concerning the punishment and reprobation of the Jews, fulfilled so evidently in the sight of all the world, might be a sufficient demonstration of his divine prescience and foreknowledge in things to come; yet were there also many other things besides foreshowed by him, which fell out as exactly as these did, which by no human reason or learning could possibly be foreseen; as for example, The foretelling of his own Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, with all their several circumstances; the manner time, place, and all other particularities, as precisely as if they had been already accomplished: and that not only to his own Disciples, but even to the Scribes and Pharisees, who came of purpose to tempt him; as he that shall but examine the quotations following, which for brevity sake I have but only cyphered, and (as it were) pointed at in figures) may easily perceive. First to his Disciples, Matth. 16.21. chap. 17.9.22. chap. 20 17. chap. 26.1.11.31.45. Joh. 13.33. chap. 16.16. and 13.3. and 18.4. and 14.2.28. Then to the Scribes and Pharisees, Matth. 12.38. chap. 21.38. Luke 13.31. John 2.18. chap 3.12. chap. 7.33. chap. 8.21.28. chap. 12.31. Also how his Disciples should be scattered and forsake him: John 16.32. Of Peter's denial. Matth. 26 34. And by what manner of death he should glorify God, John 21.18. How Judas one or his own Disciples should betray him, John 6.64.70. chap 13.10.26. chap. 17.12. Matth. 26 21.49. Of the sending of the holy Ghost▪ John 7.38. chap. 14.16.26. chap. 15.26. chap. 16.7. Luke 24 49. Of his his Disciples Miracles which they should work in his name, Mark 16.17. Luke 10.18. John 14 12. The cruel persecution that should arise to the Professors of his Name in all places, Matth 10.16. chap. 24.9. John 16.1. The building of his Church notwithstanding (in despite of the devil, and all oppositions) upon a rock, with this sure word of promise never to fail, That the gates of hell shall not overcome it, Matth. 16.18. And again, I am with you always, even to the end of the world, Matth. 28.20. The signs and tokens that should go before the end of the world; as first, the false Christ's, and false Prophets that should arise here and there with the Church, yea and in the Church: that abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, to be set in the holy place; Matth. 24.5. 11.15.23. Meaning (and so I think would the holy Ghost have all men to understand it, when he addeth this parenthesis; Let him that readeth consider it) even that arch Antichrist, now sitting in that holy place, or church (for so it was in times past whose Faith was one so famous in all the world, Rom. 1.8. Wars, and rumours of wars, Pestilence, Famine, and Earthquakes, Matth. 24.6. Persecution, as before; Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all Nations for my Names sake. Matth. 24.9. So were Christians in the Primitive Church under the Roman Emperors those cruel Caesars; and so have been of latter times also, under the tyranny of this arch Antichristian Caesar, that abomination of Desolation, now sitting in the self same place, drunken with the blood of the Saints, Rev. 17.6. and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus, whose destruction sleepeth not, Come I will show thee the damnation of the great Whore▪ &c. Finally, the preaching of the Gospel to all Nations, Matth. 24.14. and the uniting and gathering together both of Jew and Gentile into one Fold, under one Shepherd even that great Shepherd of our souls, that there may be one Sheepfold, and one Shepherd John 10.16. This is one of the last signs foretold by our Saviour, and but in part remaineth to be accomplished: and what hindereth? Even that abomination of Desolation before spoken of, which hath been a stumbling block to all Nations hitherto, both Turks and Jews, for coming to Christianity; which the Lord in due time will remove▪ For Babylon shall fall (as it is in the Revelation) It is fallen, it is fallen, Rev. 18.2. Babylon that great City: In part it is fallen already, and what hindereth but that daily and hourly we may expect the final desolation thereof? Daily and hourly I say, for with such celerity and violence (when it shall please God to put in their hearts whom it may concern, to fulfil his Will, Rev. 17.17.) shall this sentence be executed, chap. 18.8. In one day shall her plagues come upon her, death, and sorrow, and famine; and she shall be burnt with fire, &c. In one hour she shall be made desolate. Rev. 18. 1●. rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets; for God hath given your judgement on her. And a mighty Angel took up a stone, like a great millstone, and cast it into the Sea, saying: with such violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down. And here I might cast up together in like manner (making but one total sum of all) the prophecies of all those holy Apostles, and Disciples of our Lord and Saviour; both as touching divers particulars whereof they prophesied in those times, fulfilled most exactly▪ as also touching the general state of the Church successively in all ages, even to the end of the world and of the end of the world itself. First for the particulars, I will but point at them, as before. One of those holy Prophets prophesied of a general dearth to fall out in those times: which happened accordingly under Claudius Caesar, Act. 11.27. Also of Paul's Imprisonment, Acts 21.10. Paul in his sailing towards Rome, foretelleth the Centurion and the rest, of the tempestuous weather to ensue, Acts 27.10. Of their shipwreck; but yet with safety of their lives, vers. 22. and precisely the place where they should be cast ashore; to wit, upon a certain Island, vers. 26. In one of his Epistles he prophesieth of his own death, 2 Tim. 4.6. So doth also Peter. 2 Pet. 1.14. Secondly, for the future state of the Church in these last days, with the coming of Antichrist into the world, and all his damned crew, those hellish Furies: See how precisely these holy Apostles and Prophets foretell of these times, these perilous times, and how lively they set him out in his colours, with all his additions (as well becometh such an infernal King) the Angel of the bottomless pit, Rev. 9.11. whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, in Greek Apollyon: That Antichrist, that man of sin the son perdition, that wicked one, &c. with all other adjuncts, and circumstances so lively described, as if he had been then already come; for even in these days (as the Apostle speaketh did this mystery of iniquity begin to work. See than I say, 2 Thes. 2. 1 Tim. 3. 2 Tim. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 1 Joh. 2.18. chap. 4.1. 2 Joh. v. 7. yea the whole Revelation is nothing else but a continued prophecy of all such things as should happen to the Church militant, even from the Apostles times to the end of the world. All which prophesies we see accomplished▪ except before excepted, the final destruction of Babylon, and the calling of the Jews, whereof both our Saviour himself, as also Paul hath prophesied, Rom. 11. both which we daily expect: and then (as it is in the Revelation) Come Lord Jesus. Rev. 22.20. Of which second coming, or general doom, with the manner of it, and all other circumstances, we have also sundry prophecies both of Christ and his Apostles, which here I will join in one as proceeding all from one and the same Spirit; for here all prophecies must come to a full period, nil ultra. I will only quote them as formerly, Matth. 16.27. chap. 19.28. chap. 20.1. chap. 24. chap. 25. chap. 26.64. John 5.25. &c. 1 Cor. 85. 1 Thes. 4.14. chap. 5.1. Jam. 5.8. 1 Pet. 4.7. 2 Pet. 3. Jude v. 6. & 14: Rev. 21. where you shall see a new heaven, and a new earth &c. New Jerusalem descending from God out of heaven, prepared as a Bride trimmed for her Husband. Thus have I brought you at length (as after a long and tedious passage by Sea) to see land, and as it were the Sea-mark whereunto after so many variable winds, and so often tacking to and again, we have directed our course, even from the first prophesy made to Adam in Paradise, Gen. 3.15. to the very last period of all prophecies in the Revelation, shut up in the second Adam, Jesus Christ; who is the first and the last, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending; in whom all prophecies kiss each other, and have their consummation. Luk. 14.44 These are the words (saith he) which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you: That all must be fulfilled which are written of me in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, &c. Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer▪ and to rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations, beginning at Jerusalem. I say from this Jerusalem, which now lieth desolate, I have brought you to the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, as a Bride adorned for her Husband: from an earthly, to a heavenly Paradise, and there I leave you. A Collection DEMONSTRATIVE, OR Sum of the former Proofs. THe Messiah must be a spiritual King to conquer the devil, ●eath, and Sin: b●th by Scripture, as also by the Interpretation of the ancient Jews themselves, upon that place of Genesis, He shall break thine head: Gen. 3.15. Therefore not a Temporal King, as the latter Jews imagine. The Messiah must be King over the Gentiles as well as the Jews, both by Scripture, as also by their own Writers: Therefore not a Temporal King, to reign ●ver the● only; much less to subdue the Gentiles to the servitude of Jewry, as some of them imagine The Messiah must be both God and Man, the Son of God, the Word of God incarnate, The second person in Trin●ty, both by the Scriptures, as also by their own Writers: Therefore no such earthly Monarch as they expect. The Messiah at his coming (being to be both King of Jew and Gentile) must change the Law of Moses, to wit, the Ceremonial and Provincial proper to the Jews only, and instead thereof, give a general Law to both, absolute and p●rfect, to serve for all persons, times, and places, to endure even to the end of the world: th●refore no such Temporal Monarch● to be expe●●ed, as they look after For one and the same conclusion followeth upon all the premises, beating upon ●heir main gro●nd (to wit a temporal or Earthly Kingdom▪ which bei●g once shaken, the rest falleth to the ground. All prophecies whatsoever, with every particular circumstance foretold by the Prophets of the Messiah, were both substantially and circumstantially fulfilled in the person of our blessed Saviour; both as touching his Birth, Life, Doctrine Miracles, Death, Resurrection, Ascension; and other effects afterwards of his Divine Power, in sending of the holy Ghost, and the miraculous increase of his Church, &c. Therefore was he indeed the Messiah, no other to be expected. The Messiah, by Daniels prophecy, was to appear immediately upon the establishment of the Roman Empire: for (saith he) In the days of these Kings, shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom, which shall not be destroyed, Dan. 2.44. which must needs be understood of the Kingdom of Christ, or the Messiah. And in these days was our Saviour born, even in the days of Augustus Caesar; Therefore in him is the circumstance of time verified. The Messiah by Jacob's prophecy was to appear immediately when the Rod or ●cepter was departed from the house of Judah. Then appeared that Star of Jacob, our Lord and Saviour; Ergo. The Messiah by the prophecy of Haggai (as also by their own Thalmud) was to come during the second Temple: Then came our Lord and Saviour, Ergo. And consequently the Jews after this time (to wit the destruction of the second Temple) in vain expect another. The Messiah by the true account, and calculation of Daniel's Hebdomades, or weeks of years, was to come just according to the times before mentioned: So did our Saviour (as is aforesaid) therefore to him doth this circumstance of time bear witness: And consequently the Jews, after these times by God himself appointed for the Messiah (or rather one and the same time, for there is no other difference, but only in adjuncts and circumstances) expecting yet for another; besides their vain expectation make God himself a Lyar. The Messiah by the Scriptures was to be born of the Tribe of Judah, of the house of David, So was our Saviour: Therefore he alone the legitimate and true born Messiah by birthright (as I may say) as also by Prescription, after so long time of peaceable possession no other to be expected. The Messiah by the Scripture, as also by their own Rabbins, was to be born of a Virgin, so was our Saviour: Ergo, All other particulars foretold of the Messiah, see them fulfilled as followeth, to wit, Prophecies. fulfilled. Mich. ●. 2. That the place of his Birth should be Bethlehem. Luke 2.4. Jer. 31.15. That at his Birth all the Infants thereabouts should be slain. Mat. 2.16. Psal. 72.10. That Kings or great Personages should come and adore him, and offer gold, and other gifts unto him. Mat. 2.1. Mal. 3.1. That he should be presented in the Temple of Jerusalem, for the greater glory of that second Temple. Luk. 2.22. Hos. 11.1. That he should flee into Egypt, and be called thence again. Mat. 2.13. Num. 24.17. That a Star should appear at his Birth to notify his coming into the world. Mat. 2.9. Mal. 3.1. & 4.5. Isa. 40.3. That John Baptist (who came in the power and spirit of Eliah, and therefore was called Eliah. Luke 1.17. Matth. 11.10.14.) should be the Messenger to go before him, and to prepare the way, and to cry in the Desert. Mat. 3.1 Isa. 42.2. That he should begin his own Preaching with all humility, quietness, and clemency of Spirit Mat. 5.1. Isa. 53. That he should be poor, abject, and of no reputation in this world Luk. 2.7. Isa. 35.5. That he should do strange Miracles, and heal all Diseases. Mat. 4.23. Isa. 53.12, Dan. 9.26. That he should die and be slain for the sins of his people. Mat. 27. Psal. 55.13. That he should be betrayed by one of his own Familiars Mat 26.47. Zac. 11.12. That he should be sold for thirty pieces of silver. Mat. 26.15. Zac. 11.13. That with those thirty pieces there should be bought afterwards a field of potsherds Mat. 27. ●. Zac. 9.9. That he should ride into Jerusalem upon an Ass. Mat. 27. Isa. 50.6. That the Jews should beat and buffet his face, and defile the same with spitting. Mat. 26.67. Isa. 53.5. That they should whip, rend and tear his body before they put him to death. Mat. 26.27 Isa. 53.12. That he should be put to death among Thieves and Malefactors. Luk. 23.33. Isa. 53.7. That he should be silent before his enemies, as a sheep before his shearer. Mat. 27.14. Isa. 53.12. That he should pray for his enemies and persecutors. Luk. 23.34. Psal. 22.18. & 69.21. That they should give him vinegar to drink, divide his apparel, and cast lots for his upper garment. Mat. 27.34. Psal. 22.16. Zac. 12.10. That the manner of his death should be crucifying, that is, nailing of his hands and his feet to the Cross. Joh. 19.18. Zac. 12.10. That his side should be pierced, and that they should look upon him whom they had so pierced. Joh. 19.34.37. Exo. 12.46. That not a Bone of him should be broken, figured in the Passover by that spotless Lamb without blemish, a type thereof; and therefore is he called in the New Testament, The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world: The Lamb slain from the beginning of the world. Joh. 19.36. Psal. 16.9. Hos. 6.2. That he should rise again from death the third day. Mat. 28.1. Psal 68.18. & 110.1. That he should ascend into heaven, and there sit at the right hand of his Father triumphantly for ever. Luke 24.51. Act. 7.55, 56. All these particulars foretold of the Messiah, see (I say) and examine how exactly they were all fulfilled in our Saviour: and therewithal consider those things which fell out afterwards as effects of his Divine power; to wit, the sending of the holy Ghost immediately after his Ascension; with the miraculous increase of his Church even in the midst of persecution. The severe punishment of all his enemies, especially that of the Jewish Nation. The subjection of the devil, with all his Infernal power under his Apostles and Disciples feet, together with the ceasing of Oracles. And finally, the fulfilling of all his prophecies (with those likewise of his Apostles and Disciples) most exactly. I say, all these, with the former, put together, and well considered, may settle the heart of any Christian man, against all Judaism, Paganism, yea and Atheism too, in the most undoubted Truth of his profession, to wit, the Christian Religion; with this full and final persuasion (wherewith I will knit up all) That there is no other Name under heaven given to the sons of men, whereby to be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ. And therefore to Him be the honour of our Salvation ascribed, and to no other. To Him (I say) with the Father, and the Spirit, even that blessed Trinity, Elohim, be all Honour and glory, now and evermore, Amen, Amen. FINIS. Table of the Contents of the several matters of this Book. OF the Promises and prophecies of old 1 God's promise to Adam 3 God's promise to Abraham 3 The prophecy of Jacob 5 The prophecy of Moses 6 The prophecy of David 9 The prophecy of Jeremy 15 The prophecy of Ezekiel 15 The prophecy of Isaiah 16 That the Messiah must be both God and man 18 That the Messiah must change the Law of Moses 26 The time of his Manifestation, with all other circumstances 33 Of his lineage or pedigree 56 Of his Birth with the Circumstances thereof 57 Of his Preaching and Doctrine 71 Of his Life and Conversation 75 Of his Miracles 77 Of the Calling of his Apostles 80 Of his Death and Passion 86 Of his Resurrection 92 Of his ascension 95 Of the sending of the holy Ghost, with the first plantation and wonderful Increase of the Church. 98 Of the sincerity of the Evangelists 102 Of the Confession of Martyrs 109 Of the subjection of Spirits 111 Of the Punishment of Enemies 118 Of the fulfilling of prophecies 128 A Collection Demonstrative, or the sum of former Proofs. 142