A Sermon Preached at the Christening of a Jew

The Prayer, Our father. &c.

Forsamuch as in the administration of the Sacraments of the Church, I do well perceive that both by the word of God, and by an ancient and solemn custom amongst many, it hath been an use to have somewhat, for the better instruction of their auditories, read and expounded out of the books of holy scripture: and deliberating likewise with myself, what course I might best keep at this present, as well to serve the offered opportunity, as also to satisfy the public commodity of you all chiefly: I could not determine vpō any one text of y ^e whole scripture to be opened unto you, more profitable for your learning, more effectual for exhortation, more appliable to our age, and more agreeable for this present occasion, then the sentence of S. Paul the Apostle, not very long, but of wonderful force, taken out of the xi. chapter of his Epistle written to the Romans. And to the ende you may receive the same to your greater comfort, it behooveth you to yield earnest and heedefull attention, not with your bodily ears only, but with the ears of your mind also, to these things which I shall utter unto you. Hearken ye therefore to the words of the Apostle even as him self hath spoken them.

To the Romans the 11. chapter.

I speak unto you Gentiles in as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I will magnify mine office, if by any means • may provoke them which be my flesh, and may save some of them, for if the casting away of them be the receiving of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life frō the dead? For if the first fruits be holy, the whole mass is holy also: And if the Roote be holy, the branches will be holy also: And if some of the branches be broken of, and thou being a wild Olive tree, wast graffed in amongst them, and made partaker of the Roote and fatness of the true and natural Olive tree, boast not thyself against the branches, for if thou do boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root beareth thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches are broken of, that I may be engraffed in. Thou sayest well: for unbelief sake they were broken of: and thou stoodest steadfast in faith. Be not high minded therefore, but fear, for if God spared not the natural branches: Take heed lest it come to pass, that he spare not thee. Behold the kindness & rigor of God: upon them which fell, rigor: but kindness towards thee, if thou persevere in kindness: Or else thou shalt be hewn of, & they, if they continue not still in unbelief, shall be engraffed in again. For God is of power to graff thē in again. For if thou were cut out of a natural wild Olive tree, and contrary to nature were engraffed into the true Olive tree, how much rather shall the branches be graffed in again into their own Olive tree? For I would not have you ignorant (brethren) of this mystery, lest you should wax proud in your own conceytes, that blindness is partly happened unto Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be accomplished, and so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Zion one that shall deliver, and shall take away ungodliness from Jacob. &c.

Dearely beloved, you have heard what the Apostle of the Gentiles doth speak unto us Gentiles, you have heard his discourse of the Jews, of their unbelief, and of their rejection: you have heard the doctrine, and comparison of S. Paul, touching the true Olive tree, and the wild Olive tree: touching the natural branches, and the graftes: touching faith, and infidelity: touching the mercy of God, and the severity of his justice: touching the modesty, and constancy of the faithful: touching the fullness of the Gentiles: finally, touching the last calling home and reclayming of the Jews. This is a very large theme as ye see, and full of plentiful matter, which for the difficulty, as it seemeth to surmount my weakness to reach unto, so requireth your more careful attention, that ye may duly conceive the same: in the debating whereof it behooveth me neither to say to little, neither is there any vtterāce of man else able, for y ^e largeness of the matter exceeding all possibility, to speak sufficiently. Notwithstanding, sithence I have presumed to enter upon this enterprise being of it self of wonderful importance, albeit I may seem to folter and faint, as oppressed with the heavy burden thereof, yet will I not retire, but will proceed with affiaunce as well as I may, resting myself wholly upon the grace of Christ: and will (by your patience) speak, though not so much, as the cause requireth, yet as much as the goodness of God will permit at this present.

The whole action of the sermon of Paul is divided into two special partes: whereof the one concerneth the Jews: the other appertaineth properly to us Gentiles. In the behalf of the Jews, he lamenteth their fall, reproveth their unbelief, giveth them unto us for an example to behold the severe rigor of God's justice, discovereth the cause of gods wrath: and being careful for their safety, doeth provoke them to an holy emulation: Finally, prophesying as it were of their last reconcilement, doth encourage the seely outcasts with hope of recovery of God's mercy again. As concerning the Gentiles, he commendeth their faith: advanceth the inestimable goodness of God towards them: calleth them back to remembrance of their former misery and despeired estate: rejoiceth with them for their present felicity: entirely requesteth, and earnestly exhorteth them, that they swell not with pride • dissuadeth from disdayneful triumphing vpō forlorn abjects to modesty of mind: mitigateth the haughty arrogancy of their hearts, with a most wholesome medicine: Finally, setting down a perfect pattern of the Jews calamity, in manner of a president, holdeth them back in a couenable fear: discloseth the wonderful power, that almighty God useth in disposing and translating his benefits, that by these means he may quallifie the insolency of the Gentiles, and so retain them mean whiles within the limites of modest sobriety, until the fullness of time being of all partes accomplished: each nation as well Jews as Gentiles, through the most bless • d operation of grace, may be united & gathered tog • there at the length into one society & partaking of one congregation. And this much concerning the two partes of Paul's sermon, as I told yon before.

The manner and kind of his instruction here, wherein he resembleth the Church of God to an Olive tree, is metaphorical, and prophetical. Which Olive tree consisteth of three partes: Of the root, of the stock, and of the branches. Under the title of the Roote, he doeth note Abraham, and other holy Patriarchs unto us, because in them appeared the first buds and blossoms of God's promise. By the stock or body of the tree, he representeth unto us the Church scattered upon the face of the earth, a congregation gathered together, out of the whole number of the faithful, which at the first, budding in small issues from out that holy root, and so by little and little, increasing in strength, and obtaining a proportionable stature • doeth at the length through the plentiful fatness of the bountiful root, with outstretched compass, spread abroad it self into most beautiful branches and bows. By which plain demonstration, we have an apparent view painted out, as it were, both of the old synagogue of the Jews, and the new Church of the Gentiles. And because no man shall think that this Olive tree is sprung up at all adventures, or planted by man's industry: he calleth it by the name of an holy issue, out of a holy Roote. There is no man made husbandman or woodward of this Olive t • ee, but almighty God him self alone: who with all possible diligence, attendeth to the addressing, and nourishing thereof, and will continually preserve the same. Howsoever this Olive tree doeth alter the beauty of his blossoms, or change the hewe of his leaves, yet endureth it still unremoveable, nor is at any time • ut clean away. In like manner fareth it with the Church of God: which being wholly established upon the eternal foundation of God's most sacred promise, standeth as it were in a certain eternity vnuanquishable, and so shall continue permanent beyond all ages, though the members and branches thereof, remain not always in one estate, and although it happen many times, that the first issues become the last, and contrariwise, the last made first: the natural buds yield place to the savage slips, the proper and old grown branches are cut of, and new taken in: and so by wonderful enterchange, some grow, some stand at a stay, some increase, and some starve quite away, as we see now and then come to pass in husbandry and gardening, whereas plants and trees are many times pruned of unfruitful sproutes, sometimes despoiled altogether of bows, and the stoc •• newly engraffed, to the end the trees may become more fruitful. After the same manner that heavenly gardener, woodward, or plant setter doeth many times prune this little Olive tree of his Church, but never plucketh it up by the roots (as Augustine doeth witness) cutting of eftsoons wyndshaken bows and starved branches, that new plants may prosper the better. So that according to the saying of the same Augustine, many ravening wolves possess the Church within, whiles many sheep in the mean space stand without the doors. Which thing can be verified by no one example more aptly, then by this comparison of the Jews and Gentiles. Of whom let us hear what the Apostle speaketh.

I speak (saith he) unto you Gentiles, in as much as I am an Apostle of the Gentiles, I will magnify mine office, &c. Forasmuch as in debating of any matter in question whatsoever, two things are chiefly to be noted, To wit, The person that speaketh, and the matter that is spoken of: we will by God's assistance prosecute them both at this present. Let us first therefore consider the person of him that speaketh: then, as order of teaching requireth, the cause whereof he disputeth. As to • ching the cause here debated, as no reasonable man can make any just quarrel to doubt upon, so ought not the famous & welknowen authority of the person be defrauded of any his due estimation: for what authority can be of more force to purchase credit, or to procure advancement to the function, then the name of an Apostle? And amongst the Apostles them selves also, what one ought to be more entire, and of more credit amongst the Gentiles, then the Apostle Paul? Who if being sent by man's ordinance had come unto us, ought yet to be friendly entertained for his courtesy, so long as he teacheth the sincere truth. But whereas now he is by an especial calling peculiarly assigned, not from men, nor by men, but by Christ Jesus him self, an Apostle to instruct us Gentiles: howe much more behooveth us Gentiles his scholars, to attend our own proper scholemaster and peculiar Apostle, in as much as he was especially called and chosen for this only purpose, as he witnesseth of him self, that we should with all faithful chearefulnes of mind embrace his doctrine? Wherefore proceed on in God's name, my dear beloved brethren: be not ashamed of your own scholemaster, s • thence himself shameth so little to acknowledge us his scholars, as that accounting the same his greatest glory, therein advanceth his office so much the more, because he hath obtained this title to be called an Apostle of the Gentiles: and therefore saith, that he magnifieth his ministry. Which title notwithstanding he boasteth not of upon any vainglorious ostentation, but compelled hereunto through necessity of circumstances only to magnify his functiō. Neither is this any strange or new kind of doctrine: for y ^e necessary order of teaching so requireth oftentimes, for the more credit of the doctrine that is taught, to extol and advance as well the office of the teacher, as also the authority of the office: Even as in another Epistle written to the Galatians we read, how he was enforced to maintain his countenance again • t his adversaries with this only Target and cognizance of his Apostleship. Behold (saith he) I Paul speak unto you, If you be circumcised, Christ doeth profit you nothing at all. Neither doeth the Apostle differ much in this place, from that figurative phrase of speech: to the end that having weighty matters • o debate with us Gentiles, he might win so much the more estimation thereby to beautify the authority of his function. I speak (saith he) unto you Gentiles, I will magnify mine office, &c.

You have heard now of the person of the teacher, and of his lawful authority: It followeth to make manifest unto you the substantial and material part of all whatsoever is here debated in this whole xi. chapter. And the same may be divided into three common places or parts chiefly.

The first whereof doth concern the treaty of the casting away of the Jews, and r • ceyuing of the Gentiles. In the first member whereof, which toucheth the Jews, the severe Justice of God is noted unto us: in that other, that hath relation to the Gentiles, the unspeakable mercy and goodness of God is disclosed unto us.

In the seconde parte, the cause why they were rejected, and those other admitted, is set down unto us.

In the third place the Apostle doth foreshow, and by way of mystery, as it were, prophecy of the reconcilement of the Jews that should ensue, and the full accomplishment of the Gentiles.

As concerning the reconcilement of the Jews, we will discourse upon, in fit place for the same hereafter. In the mean space, touching that part that appertaineth to the cas • ing away of the Jewish nation, as many things are contained therein worthy not to be negligently overpassed, so this one caution ought diligently to be marked: That no such thought enter into any our minds, as though the Jews are so altogether forsaken of god, and despoiled of ghostly consolation, as that no sparkle of mercy is reserved in store for them to hope upon: Neither that the whole stock of that Nation is so altogether supplanted, that no remnant of all the root thereof, hath any drop of moisture laid up for them in the fountain of God's free election. For both those opinions are utterly refuted by the Apostle: the one in the beginning of the Chapter: that o • her in the end thereof, as appeareth by y ^e very entrey of y ^e same chapter.

I say then: hath God cast away his people? God forbid, for I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not forsaken his people, whom he hath foreknowen • &c. as though he would say, Albeit God hath estranged t •• greater part of his people from himself, yet hath he not so utterly extinguished the whole nation, as though he had reserved to himself no couenable number of all the remnant of that seed, like as we read what happened to Elias, who lamenting that he alone was left, of all the true worshippers of God, was answered, that there remained yet seuē thousand men, that had not bowed the knee to the Idole Baal.

And therefore concerning the multitude of them that fell away, as many things ar • worthy to be noted (as I said before) in the rejection of them: so this one thing chiefly amongst y ^e rest, ought heedefully to be marked, according as the Apostle him self here noteth: To wit, that this their blindness happened not unto them by hap hazarde, by chance, and unawares, as though God by his divine providence did not foresee the same before hand, and ordain the whole course of this action before, by the unchangeable decree of his incomprehensible wisdom: s • otherwise, how could the Lord him self 〈◊〉 far distance of time prophecy before 〈◊〉 the mouths of the Prophet Isaiah, & his se • • ant David, That their eyes should be blinded, lest they should see: their backs should be made crooked, lest they should yield: their ears should be stopped, lest they should hear : if he had not foreseen the same at the first • or howe could he foresee it, unless he had likewise decreed it: But now forasmuch as God and nature do bring nothing to pass unadvisedly, by howe much the more grievously y ^e Jews were overcharged with the severe rigor of God's Justice (for what could be more heavy, then to be razed out of the book of life?) so much the more heinous must the canker be, that provoked this so sharp and bitter corryzyue: which cankered contagion that wrought their perdition, is most expressly declared by these woe • rdes of S. Paul, for their unbelief (saith he:) whereby all men may easily conjecture, how horrible an infectiō this fretting fistula, unbelief, is adjudged in the sight of God.

But first we must open unto you, the nature an • substance of this unbelief. Unbeliefe is a thing mearely opposite and adversary to belief: by which contraposition you may easily perceive the right nature or definition of unbelief. For if faith or belief be a certain infallible knowledge of Ies. Chri •• the Son of God ensealed in our heart • , whereby we do embrace him as given 〈◊〉 to us from God the Father, for us to r • pose our whole affyaunce in the same, it is evident then by the same reason, in wh •• sort we ought to judge of unbelief. 〈◊〉 whosoever hath ascribed the confidence of his salvation, and free remyssion of his sins to any other person then unto Jesus Christ, or to any other creature the • to the faith which ought to be in Christ I •• su: the same may well be called an vnb •• lieuing person. Moreover, as there be m •• nigh degrees amongst the faithful: and lik • as the faith of some persons is more abun • daunt and plentyfull, in some others scarce rype • and less fruitful, in many skarse any blossom or issue at all appearing: s • is the manifold variety of unbelief • like • wise expressed in the Scriptures, after ma ••• ie and sundry sortes. For there is a certain unbelief, under the which, as under certain embers some sparkle of faith is raked up, be it never so small: which is signified in that sentence of Scripture, where it is said: I do believe Lord, Lord help • thou my unbelief. There is another kind of unbelief, which although be as yet overspread with a certain darkened myste of foggy Ignoraunce, and is tost to and fro, with many wandering clouds & doubtful vapoures, yet because it peepeth now and then abroad, because it glyttereth and shyneth somewhat, and endevoreth by all means possible to express his o • yent and bright beams, it seemeth not to rest in despayred estate. There is yet also another ki • d of unbelief, which the Lord doth reprove, but forsaketh not • as was that, whereof me • tion is • ade in the Gospel, And he rebuked their unbelief. Thomas Didymus believed not the Disciples, when they told him that the Lord was risen again. A great unbelief, but not shaken of yet: There is also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and there is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And it happeneth often̄ times that the one is named, y •• and reproached of the other. The disciples thenselves also were sometimes worthily rebuked for their unbelief, to whom was said, O ye unfaithful & perverse generatiō. Peter was once yelden over to the v • ry •• ink of drow • ing for none other cause, but for his unbelief sake: yet our Lord stretching out his hand afterwards saved him. This was a dangerous unbelief. But that other example, not of his distrust only, but of his faithless revolting, was far more peril • us, when the same Peter not once or twice only, but three times in one night, did not only not acknowledge, but also forswear his Lord and master: yet was he not therefore depryued from his Apostleshippe. And it is not to be doubted, but that many persons do entrude upon the possession of Christian Title, which can gloriously vaunte of Christ with their tongues, but deny him utterly in their deeds, believing nothing less in their hearts steadfastly, then that whereof they carrye an outward resemblance in their talk co • ragiously. And because this Serpigo resteth within those persons, and crauleth to no further infection of the congregation, they are not therefore barred from partaking the Sacraments of this Church, which we • all the visible Church. And what shall be said of thē, who many times do accuse them selves of their own unbelief, being valiannt soldiers nevertheless in the campe of Christian faith: when as on the contrary part, many other do firmly believe them selves •• • e mere strangers to infidelity, whose faith if it should be placed in the face of the enemy, will of very cowardice forthwith flee y ^e field?

And albeit all these examples of unbelief, whereof I have made mention, may justly be reproved as blame worthy, & void of all color of defense, yet may they be borne withal after a sort. But this kind of infidelity of all others is most horrible & execrable, when as men do rushe headlong into such obstinate resistance, that they will not only not acquaint thenselves with the truth, being laid open before their eyes, but will wittingly shut up their senses from the beholding thereof, because they will not see it, & will spourne thereat not in words and profession only, but will cruelly persecute the same also w ^t all manner of outrage, slaughter & blood, blasphemies & most despiteful execrations. And this is that unbelief, which being more noisome then any pestilent botch, may rightly & properly be called the Jewish Infidelity, & seemeth after a certain manner their inheritable disease, who are after a certain sort, from their mothers womb, naturally carried through perverse frowardness, into all malicious hatred, & contempt of Christ, & his Christians. And for this cause especially, I suppose it came to pass, that whereas God so many hundred years before, had continually pardoned their wonderful & manifold wickedness & impiety, & after his wonted manner, had from time to time endured, & winked at their horrible rebel • iō & idolatry, he could now no longer forbear their abominable cruelty, committed against his welbe loved son, whom they traitorously murdered and hanged on tree, but must needs avenge him upon the whole nation, and root out the remnant of the whole race altogether. And not without great cause: for how could it else be, after y ^t he was once reueyled unto thē, for whose cause only all that common wealth of the Jews was instituted & erected? What cause remained then, that the Jewish synagogue should be of any longer continuance? or to what purpose might it serve afterwards? what? That they might persevere still in sacrificing y ^e blood of goats and lambes to the Lord? And where should this be done? in one family only? But God is not delighted with such sacrifices, nor dwelleth he in Temples made by men, but even in the very hearts of men: he taketh no pleasure in external pomp, and outward obser • aunces, nor gorgeous garnishinges of the body the vouchsafeth those worshippers, which do worship him in Spirit & truth. These old motheaten shadows had their time, and not their time only, but their lawful use also: that so under shadows, types, and figures, they might prefigure the certainty, and truth of things to come. But after that he was once manifested, who was the true holy of holy ones, who was the true and lively Temple of God, who should displaye unto the world, the true righteous • esse, who should be of power to give everlasting salvation, and should be Lord and King of all Nations: what needed then any further shadows? or howe could the Lord endure their blindness any longer, when as after the coming of their Lord, they not only ceased not to abuse the shadows of the Law, to other purposes then they were ordained for • but also of a vain and false persuasion, to the pernicious example of other nations, yea, not without the manifest peril of the utter overthrow of the whole world, did likewise teache, that true righteousness ought to be ascribed to the outward observances of those shadows and ceremonies? The which thing the mercy of God seemeth not only to have for • seen, but adjudged also by no means toler • ble: for otherwise it might have come to pass, y ^t the safety of the Jews might have been an estoppell to the receiving of the Gentiles, & so have procured their vncouerable destruction, through false opinion of the doctrine of righteousness perdie. But sithence there was none other mean or way for the Gentiles, to have due access to true righteousness, but by cutting down that carnal thicket of cer • moniall brambles & bloody briars, hereupon • pleased Almighty God, to dispose • the enterchaunges & alterations of times, acco •• ing to his unsearchable counsel: That so the decay of the Jews might be the riches of the Gentiles: & the casting away of that froward generation, might be the reconcilement of the whole world. And thus much by the way of the cutting away of the Israelites ī which albeit redounded to our inestimable benefit, may not therefore provoke us to swell, and 〈◊〉 pu • t up with pride: whereof S. Paul doeth wisely forewarn us to be well advised.

And if some of the branches were broken of (saith he) and thou being a wild Olive tree wast engraffed in amongst them, and made partaker of the Roote and fatness of the true natural Olive tree, boast not thyself against the branches. &c. First whereas he alludeth and resembleth the cutting away of certain of the Jews to certain branches of the true natural Olive tree, it appeareth hereby sufficiently, that this casting away apperteined not to the whole nation of the Jews, but to some portion of them only: for there remained as then many of the same kindred, amongst whom was S. Paul him self, & the other Apostles, besides a very great portion of the remnant of the same people, which did follow Christ, & did acknowledge him with all their faith. Again the very first yssues of our Christian faith sprang out of that stock, from whence we Gentiles must needs confess to have received the very entry and foundation thereof. It appeareth therefore that this was not a general rejection, neither that the whole race was drawn all together into the same gulf of perdition, but a portion only, and the same Paul termeth them to have been cut of. And wherefore chose he to say that they were cut of, rather then that they did fall away, namely since it is out of all question that the Jews deca • proceeded from their own default, an • through unbelief? what moved the Apostle then to use this figurative phrase of speech of cutting of rather, saying that they were cut of, and fell not away of their own accord, that they were plucked away, not that they brake of? forsoothe, because it is not all one to be cut of, and to fall from. The things that are cut of cannot choose but fall away, but the things that fall away, are not always to be said to be cut of properly. What is meant therefore by this word cutting of? Forsooth nothing else, but to make us conceive, that the heavenly and unsearchable hand of almighty God did overthrow this building: even the self same • hand, which with wonderful workemanshippe doeth plant, prune, bind up, underprop, adorn, order, and beautify this Olive tree of his Church, not after the proportion of man's imagination, but after the direction of his own determination and vnpenitrable wisdom. For, as a natural Olive tree and other like trees, the buds, yssues, twigges, and branches being either cut of or newly engraffed, work not that of their own power, but receive the same by the aide and industry of man: Even so in administering the functions of the Church, if we seek for the original cause of the workman, by whose conduct, all inferior causes are induced to observe their due order and course: the same must be adjudged to proceed from the force and efficacy of the immeasurable election of the heavenly workman only, who by wonderful dispensation, maketh choice where him liketh, and refuseth whom him lusteth, according to the testimony of the Scripture: I will take compassion on whom I will take compassion, and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy. Whereunto accordeth Saint Paul speaking after the same manner: It is neither the willer, nor the runner, but God that taketh compassion. Where fortune, and chance, may go play them perdie: no endeavours of man can avail, much less can men's merits or deservings be of any force, neither can ought else bear palm here, but the only election of almighty God. The nature and property of which election, we may learn else where out of the same Paul: The remnaunt (saith he) are saved through the election of gra • e, which grace cannot be said to be grace at all, if man's merits have preeminence before it • for that which is given according to the proportion of deservings, and not according to grace, seemeth in Augustine's judgment, a reward rather of duty, then a free gift of promise. But a question may be moved here perhaps, whether the Gentiles were not engraffed for their faiths sake? and whether the Jews were not supplanted from the true Olive for their unbelief? which enterchanged dispensation, what else doeth it explain unto us, then a manifest demonstration as well of the meritorious desert, as well of faith, as of unbelief?

The answer hereunto, first as concerning the faith of the Gentiles, and the infidelity of the Jews. I confess in deed that these may seem to carry some show in the eyes, and judgment of some to be deemed the very original causes of the free acceptation of the Gent • les, and likewise of the repulse of the Jews. But for all this we hear not yet, what were the causes of the faith of the one, and of the unbelief of the other. And therefore if we will enter into a deep and more especial inquiry after the principal causes of this action, truly we shall never find them else where, then in the hidden and secret closet of God's election. For be it so admitted, that the Gentiles were for this cause engraffed into the true Olive tree, because they did believe, yet if question be moved, from whence their faith proceeded first, it may well be answered, not from any their merits truly, neither in respect of any their own worthiness more, then as the imps which do issue out of the natural wild Olive tree, can boast of any their excellency, wherefore they ought to be transplanted into the fatness of the true Olive tree. The like answer in senseable wise may suffice touching the Jews, when as if the cause of their dismembering from their true natural Olive tree be inquired: I answer, For their unbelief undoubtedly: And yet this answer doth not satisfy the purpor • of Paul's disputation. For sithence faith is an especial gift of God, issuing from out the only mercy and grace of God, and not from man's free choice, the question reboundeth back again from whence it began. What was the cause then why the natural branches were so bereft of this singular gift after the reueiling of their Meschias? whether because the barren unfruitful wild Olive tree did furmount the true Olive in excellency of fatness? to wit, in integrity of life and merits? surely I think not so. Wherefore then were the Jews forsaken, and the Gentiles received? S. Paul maketh this answer. First, that this repulse reached not to all the Israelites in general. Then, as concerning the remnant whatsoever work was wrought in them, was not administered without the singular counsel and foreknowledge of God: which foreknowledge doth evidently appear by the continual discourse of the Prophets & Psalms: where the holy ghost foretelleth many hundred years before, of y ^e willful blindness of the Jews. This counsel of God is made notably discernible unto us by the sequel, and final cause, the Apostle not only testifying most evidently, that God was y ^e worker of their blindness, but also rendering the reason that induced God thereunto: where disputing at large of the rueful ruin of the Jews, and searching for the cause thereof: What then? (saith he) did they therefore offend, because they should be cast-away? Which were as much to say, as though God should be delited in their destructiō, God forbid. Nay rather, y ^• by their fall saluatiō should happen to the Gentiles: & that by their unbelief the Gentiles might obtain mercy.

But question will be moved here again, whether it were not as easy for almighty god to have givē mercy to thē both, if it had pleased him • Mark what the Apostle saith hereunto: Nay rather, for this cause only God did shut up all under unbelief, that he might have mercy on all. For as it pleased almighty god to exercise his long & severe rigor in old time against the heathenish castaways, and wretched abjects the Gentiles, until at length, w ^t his merciful kindness unlooked for, he had shaken of from their eyes, the foggy scales of darkened error, and after their long infidelity, allured them at the last • to the blessed knowledge of his sacred Gospel: even the very same may we perceive to have happened to the nation of the Israelites, by contrary enterchange of persons and times: that so, those which sometimes were y ^e first, should now become the last, and those which by so long continuance of inheritably discending race, did lawfully enjoy the interest of the true Olive tree, as the true natural ofsprings thereof, being now cut clean away from their holy root, must be constrained to forsake their standing, and yield place to others, and may learn now at the length to endure the grievous storms and cruel tempests of God's just vengeance, which the Gentiles before them had long time experimēted to their great dolor & sorrow, until at length having subdued their disdaynefull pride, and tamed the natural stiffeneckednes of their hearts, they may obtain the self same mercy together with the Gentiles, not for any their deserts, but through the free mercy and bounty of almighty God only, and so be restored at length to the ancient inheritance o • their first possessed root. And this is it, tha • S. Paul seemeth here to prophesy in this mystical Oracle, and most comfortable me •• sage, concerning the reclayming of y ^e Jews to come.

Whereby it may easily appear, how that there is no one thing, in all the actions of man's life, so plausible, whereby man may be puffed up to stand to much in his own conceit, or disdainefully tread down the infirmity of his weak brethren, whether he have regard to the lenity of God's free mercy, or attentively behold the severity of his justice. For so y ^e Apostle hath here set them out both unto us, to be diligently considered. Behold (saith he) the mercy, & wrath of God: wrath, towards them that fell: but towards thee that doest persist in faith, mercy. &c. And thus doeth the Apostle right well advertise us: but that we for our part may be able to comprehend them both, the especial assistance of God had need to enlighten our understanding: for there are no final number of people, whose senses, either through ignorance, or else through negligence, are dazzled and darkened in the right comprehending thereof. Amongst the which ignorant sort of people, first may the Jews be rightly placed, who being deluded with a preposterous opinion of sinister judgment, do interpret this bounty of God to be there, from whence they ought have feared his terrible indignatiō. Secondly, amongst the negligent number may be rekoned the Gentiles, of whom many are over slow, and sluggish to enter into due consideration of God's goodness, but quick-sighted enough, to pierce into his wrathful severity. Of those two sortes of people, I do purpose by God's assistance to discourse somewhat, so far as y ^e time will permit, to the end I may profit them both, if it be possible, or at least offer inconvenience to neither of them, as I trust.

And first, I can never wonder sufficiently enough at the Jews, for that many years and ages enduring y ^t sharp & severe scourge of God's dreadful displeasure, they could notwithstanding have never any feeling of their own calamity, nor perseverance of the heavy clog of God's grievous vengeance, ne yet any affection to be disbourdened of their infidelity, sweetly beguiling them selves, with a glauering show of a false shadow, flattering them selves likewise, with a fantastical hope of a terrene kingdom, whereof they had never any one word promised by God, and awaiting for the coming of such a Messhias, whom never any of y ^e Prophets knew. Finally so far forth prevailed the deceit of this error to confound the sensible part of their understanding mind, that being otherwise a people most abhorred of God, & men, they would nevertheless most arrogantly vaunt them selves to be more esteemed, and more precious in the sight of God, then all other nations, people and tongues: and that they were his only darlings, and therefore could not by any means be defrauded of the power of his promise, nor be sequestered from the true Olive tree, whereof they were the natural branches, wallowing continually in a most filthy puddle of pestilent error, not much unlike to the Romish Synagogue in this our age, whose senses seem to be tippled with the same dolldreanche: which kind of people being of all other nations most needy of the mercy of God, it is a wonder notwithstanding, to see how trimly they play wylye beguilie with themselves in the dispensation of pardons, whereof they falsely challenge to themselves chief stewardship under the title of the Church, and inheritable succession of Peters chair, which they have established at Rome forever and ever: persuading to themselves to have obtained the sole and singular prerogative of all ecclesiastical superiority, such as can never be abolished by any continuance of consuming time, but must remain inviolable world • w ^t out end, nor can ever be dissolved by breach of succession, nor at any time be destitute & void of y ^e favor of God. But if you demand of thē y ^t cause of this so inestimable a blessing, what will thei answer? forsooth: hath not god (say they) promised, that he will never forsake his Church? what then? Have not the keys lyneally descended unto us from blessed S. Peter, ever hitherto, being the chief head of the Apostles, which the Lord hath promised shall never be taken away? Is there anymore yet? what? is it possible for God's truth it self to defraud the credit of his covenant, whereunto he hath bound him self with a most sacred oath?

Uery well now. And whereupon doth the blind arrogancy of the Jewish Nation magnify their race? do we not derive our petigree (say they) lyneally from our most holy father Abraham? Are we not borne, and named Israelites, by the name of our great graundsier Israel, the Patriarch? did not the Lord credit us only with the safe custody of the Ark of his covenant? Have not we a promise from God by the mouth of his Prophets, of a Messhias and Savior to come? Hath not god prepared an everlasting throne for the kingdom of our Messhias? Is not he of power to make his covenant inviolable, that with so many oaths hath ratified y ^e same? Nor will he not perform the oaths which he hath made? Surely I will not much gainsay, that it is in deed no final matter, whereof eche party debateth so largely of the promises of almighty God. Yet all this notwithstanding, all things depend not so always upon God's promises made, but due consideration ought also be had of the mind and intent of him that maketh the promise in the scriptures: and the same well weighed and compared with the due circumstances and other places of the scripture, if we will be accounted true and sincere interpretoures of God's holy scriptures: that is to say, It behooveth us duly and orderly to define and dispose all and everything apart by it self, not those things only which are promised, but must withal respect the persons, the place, the cause and consideration, and all other circumstances of the promises. And therefore albeit we do grant unto them that all those promises are true, whereupon they brag so much, touching the succession of the Patriarchs and Apostles, yet shall they never be able to win this at our hands, To wit, that this ordinary descent according to the law of the flesh, is a sufficient foundation to build the Church of God upon. In the which if we behold nothing else besides the outward • ourme of succession only, who can be so pore-blind, as not to be able to discern the manifol • e alterations of orders, and observances, which the Lord from time to time hath changed and disposed, contrary to the first constitutions: As for example, when as God instead of Cain, Esau, Ishmael, Saul, to whom of right appertaineth the ordinary succession & descent of the Priesthode, of the birthright, & inheritance of the kingdom, he made especial choice of Abel, Isaac, Jacob, & David, who had no interest at all in the right of succession. In like manner forsaking the Jews, he accepted the Gentiles contrary to all order. Neither is it so much material to know where, or by what means, the • Church of Christians sprang up at the first: so that it hold fast the sincerity of the p • re word, of vnde • iled faith, and the due administration of the Sacraments, by which three thing • s the Church is preserved and sanctified.

As concerning the promises of God therefore, this is undoubtedly to be holden, that the promises be in their own nature simply true: yet in such wise true notwithstanding, as God hath not always chained them to time, place or persons of men: which albeit were tied fast to place and persons, yet are the proud and high minded shaken of, the promises remaining still in their force. Even so the Jews, although they prescribe upon a promised place in Zion, Psalm 132: Here will I build my Tabernacle, because I have chosen it. Again in the Prophet Isaiah. This is my furnace, this is my fire. &c. And although they have also a promise of the persons, when as the blessing is promised to Abraham, and to his seed forever, yet this withstandeth nothing at all, but that rebels are punished by God, the Temple consumed by fire, the altar thrown down, and the city put to the sack and destroyed. And yet the mean whiles almighty God continueth st • dfast in his promise nevertheless, but by a far other mean, then man's capacity is able to conceive. Whereupon that holy and melodious Psalmist, not without great reason, doeth cry out in a certain place of his mystical Sonets in this wise: And it is marvelous in our eyes. Even so do I judge convenient to esteem of the counterfeit succession of the Apostolic and Romish See, which if our prelates enforce so narrowly to be straighted to the limits of place & persons, they must needs bewray their double error therein, being not only absurdely injurious to holy scriptures, but fōdly careless in breaking y ^e rules of Logic. For in their arguing, they do commonly thrust more into the conclusion, then in their former propositions. As if a man would frame an argument after this manner: The perpetuity of the promised succession is granted to Peter and his successors. The Romish Prelates do succeed in Peters chair or place. Ergo: The Romish Prelates are y ^e only successors of Peter: the only universal Bishops: the only Princes of y ^e Church: whose faith can never faint.

But we have sufficiently enough discovered the maskings & iuglings of this Romish counterfeit else where. And therefore lest we roaue too much abroad from the mark, and wander from the Olives (as y ^e proverb saith) we will return again to Paul's Olive tree, & the branches of the same: whereupon we promised before to discourse. Of the which branches, how some were broken of, and some others engrafted again into the true Olive tree, we have already opened somewhat unto you out of the Apostle. And not only out of the Apostle this is opened, but the same was also set down at large long time before the Apostle, by the prophet Isaiah: out of which place of Isaiah, it seemeth that the Apostle took occasion of all this discourse. Let us Gentiles therefore mark well what Isaiah doth prophecy of the Jews. Let the Jews also attend to the preaching of their own Prophet, who agreeth herein altogether with our Apostle touching the Jews. Behold (saith he) the Lord of hosts shall break down the bow with power, & shall hewe down the proud, and the high minded shall he fell down. And there shall arise an issue out of the root of less. &c. And lest the Jews may cavil, that these speeches do nothing concern them, let them hearken again to the same Prophet, not only prophesying of them, but also pointing unto the Jews with the finger as it were the 17 chapter: And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made very thynne, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean. And immediately after. Some gathering in deed shall be left in it. Even as in the shaking of an Olive tree, whereupon remaineth two o • three berries in the top of the uppermost row, & four or five in the broad fruitful branches thereof saith the Lord God of Israel, &c. And again in another place: For it shall come to pass in the middes of the land, even in the middes of the people, as the shaking of an Olive tree. And as the grapes are, when the wyne harvest is finished. And yet again much more plainly in the 63. Chapter: Thus saith the Lord: Lyke as when sweet juice is found in the cluster, and one saith, Lose it not, for there is blessing in it. Even so will I do for my servants sake, that I may not destroy them all, &c.

Now for as much as these things are so plain and so manifest, that they may be easily felt and handled as it were with the fingers: what answer doest thou make thou froward nation of the Jews? what canst thou bring? what canst thou allege, if not to defend, yet to color at the lest thy obstinate stubborness? Hast thou any Scriptures? No surely. For nothing maketh more against thee, not only with open mouth exclayming even to thy teeth, against thy blundered blindness, wherewich thou hast been so long overwhelmed, but also have long sithence by manifest tokens foretold howe the same should come to pass. Wylt thou vouche the promises and couenauntes which God made unto thee of old? And what other thing did he promise thee at any time, then the same which thou doest so disdaynefully pursue? Neither yet cease you to run onwarde, still gaping after, I know not after what Messhias to come. What? Hath he not yet been sufficiently enough looked for by your progenitors, who waited for his coming by the space of two thousand years before he came? Go ye to then: how long will ye yet continue gazing, seeing these things are past already? Howe long will ye yield yo •• selves a mockery not to God only, bu • a Iesting stock also to all other nations of the world? sythence all people and tongues do so plainly conceive, that all things are long sythence accomplished in the person of Christ Jesus, whatsoever all your prophets did prophecy of the Messhias: And sithence the whole discourse of the holy scriptures doeth so manifestly teache also, that there is none other Christ, but y ^e same that the whole world doth confess and worship?

But this one thing perhaps doth raise up your crestes, and puff you up with pride, because you do conueye unto yourselves so long a descent of your genealogies and kindred from so famous Auncestoures: because ye fetch your petigree and families from Abraham, and the holy Patriarchs, and in that respect you do reprochefully disdain all other nations, as though God had created them to no purpose at all. But let us see by what reason, with what conscience you are induced hereunto. If you judge this a matter of so great importance, that ye can rehearse in a long • eadroll of names, your Generations descended out of the loins of Abraham: what? And cannot Ishmael, Esau, Saul, cannot Dathan and Abyron, and all that other rascal rabble of Hebrews, who made insurrection against Moses: finally, cannot many wicked kings amongst you, false prophets, horrible church robbers, & Idolaters even amiddes amongst you, vaunte upon the self same race and parentage, whereupon you brave yourselves so gloriously? Whereupon appeareth plainly, that this outward descent of blood, and fleshly progeny, doth not avail so much for your challenge: but that there is some other thing that maketh a kindly generation, and the true offspring of Abraham, in the sight of God. Moreover if it may be lawful to glory in the ancient stock, what may be thought of Christ him self, whom we do worship? in whom if ye require who was his father, he came not in deed from man, but descended from God. But if you demand of his mother: he is on the mothers side a Jew borne, according to the flesh, the son of Abraham, an issue of the same seed that you are, whose children you challenge yourself to be according to the flesh. And wherefore then do you so cruelly detest him? Why do your brethren so hatefully envy and malign your natural brother? And being Jews borne yourselves, why do you so vylanously persecute your natural kinseman, being likewise a Jew borne, and why have you slain him so cruelly?

And what hath he committed at any time, worthy of this so monstrous rancor & cankered despite? Was it because he did profess him self to be the Son of God? Albeit he did never speak anything in his own commendation without singular modesty, neither boasted in his speech further of himself, then that he was the son of man: yet if this same he, were not the very true vndoubte • son of God, do ye then nominate someone man upon • arth, whom you may justify was his father, and condemn the whole history of the New Testament to be lies, if you can. What trow you, would his Apostles, & other his disciples, being daily and hourly conversant with himself, his mother, & his mothers husband, so thoroughly accompanied, & acquainted with all the actions of his life, have been so willfully, and foolishly blinded, as to give such credit unto him, & to believe in him? would they have settled the whole affyaunce of their salvation in him? would they so courageously have undertaken so many perilous hazards of life? would they so constantly have yielded their carcasses to all manner of horrible tortures, not in words only, but with loss of life also, ratifiyng and test • fiyng the thing, whi • h they knew to be in him most assured, and that with effusion of their blood, if they had seen naught else in him beyond the natural substance of man, and not rather conceyuing thoroughly in him a secrete divinity, that was hidden under the veil of the flesh bodily? But if these things shall be but of small credit with you, what will you answer to those so great and manifold tokens of wonderful virtue, to such supernatural and prodigious wonders of his? what say ye to so great force of his divine operation, to so great power of his miracles, not wrought by him alone, but by his Apostles also through the virtue of his name only, yea, and long sythence now and then openly wrought in his Church, through the effectual operation of his glorious name? What will you say to his so great majesty in word, innocence of life, certainty in prophesying? And besides all these, his marvelous signs & tokens expressed in his own person? What will you say to that his incomprehensible glorious resurrection, his unspeakable ascension into the heavens: lastly, to those his most gracious gifts of the holy Ghost poured upon us from the heavens? What can you answer, I say, that all these so manifold, so wonderful, yea so heavenly graces might import else, then that there was in him a certain superexcellent Divinity, beyond all measure surmounting all reach, and capacity of man's understanding?

All which things being approved with the testimony of so many witnesses, viewed and beholden with so many eyes, practiced by the daily experience of so many Jews, ensealed with so many hands and writings, published to us Gentiles by manifold reports of so many your Rabbynes and great Doctors of your own natiō, if all these things I say, shall yet seem to you but colorable, feigned and unworthy of credit: why do ye not w ^t as good reason condemn for false liars, all, and every your own prophets, Patriarchs, your own Law, yea and the Psalms also, and rase them out of remembrance, because they did many hundred years before most expressly foreshewe and prognosticate evidently, that all those things ingenerall should come to pass, even in the same manner and order, as they have been already accomplished? Amongst whom let Isaiah the Prophet be adjudged a liar, because in the name of this Christ he promiseth health to the blind, to the lame, to the halte, and to the maimed: because he comforteth the Ostriches and venomous beasts of the field with praise & glory that should happen unto them, because he prophesieth hope of freedom to them that were in chains, to prysoners liberty, plenty and fullness to the needy and hungry: light to them that sit in the shadow of death: bountiful fruit fullness to fields that were otherwise by nature barren, and through want of Tyllage overspread with briars and br • mbles, uncomely, yea & filthy by reason of their huge desolation: to overflowing rivers, drynes and emptiness: finally, to the Jews them selves extreme blindness.

Let the Prophet Osee be accounted a liar also, who prophesieth likewise that a people which was not a people, should be called, and obtain mercy, through the inestimable blessing of that heavenly Jewel. Let Jonah the Prophet be adjudged a liar also, yea and that Elias likewise, that was advanced into heaven in the fiery charryote: the first of which two did prefigure Christ's glorious rising again the third day after his death, the other of his ineffable ascension into the heavens, the fortieth day after his passion: also of the comfortable consolation and sending of the holy Ghost, by the letting down of the cloak from out his triumphaunt charryote, the fifty day called Pentecost. Besides all these moreover, let John the Baptist the Prophet, yea more then a prophet, be condemned for a liar, who did not in word only acknowledge him, but pointing towards him with the finger, pronounced boldly, That he w •• the very Lamb of God, that should take away the sins of the world. Finally, let all y ^e whole authority of the Prophetical Scriptures be cancelled for untruth, because the greater parte thereof doeth nothing else, but foreshow, and make report, that all those things should come to pass, which the Evangelical history doth expressly pronounce to be already accomplished.

Briefly, if as yet your eyes be withholden with so gross amazed obscurity, that the things which are more resplendisant then the Sun in midday, and so thoroughly known in all the partes of the world, do so far e • ceede the common capacity of your blundered senses, and seem so incredible unto you, that ye can by no means comprehend them, nor will suffer so many notable testimonies of Christ's resurrection prevail to work so much creditte in your hearts, as ye may believe in our Lord Jesus Christ risen from the dead as well as we: why do ye not pr • duce then his buried carcass, if you can? or at the least, bring forth some rame, or fragmēt of his precious body, be it never so small? Or if you think I demand an impossible request of you, howe happeneth that none of all your progenitors could show the same? But if neither you, nor any of all your ancestors were able to do this, why do ye not then join together with us, and worship him that is risen again? Why do ye not honor and magnify his name, who reigneth in eternity, sitting in the heavens at the right hand of God the Father? Whereunto if love of religion cannot induce you, let natural reason yet obtain so far forth with you, to grant that, which no reason can deny? Wherat make ye stay? is not my request reasonable? do I not give you wholesome counsel? And lest that which I have spoken, run in at one ear with you, and out of the other, taking no root in your hearts: I will for your better remembrance repeat once agaīne the words that I have spoken.

If he, whom ye have slain, be not the very son of God, if ye believe verily, that he, whom ye deryde, and scorn at with that your reprochefull and despiteful name, Talui, were but a very natural man, why do ye not th • refore restore his dead body unto us? or why do not your soldiers and hired watchemen yield his corpse again, for the garding whereof they received from you so special a charge? If they cannot, what else emporteth the grave being found empty? What else signified the horror and amaze • nesse of your armed watchemen, who being terrified with straungenesse of fearful sightes fled away so tymorously, but that ye may be enforced will ye, nyll ye, to confess this Christ Jesus to be very Messchias, who having entered upon the possession of the kingdom of David, as in the right of his own peculiar inheritance, raygneth now in all eternity, and having vanquished all power of death, sytteth now tryumphantly upon the throne of his Father David, to order and establish his Fathers kingdom, with judgment and Justice from henceforth even forever and ever ? I would fain learn now, what that your obstinate rebellion is able once to mutter against this? First, where no mistrust of peril is feared, there is no garde usually charged: And what suspicion of danger might your forefathers cōceaue of him after they had murdered him? Debate the matter with yourselves somewhat more substantially, why any such fear might grow in the dead body of this one seely person more then in • ny other. But I will not urge you anymore herein: only in this point I would fain be resolved. Howe happened that the sepulcher being so strongly covered with a stone of so huge weight, so firmly ensealed with the seal of the high Prieste, so strayghtly fenced w ^t the force of armed knights, was so shortly found empty? You will say, That his disciples crept thither privily, and stale away the body of Jesus perdie, whiles your soldiers were snorting in a deep and sound slumber. Well then. And who I pray you saw the disciples the mean time whiles your watchmen slept so soundly? If their eye lyddes were overladen with such a dead slumber, that they could not perceive this: with what face shame you to affirm, that your watchemen saw them no • ? If they did see them, howe chanced that being harnessed, they withstood not such seely unarmed wretches? And why did not your forefathers lay this theft to the Disciples charge, since they saw them daily preaching in the Temple afterwards? O monstrous cankered liars: as though the stone wherewith it was covered, were not of greater quantity, the • could be removed by a few? or by any means might be rolled away without perceiuerāc • of your soldiers? Well yet, howe happened that these seely caytiue petyt thieves fled no • away immediately after they had committed this robbery? Howe durst they be daily conversant amongst men • and preach openly in your Temple? Nay rather to tell you the truth simply: with what better or more probable argument could the world have been induced to believe, y ^t Christ was risen again to y ^e sure establishment of their faith, then this your wicked curious diligence, which your forefathers so carefully employed in watching the Sepulcher?

Forasmuch therefore as all these things are so most assured, so manifest, so unreprovable, approved with so many witnesses & proph • ts, ratified w ^t so many reasons & evident proofs, discovered by y ^e evident testimony not only of Angels, but established also w ^t the heavenly Oracle of y ^e holy ghost him self, embraced & believed by the faith of all nations of y ^e world, what one probability cā all your generatiō of Hebrews allege for color to the contrary? If ye perceive therefore that this is the ver • true Messhias, why do ye not relent at the last, & forsake & abandon your stiffnecked rebellion, & join with us in professiō? If as yet ye do not acknowledge him, declare the cause then that breedeth this misliking in you, and troubleth your consciences. Is it because he lived in poor & beggarly estate amongst the impoverished, & them y ^t were worth nothing? But your prophet Zechariah long before he was revealed, reported that he should be evē such a one: Behold (saith he) thy king cometh unto thee righteous & just, a savior, he is poor, & riding vpō an asse, &c. And it behooved truly, that he which should come to overthrow y ^e high minded & riche of this world, & to enrich y ^e poor, should be him self embased & poor.

What else then? is it because he was seen to walk in base and simple apparel, and was despised amongst you? Even such a one doth the prophet Isaiah paynte out unto us in his 53. chapter: We beheld him (saith he) and he had neither form nor beauty, we held him despised, & esteemed him for an outcast of men. You have seen him now of no reputation, an abject, the poorest of men, whom your hautines did disdain. Mark now under this vile & contemptible baseness, more then a kingly royalty, whereunto you ought all t • prostrate yourselves, & do honor unto. Surely he hath borne our infirmities, & carried our sorrows, he was taken out of prison, & from Iudgemēt, & who shall declare his age? by the knowledge of him self, my servant shall justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities. The will of the Lord shall prosper in his hands, and he shall devide the spoil with the strong. The kings shall shut their mouths at him. You have now therefore heard, how he should be poor and deformed, according to the outward show of the flesh, even such a one as our Gospel hath described him. And briefly to be plain, if he had not thus been poor, & rejected from amongst you, he could not have been the right Messhias in deed. Verily such a one he seemed to you once, whē it was, according to the outward countenance of the flesh, before he had obtained the power of the kingdom upon the cross: But having then forthwith received y ^• throne of his kingdom, in what triūphant majesty he sitteth & reigneth now in heaven, let y ^e mystical Psalmist David make report, who in spirit foresaw him, sitting at the right hand of the Lord. Let their witness be heard also, who were beholders of the whole action of his ascēsion, & with their bodily eyes saw the same whom David beheld in spirit, even with their carnal eyes I say gazing upon him, whiles yet he was lifted up in their sight into heaven, and did perfectly discern him also sitting at the right hand of the majesty. Let them also record the same, whose inward feeling & minds of the soul he doeth enlighten with heavenly effectual operation, and vouchsafeth daily to enterparten him self unto. And I would to God it might please the same to open your eyes also, that once at the length you might thoroughly enjoy the inestimable glory, and unspeakable majesty of his everlasting kingdom. In the mean space, ye may easily conceive a taste and feeling as it were of the truth, by groping the shadows and prefigured tokens of the scriptures, except ye had rather willfully and wittingly shut fast your eyes from so manifest demonstration of infallible certainty.

First, what one thing was of more royalty, then the kingdom of David? And yet what one thing was more entangled and streighted, whiles as yet like a seely mouth he kept his fathers sheep? whiles he was tossed in turmoyle with most cruel persecution? At what time Joseph being circumvented by the injury of his brethren, became carraine lean in a loathsome dungeon: when as Abraham was commanded to abandon his native country, and to become a banished outcast from his kindred and his fathers house: whiles Jacob was constrained to redouble his service under his v • ckle Laban: what time Moses was by God's calling translated from an exiled outlawe to be a guide and leader of y ^• Israelites: from how great baseness and misery were all these advanced to wonderful estimation and dignity? And what was the meaning of the holy ghost else, then under the shadows and figures of those persons, to represent unto us y ^e very pattern and image of the son of God? And yet if you duly consider the estate of Christ's outward baseness, what wanted he at any time, to the necessary furniture of his liuelihode, notwithstanding this show of extreme penury? Nay what want at all could molest him, who with a very few crustes could feed so great a crewe of thousands in so desert a wilderness? Or how could he be termed poor, at whose beck and word of mouth, heaven and earth did obey, the seas and winds, life and death, finally all the degrees of creation were subject unto?

But that writing and title called by the name of a Nazarite doth encumber you perhaps: because it behooved that Messhias should be borne in Bethlehem the city of David. If he were not borne in Bethlehem, I report me to the Chronicles & Records of the time of his birth, and the circumstances thereof. Let the testimonies of the angels, shepherds, wise men, his own mother, Joseph, and all the Evangelists be examined. Moreover, what emported that horrible slaughter of all the suckling Babes of Bethlehem, only by the cruel proclamation of Herod, without any molestation of the infants of Nazareth: unless Herod the king had been thoroughly persuaded, that above that instant of time, wherein Christ was borne, the same very king of the Jews was then borne in the city of Bethlehem? What else is it then that troubleth you? because he died the death? What do I hear? what? Have you always awaited for a Messhias that could not be bereft of life? How then should this Messhias deliver Jacob his people from their iniquities, when as no remission of sins could be without slaughter & blood, according to the infallible testimonies, and continual sacrifices of your own law? Briefly, if it were not requisite that Messhias should die the death, then did all the Prophets lie, Zacharias, Daniel, David, Isaiah, did lie: which have not only made mention of his death, but have most learnedly also set down the cause of his death. For this we read in Daniel, That wickedness (saith he) may finish, and sins be sealed up, iniquity reconciled, and everlasting righteousness may be brought in. And proceeding a little further in the same Chapter, doth expressly declare that Christ ought to be slain. In like manner the Prophet Isaiah: If he shall make his soul an offering for sin, saith he. The very same thing doeth Moses also prefigure unto us under certain ceremonies of sacrifices, types and figures not altogether obscure. What say you to Isaiah the Prophet: who doeth not only discover the cause, but the manner also of his death, his spittings, scourging, wounds, plagues, buffetings and reproaches? What say you to Zechariah, who mentioneth the piercing of his side with a spear? What say you to David, who describeth the nailing of his hands and feet, the sponge full of vinegar, the rending his flesh from the bones, the casting lots for his garment? What say you to Moses also, who under y ^e title of the Brasen serpent, doth prognosticate his lifting up on the Cross?

But here again some froward person amongst you will murmur again in this wise. In what sort can Christ be said in the scriptures to be everlasting, if he must of necessity be slain? This scrupule no man can more effectually unloose, then the Prophet David in his mystical Psalm: Thou shalt not leave my soul (saith he) in the grave, nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Where you hear his soul laid in the grave, you must understand that to be spokē of his death and burial. Again, when you hear, that he is risen again from his sepulcher, you must interpret the same of his infinite eternity, & vnperishable freedom, exempt from all manner of corruption. Whereby appeareth notably discerneable unto you, eche condition in one self person: That is to say: That he is both a mortal man, and an eternal God. In the one whereof the infirmity of his manhood is palpable: in the other the glory of his resurrection is most evidently prouable. What? And do ye expect yet another everlasting Messhias besides this? What a fantasy is this? As though when the true Messhias is come, he may obtain any courteous entertainment amongst you? Truly none at all • For even so say the Prophets of your own nation. Or else what meaneth that saying of David, that ye read in the Psalm? The stone which the builders refused, the same is made the head of the corner. And who be they that are called the buylders, but even yourselves the Jews? What is this stone, but Messhias? whom if ye will so long gape after, until you find yourselves pliable to embrace and honor him, it will come to pass, that your long lingering will be prolōged beyond all compass of time: because according to the saying of your own. Prophets, you will never dutifully allow of the coming of the true Messhias, but that ye will continually remain in an uncertain expectation of some other. For if he be accepted by the general consent of you all w ^t out exceptiō, surely he cannot possibly be y ^e true Messhias. Again, if he be refused from amongst you, how long will you hang in suspense of his coming?

Even in like manner your forefathers did look for a Messhias to come long before the birth of Christ almost two thousand years: but after that he was come in deed, & that the Lord of Lord's, whō they sought, was entered into his temple, & the angel of the promised testament whom they wished for, was amid • amongst them, yet did not his own receive him. And why so? because they judged that he would come after another sort, thei • the Prophets had foretold them. For y ^e Prophets did describe his coming to be poor, simple & beggarly: but these lusty gallants do gaze for a certain trim earthly Emperor awayted vpō with some famous troupe of princely gard. The Prophets did promise a seely meek lamb, whose voice should not be heard to bleat in the streets. These courageous champions attend for some Lyon & victorious Monarch. They did foreshow that he should be slain, tormented and hanged on tree, who should not avenge him of y ^e injuries of his people w ^t displayed bāner of bloody battle, but w ^t sheading of his own precious blood should redeem y ^e sins & wicked transgressions of his people, should not w ^t violē •• rush upon y ^e crown of y ^e Empire, nor with force of arms deliver his people from the thralldom of Caesar, but should restore freedom to his nation from the bondage of sin, and the tyranny of death, and the devil, with all the p • testates and principalities thereof: and so establish to him self a kingdom, not transitory and earthly in this world, but heavenly & endless forever and ever. On the contrary part, these fellows stroking themselves with a fantastical opinion of worldly pomp, and measuring all things according to the glorious glitering show of some terrestrial dominion, do yet fondly believe, that some other puissant & victorious conqueror shall come in some notably advanced manner. Whereupon being worthily deluded of their own frivolous fond expectation, they can neither truly acknowledge their own heavenly Messhias: nor did accept of him when he was come. Neither was it any marvel if they could not find in their hearts to entertain him being in this beggarly plight: when as their own Prophets did long before pronounce, that the Messhias should be persecuted with none so savage and unmerciful en • mie • , as the people of his own linage: and did also under most manifest oracles, and apparent veils of shadowish signs prognosticate that he should be slain through the treacherous treason of his own people.

After the same sort was the blood of Abel spilled by the embrued hand of his bloody brother Cain: Joseph entrapped and sold by the smister practice and procurement of his brother Judah: The lamb of the passover slain and devoured peecemeale in the houses of them, which were delivered by the blood of the same: So was Moses oftentimes contemptuously entreated, and disdainefully railed upon amongst his own kinsfolks: King David cruelly assaulted not of Saul only, but (which is more horrible) of the folk of his own family, of his neighbors, citizens and subjects. What else doeth the several calamities of all these purport, then that Messhias should be slain by the butcherie of his own people? What doeth that stone of offense mentioned in Isaiah, and that Rock to fall upon to both houses of Israel, and as a snare and a net to the inhabitants of Jerusalem signify other, then that the Lord himself should suffer death by the murderous practice of his own nation? Otherwise why is he called a rock to fall upon and stone of offense, if there were nothing in him whereupon the adversaries might stumble at? And to pass over other sharp and horrible prophesies uttered directly against this viperous generation by the mouth of their own Prophets in the book of Deuteronomy the xxxi. and xxxii. Chapters, so likewise in the 65. and 66. of Isaiah, and many others besides of their own Prophets, peruse who listeth the books of Malachi and Zechariah with diligence and heedefulnes, what doeth Malachi else in all that his preaching almost, then explain the order, and manner of Christ's passion, yea, and that so lively, that scarce any portion seemeth ouerskipped, that may seem to appertain to the sum and argument of all that whole Tragedie? Not their king him self riding upon an Ass, not the breaking of the bow of battle, and preaching peace unto the Gentiles: not the loosing of prisoners out of the pit, wherein was no water, whose outstretched power extendeth from sea to sea, from the floods to the uttermost parts of the earth, raising up the children of Israel above the children of Greece: not the thirty siluerlings of the traitor Judas for the which he sold Christ: not the wounds of his pierced body: not the print of the nails in his hands and feet: not the scattering of the disciples the Shepherd being stricken: not the city severed into three factions, whereof the third part only remained sound and served the Lord, yet so that the same was brought to trial by fire: not the destruction of Jerusalem by the assault of the Gentiles: not the overthrow and subversion of their houses: not the deflowering of their virgins: not the breaking in sunder the veil of the Temple under the figure of the mount Oliuete: not the darkened Ecclipse of the Sun the same day in the which Christ suffered his passion: And there shall be a day (saith he,) it is well known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but about the evening time it shall be light: And it shall come to pass in the same day, that the waters of life shall go out from Jerusalem, and the half of them toward the East sea, and half of them towards the uttermost sea, and shall be both in winter and summer. And immediately in the same Chapter, prophesying of our Savior Jesus Christ hanging upon the Cross: And that which shall be there above the brydles of the horses shall be called holy unto the Lord, and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowles before the Altar. &c.

What answer will you make now to these so notable and manifest testimonies? and whereupon dependeth the hope of that you look for, or in what pointes doeth it chiefly consist? Will ye flee back again to your rotten wormeaten poesies? we are the seed of Abraham, and were never subject to any other: well we may wander, but we can never perish. The holy Patriarchs are our progenitors: we are the issue of an holy root: we have a God in whom we do believe: we have the law wherein we are instructed, the temple, the priesthood: the sacrifices and ceremonies are committed unto our safe keeping, we have also Prophets, and promises of the Prophets, wherein we put our confidence. Nay rather you were once invested in all these, but now through your traiterous treachery you are berest, and despoyled of them all. You had sometime Abraham unto your father, upon whom you so gloriously vaunt yourselves. Even so had Esau, Ishmael, and Saul also as well as yt. And even this self same so noble a gentleman whom you accompt for your father, if he were present now in these our days, or had lived then also when Christ was conversant upon the earth, and had seen all those your frantic outragies, and traiterous devises, conceived of such despiteful rancor, and canckred malice: if he had beholden your reproachful taunts, contum • li • us mockeries, and furious madness, yo • • xecrable injuries, and horrible tyrannies provoked by no desert of his: your unquenchable malicious cruelty, in deriding, scorning, and murthering that most mild son of God Christ Jesus, the most puissant and mighty Lord of glory, having in all respects so bountifully deserved of you: and had been present at that unspeakable mad outrage, and exclamation when ye cried out, Crucify him, Crucify him: his blood be upon us and our children: we have none other king but Caesar. Moreover if he had seen your vnappeaceable disorder without all remorse of mercy in persecuting his disciples: your intolerable Scorpionlike sauagenes, so furiously boiling against the innocent infants of the Christian Gentiles: and the rest of your heinous abominations, insatiable butcheries, treasons, frenzies, and madness: If I say, this most godly and mild Patriarch Abraham were alive, to hear, and behold the same, with the same eyes wherewith long sithence he beheld the day of Christ Jesus, and rejoiced, would he ever have accounted you for his sons? or ever have acknowledged such imps to have proceeded out of his loins? Nay rather, who can dout of this, that he would have agreed with John the Baptist rather, and cried out with open mouth against you, O ye generation of vipers, and children of the devil: I do utterly det • st you, and your poisoned deeds, and imaginations.

But ye do believe in God, whom only you do worship and honor: so do the Turks, Sarracenes, Moors, and Scythians as well as ye. And where is there any one nation under the coape of heaven, so savage and beastly, that doeth not profess, confess, and worship one God only? And what is this to the purpose? Albeit ye esteem never so much of that your worshipping the great God, if yet in mean whiles ye persecute his messengers and Ambassadors whom he sendeth, if you kill his Prophets, if ye murder his Apostles, Martyrs, and Preachers: Finally if you put to the most slanderous death of the Cross the dear entierly beloved and only begotten son of God him self, being tormented with all kind of horrible tortures, to the unspeakable reproach of the same your own God, with what shameless visage can you brag that God to be your father, whose son you have so shamefully crucified? Yea, what were this to the purpose, or what might it avail you, to seem to yourselves that the same God is your father, if he do not reknowledge you for his children? Take this for an undoubted truth, that no kind of people can be adjudged to be the people of the living God, but in respect of his dear son Christ Jesus. Which if your blundered senses cannot comprehend as yet: what mean those words of Osee I beseech you? and of whom were they spoken? For ye be not my people, therefore will I not be yours. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said unto them, you are not my people, it shall be said unto them, you are the sons of the living God. You do persist still obstinately in the opinion of God's Law, and quite contrary to the Law of God, without all law, equity and conscience, hanged and racked upon tree the very same person of whom the whole Law did prophesy before, notwithstanding so many strange and wonderful miracles wrought by him, so many brotherly benefits employed upon you: yea, finding also no manner of cause worthy of death in him: You • o vaunt yourselves lustily in speech of the circumcision of your sores kinnes, and your uncircumcised hearts ouerflowe with spyderlike poison: you brag of keeping the Sabbath day whiles you take your bodily repast only: but the right use of the Sabbath of the Lord is to have a quiet mind, free from all jar of envy and malice. This Sabbath you do profane continually, but then chiefly most wickedly, when ye murdered the Lord him self, neither seem as yet satisfied therewith, nor ye will relent any jot at all from your ca • ckred con • umacie: you profess in words the letter of the law, but utterly disclayme from the spiritual meaning of the law in your deeds. You cry • ut, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord: and yet you abhor the Church of Christ, being the true Temple of the Lord: you challenge to yourselves a wonderful haughty prerogative of the blood offerings, of the Priesthoode, of the Sacrifices and ceremonies of the Law, which in deed carry a certain gallaunt resemblance of true religion.

But these outward shadows and ceremonies had their time and place long ago, and were not instituted to the ende they should continue irrevocable, but for a season, to represent as it were a superficial view unto us of more excellent things. Even as the kingly Throne of David, and all that politique gouer • ement of the Israelites did prefigure nothing else unto us, but the everlasting kingdom of Christ, and were as certain principles, wherewith the minds of the beholders might be raised up to a more deep consideration of far high mysteries: in so much that the very same, which was but figured in king David, we plainly perceive to have been expressly discovered in the king of the new Jerusalem, which is the Church of Christ. The same which was prefigured in Abel, in Noah, in Abraham, Melchizedek, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Sampson, David, Elias, Jonah, Jesus the great Priest, in the Paschal Lamb, in the brazen Serpent, in the Rock, in Manna, in the feast of Pentecoste: briefly whatsoever exercises were practiced in shadows, types & figures, we do unfeignedly acknowledge to have met, cōcurred, & been accomplished in one body. And this body truly is Christ Jesus, who is also y ^e ende & consummation of all the whole Law. In like manner the sacrifices and ceremonies, trimminges and deckings of the old Law, contained in them selves no sound nor permanent matter, but were shadows and forerunners of more excellent graces. For what is he so poreblinde in this our age, that knoweth not, that God doth not dwell in Temples made by men's hands? that consciences are not cleāsed from sins with the blood of goats & of bulls? But these bloody offerings obtained a certain resemblance only of the true purging of sins. What doth the commandment of the prophet emply, when in your Passover he charged a lamb of a yere old, clean & undefiled to be slain by families & tribes? Can your senses be so blockishe to think, that so great & effectual operation lurketh in the blood of beasts, as may avail to deliver you from cruel thralldom, & translate you to the lande of promise flowing with milk & honey, if there were no cornell of deeper mystery enclosed within the outward shell of the letter?

It remaineth now, that we treat of the promises of the Prophets, whereupon you boast so much, and raise all your building, which only thing of all others, doeth vnioynte and shyuer in pieces all the strong bulwarks of your unbelief, even to the very bottom of the foundation. And to the ende I may make this appear more evidently, I will combat a crashe with you in your own castle, whereunto I will use none other furniture, but your own weapons, I mean the very words and known sentences of your own prophets. And I will so deal with you in this conflict by the aid & assistance of God, as not heaping together out of all the Prophets in general their whole armory of proof that I know, for that were immeasurable. But I will choose rather out of certain of thē, not a multitude, to surcharge you w ^t number, but certain especial testimonies, w ^t the which as w ^t choice shot & powder, I will so batter y ^• bulwarks of your blūdered unbelief, that you shall not be able by any means possible to delude the matter with caffling, nor escape by denial, nor with any subtle legerdemayne of literal exposition, cast a myste before mine eyes, nor vntwyne yourselves out of the meashe by any crooked conueyaunce, as you are wont to do, though ye would never so fain, but either you shall be peruinced willingly to come to reason, or else against your willes to be confounded altogether with the manifest light of the truth.

And to begin first with the prophet Isaiah, what answer can all the offspring of the Hebrews make to these words written in the ninth chapter of his prophecy? For the yoke of their burden, and the staff of their shoulder, and the rod of their oppressor hast thou broken, as in the day of Mydian. You have heard a very honorable promise of the Prophet, wherein he pron •• ̄ceth a wonderful triumphaunt victory to all them that walk in the night of darkness, and in the shadow of death, prophesying likewise, that it will come to pass, that the chains of cruel captivity being cracked asunder, & yoke of servile bondage being crushed in pieces, they shall once at the length enjoy most happy calm of gladsome freedom. Well then. To whom was this promise made? to the Jews alone? is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Then by what means shall this victory be obtained? by any foreign power, or warlike broile? No. The Prophet doth utterly deny that, pronouncing these words forthwith: Because every spoil (saith he) of the warryour that is with noise, and with tumbling of garments in blood, shall be abolished with burning and consuming fire, even as in the victory that Gideon obtained against the Midianites, the conquest was achieved by the only hand of God, and the presence of Gideon, man's force & power little auayling thereunto. In like manner the prophet by like comparison persuadeth us to believe, that this victory and freedom must be purchased by the only blessing of God, and not by any force or policy of man: and that this blessing of God is sufficiently effectual of it self, without all force of bloody battle, to establish assured and v • doubted peace and everlasting freedom to all creatures. Go ye to now, let me this demand of you, when, and from whence this so great blessedness shall happen? The Prophet him self maketh answer, By the birth of a child (saith he) and by giving a son unto us. For unto us a child is borne (saith he) & unto us a son is given, & the Judgment is upon his shoulders. &c. Such is the excellent dignity of the son, so great is the majesty of his nature, proceeding from so notable a father, that he needeth none other aid in the world, to the attainment of absolute perfection of most blessed felicity. For what can be of more excellent effectual operation to the through cleansing away of all filthy contagion of corrupt nature, or more presently auaylable to remove all matter of brabble and contention, then to receive the very son of God him self into the felowshippe of this our mortal nature, being a Prince of so great and superexcellent Majesty, as that he may not seem to be borne an inheritor of a kingdom, to rule as a king, but that the kingdom may seem rather to spring up and be erected together with his birth? For so he saith, The government is laid upon his shoulders, not purchased by any his industry or travail, but laid upon his back, even from his first entry into this world, and growing up together with him, even from his very swathling clo • tes. And the same being so great an authority or principality, raised up by so much above the compass of all earthly empires, by howe much he obtained to be advanced and called by a more excellent title and name above all the princes of the world. And now if you be desirous to know the name of this famous Prince, the Prophet him self will forthwith declare unto you: His name (saith he) shall be called Wonderful, a Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace, The increase of his government and peace shall have none ende. &c. Where you see mention made of the kingdom of peace and patience, you may easily discern, not a kingdom only, but a distinct manner of kingly preeminence, far unlike to an earthly or worldly government. Now hearken where the place and nation is, over which this King must exercise his dominion. He shall sit upon the Throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order and establyshe it with Judgment and with Justice. Behold here under these Tytles, Judgment and Justice, is excluded all blooddye tyranny. And now listen to the perpetuity of thi • kingdom, From henceforth (saith he) even forever and ever.

Was ever man so froward of judgment, as to wreste and rack this place of the Prophet, of releasing the yoke of the burdens, of breaking the rod of the oppressor, to any other purpose appliable (though he endeavor to the contrary never so much) then to the very coming of Christ Jesus the son of God, in whom we do believe, who was sent of God the father, & givē unto us for an everlasting king? For where is it possible to find a king yssuing from out so notable a parentage, and of such an undefiled life, who by dying the death could crush in pieces the tyranny of death, and after he had tasted the death could of his own power revive, and raise him self up, to the glorious majesty of everlasting kingdom, this one Meschias only except, before whom all nations of y ^e earth do & shall bow the knee? Well now. And what buzzing will those Thal •• de glosers keep in the gloss, or what exposition will they fetch out of their Targum? Will they refer this intolerable yoke of thralldom unto their servitude endured in the time of Sennacher •• ? He would in deed have charged the shoulders of the Jews with this yoke of burden & rod of oppressor, but he never pinched thē so much therewith. Will they interpret the same of the captivity of Babylon? Neither will this hang together by any means. For albeit it pleased that mighty king of Babylon Cyrus of his bountiful mercy, to grant free passage to y ^e Israelites, to return into their own country: yet was not he able to unloose this prophetical yoke, and establish a peace that could never be dissolved, for that he was not only a mere stranger, but also void of all color to claim the throne of his father David, by any manner of descent from him.

Moreover, whereas the prophet Isaiah doth note here especially, the utter taking away of all occasions of warlike fury from amongst worldly men, and of restoring a kingdom of peace, and the same also to be endurable beyond all ages: who doth not see, that by no shyft of forged circumstance, these sayings may be translated to your fleshly bondage, sith yourselves also (which do believe and expect for an end of this brittle life, & a rising again at the last day as well as we) neither will ne can deny, but that all manner things in this world, either private or public, must have an end? Then if this be true, howe dare ye mortal men flatter yourselves with a possession of an immortal kingdom in this world? For that which is immortal, is not limited within any compass of time. Again, by what argument can ye persuade, that the thing which is everlasting, may have a last day and determined end of time? Forasmuch therefore as this kingdom of Meschias and David, is pronounced by the mouthe of the prophets, to be an everlasting throne, and the peace thereof without all ende: you must of necessity yield unto us, that this peace appertaineth not to the external trāquillitie of this earthly & terrestrial policy, but to the quiet calm, & peaceable rest of inward conscience & soul, in the sight of almighty God: which peace began thē to appear, whē as this child was borne: of whom the Angels of heaven did certify the shepherds in their melodious song: Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, and unto men a good will. Otherwise how will this reason of yours agree in it self, or accord with the Prophets? For if you awe • yt as yet for the coming of some warlike courageous Champion, who having subdued the Empire of the Gentiles, may with fire and sword force a recovery of your country, what shall become of this burning and devouring with fire, all warlike force and tumbling of garments in blood? Where is that Meschias, of whom Isaiah maketh mention, which shall proclaim peace, not war, to the Gentiles? Where is that Prince, whose voice shall not he heard to make any noise in the streets? Where is he, that shall not bruyse the broken rod? and shall convert the weapons of steel into ashes? On y ^e other side: if ye awayte for a peaceable king, such a one, as the Prophets do describe, what conquest then shall there be of Gentiles and nations? Ponder these things in your minds well, and advisedly, & see how these matters being contrary and repugnant eche to other, they may be framed to agree together.

There be an infinite number of the like prophecies in Isaiah, concerning the Meschias that should be slain for the sy • nes of the people and rejected of you: of his long lasting seed, and unspeakable generation: of the casting away of your whole race, and engraffing the Gentiles in your place: of blinding the eyes of them that did see: of the book delivered to the ignorant and unlettered: of healing the blind and the lame: of Ostryches and Dragons glorifiyng God: of floodes to be translated into the wilderness: of the salvation of God to be proclaimed from Zion to the uttermost partes of the world: of the small portion of Jews that shall be saved: Finally of the rooting out of your nation, together with the exchaunge of your name also. And you shall leave your name (saith he) as a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord shall slay you, and call his servants by another name. And again, My servants shall drink, and you shall be thirsty: Behold, my servants shall rejoice, and you shall be ashamed. I am not very inquisitive here to learn, with what iuggling after your wonted guise and determined malice, ye will corrupt and deprave those places, as you do all other for the most parte. Nay rather I will give you full scope to wreathe & wrest them with whatsoever crabbed cavillations ye can suggest, & after whatsoever sensual interpretation ye can devise: yet shall ye never prevail so far forth against the manifest truth, but that she will be able to stop your mouth, and convince your shameless impudency, considering that the very orderly course of natural causes, will not permit these sayings to be tossed and tumbled else where, then into the person of Christ Jesus, whom you have crucified.

I will pass over Isaiah, after I have cited one only place out of the xl. chapter of his prophecy, speaking in this wise: Comfort ye, comfort yourselves, my people, will your Lord God say. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, and her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received at the Lord's hands double for her sins. &c.

What is this to us, will ye say? I will tell you, if you will vouchsafe to yield your diligent consideration thereunto, & compare the same with the rest that doth ensue in the prophet. A voice (saith he) crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make straight in the desert a pathe for your God. &c. What can be more clear thē the brightness of this prophecy? what sentence more manifest? what more fruitful consolation? Wherein as many things seem worthy to be remembered, so three things chiefly are to be noted therein. Namely, The sins and wickedness of the people, in the first place: The wrath and vengeance of Almyghtie God, in the seconde place: in the third and last place, a most sweet and comfortable consolation, after many bitter and grievous punishments. In the parte that treateth of sins, the obstinate and vnuanquishable rebellion of the Jews against God and his Laws: In the seconde parte, where the wrath of God is spoken of, the Justice of God may be discerned, which will not suffer the wickedness of his people to escape long unpunished. The comfortable consolation proceedeth wholly from his loving kindness an • gracious mercy: whereupon the trump of those sweet and amiable promises is hearkened unto: wherewith the sovereign bounty of God qualifiyng the fretting corrosiue of his former displeasure, with mild & medicinal salve, doeth make an infallible covenant with them, that after they have once passed over many vexations, adversities and streightes, wherewith they were long time turmoiled & vexed, they should from thenceforth never feel so sharp a scourge in reuēging their sins. And hereof cometh this most delicate voice full of all spiritual comfort, which the Lord him self pronounceth here by the mouth of his prophet, speaking comfortably to Jerusalem, Thy warfare is accomplished, & thine iniquities are pardoned, for thou hast received at the Lord's hands double for thy sins, &c. As if this were the natural sense and meaning of the words: whereas I have hitherto shown myself a severe Judge against you in scourging your ungodliness with cruel plagues, this did I, evē according to the desert of your own deeds. In your miserable & continual calamity, in your manifold bondage & captivity y ^t you have endured first under y ^e Egyptians, then under the Assyrians, next under the Syrians, & lastly under king Herod the stranger, you have hitherto felt y ^e smart of God's justice. But now it hath pleased y ^e Lord to alter his determinatiō conceived against you, not to whet y ^e edge of his rigorous vēgeāce anymore to your destruction, not to deliver you as vassals & bōdslaues to your enemies, but enterchāging mercy for wrath, to embrace you w ^t all lenity, & make an ende of your sorrows & warfare: so that frō henceforth you shall not need to fear anymore invasion of cruel enemies, any leading away into direful captivity, any dreadful punishment of your heinous impiety. For the time shall come, when the Lord will no more reward your iniquities with horrible scourges and plagues, but of his inestimable clemency shall couche you within the blessed bowels of his bottomless mercy. And if you be desirous to know the time wherein these glad tidings shall be performed amongst you, take this for a sign and token, whereby you may discern the time, whereof I do foretell you. A voice shall be heard crying in the widernes, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a pathe for your God. Every valley shall be exalted, & every mountain and hill shall be made low. &c. And the voice proceeding yet forward, and demanding what he should cry: Saye unto the cities of Judah (saith he) Behold your God, behold the Lord God will come with power, and his arm shall rule for him, and his reward is with him. &c. Whē the sound of this trump out of the huge desert wilderness shall pierce into your ears and be seen with your eyes, this shall be a sign for you to know, that he is not far from the gates, that shall redeem you from your captivity.

I have disclosed unto you the meaning & sense of the Prophet, if I be not deceived: wherein two especial notes are to be considered: namely the punishment of sin, and the voice of a crier in the wilderness. Both which notes, who doeth not easily perceive to have been accomplished in the persons of Christ Jesus, & of John the Baptist? yea, and so accomplished in them, as no gap nor starting hole may possibly be found for you to escape, but that this place must be of necessity applied to Christ our anointed king and Savior. For what else imported the voice of John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, but to prepare a way ready for the coming of the Lord? And what else hath the whole doctrine of the New Testament taught and daily doth teache us also, but an everlasting forgiveness of sins, in the manner of a continual vacation from the term of the law? for as long as the law and God's justice did combat against sins, the warfare could never be broken up: but the enemy being once subdued, and the dominion of the law brought into captivity, our warfare must needs be at an end. For assone as the sinner beginneth to be no longer under the Law, but under grace, nor findeth any adversary to w ^t stand him, but hath caught the victory into his own hands once, what remaineth but he may ioyously triumph and keep holy day, being now delivered from all fear of further controlment.

Next unto Isaiah let us annex the testimony of Jeremiah, who after he had prophesied much of the return of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon, doeth encourage them again at the last with this kind of consolation: that from thenceforth they should never be carried from their own country into bondage again, speaking thus in the xxiii. chapter of his prophesy. And I will gather the remnant of my sheep out of all countries, whither I shall drive them, and will bring them again to their folds, and they shall grow and increase: And I will raise up shepherds over them which shall feed them: And they shall dread no more to be afraid: nor shall any of them be lacking saith the Lord. And immediately after: Behold the dais come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branche, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell in safety. And this is the name whereby they shall cal him, The Lord our righteousness. &c. And again in the xxiiii. of his prophesy: Like as these good figs, so will I know them that are carried away captive out of • udah to be good, whom I have sent out of this place into the lande of the Chaldeans: for I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again into this lande, and I will build them and not destroy them, and I will plant them, and not root them out. &c. And again in the xxxi. Chapter: Behold, I will bring them from the North country, and gather them from the coasts of the world, with the blind and the lame amongst them, with the woman with child, and her that is delivered also: A great company shall return hither. And they shall come and rejoice in the height of Zion, and their soul shall be as a watered Garden, and they shall hunger no more: for I will forgive their iniquities, and will remember their sins no more. And the seed of Israel shall not cease for not being a nation before me forever. And the places shall be built, & shall be all holy unto the Lord, neither shall they be plucked up nor destroyed anymore forever. And again in his xxxii. Chapter, Thus hath the Lord God of Israel spoken concerning the city, whereof you say, it shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babel by the sword, by famine, & by pestilence, Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, wherein I have scattered them in mine anger, and will bring them again into this place, and will cause them to dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever. And proceeding forward in y ^e chapter ensuing, Because the people of Jerusalem did not submit them selves unto the Chaldees, but resisted them with force, therefore were their bulwarks filled with dead bodies, But behold, I will give it health and amendment, and I will cure them, and will reueile unto them abundance of peace and truth. And there shall be heard in this place of which you say that it shall be desolate, even in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, and without any inhabitant, there shall be the voice of joy and gladness. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing, which I have promised unto the house of Israel, and to the house of Judah. In those days I will cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the lande. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Israel shall dwell in safety. And this shall they call her, The Lord is our righteousness: For thus saith the Lord, David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel. Neither shall the Priests and Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, & to do sacrifice continually. And afterwards again in the l. chapter: Thus saith the God of Israel, Behold, I will visit the king of Babel & his land, as I have visited the king of Assur. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, he shall be fed, and his soul shall be satisfied in his due time, saith the Lord. In those days shall the iniquity of Israel be sought for, and there shall be none: and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will be merciful unto them whom I do reserve. &c.

Hereunto may be added the like testimony of Baruch in his v. chapter: Put of thy mourning garments, O Jerusalem, and thin • affliction, and decke thee with worship and honor, because everlasting glory cometh unto thee from God. Put on the garment of righteousness that cometh from God, and set a crown upon thy head of the glory of the everlasting: for God will declare thy brightness unto every country under the heavens, and God will name thee by his name forever. &c.

What can be of more efficacy, then the testimonies of the foresaid scriptures? in the which forasmuch as two things are set down chiefly to be noted, ye must yield to the one of them of very necessity: either that this kingdom of Israel shall never decay again, after their return from y ^e Babylonical captivity: which being construed after the carnal sense of the letter, is most false, as you may plainly perceive: or else, if the kingdom of Israel be overthrown and have an end, and so thē the Prophets to lie: which is the most absurd thing that may be spoken.

Whereby appeareth most evidently, that all those sayings wherein the Prophets have foretold of the royalty of David's throne, and of the everlasting glory thereof, must have a certain mystical and spiritual interpretation. For you are not ignorant yourselves of that which happened to that fleshly and worldly estate of this kingdom, and into how narowe streightes & extremities it was forced, when as your city was besieged and razed by y ^e Romans, your Temple consumed with fire, and all things in the city devoured, and ransacked, even to the rooting out of all your nation almost: So that the circumstances of the times, being duly weighed, will plainly convince you, that these promises made touching the perpetual establishment of the kingdom of David, must be far otherwise understood, and that yourselves either lie shamefully in the order of your exposition, or else that your own Prophets did prophesy contrary to y ^e truth. Since therefore one of these two must of necessity be granted, choose which you will, or else discover some way how you may escape out of this Labyrinth. First I suppose no man will condemn y ^e Prophets for liars, for thei delivered nothing unto us, but y ^t which by wonderful inspiratiō they received of y ^e holy ghost, yea, y ^e same also infallibly true, as approved frō time to time by the circumstances, and sequel of the time.

For they foresaw (as truth was) being infourmed by the holy ghost, first, y ^e delivery of the remnant of that nation in the transmigration of Babylon: and it came to pass: they foresaw also, that this captivity should endure no less thē lxx years. This also came to pass. Finally, they foresaw that after the full expiration of this exile and banishment, a prince should come, and a son should be given in the fullness of time, which should possess the throne of his father David, and take upon him the government of the kingdom, and should establish the same in a permanent and vnperishable course of continuance, peace and tranquility forever. And this also was performed even then accordingly, when as the son of God was borne in the city of David: that woonderful counsailour, the mighty God, the prince of peace: who albeit died once according to the flesh, & seemed to be vanquished, yet was he not holden of death above three days, but suruiued of his own power, and liveth forever and ever: and in dying hath obtained an • ndlesse conquest of death, and triumpheth now (not much unlike unto Sampson) victoriously over death, hath rent in sunder the iron gates of sin, hath crushed the tyranny of the devil in pieces, and purchased everlasting life for his elect, not perishable by any assault of haughty adversary, nor vanquishable by any power of worldly policy. For as to that, that the city was put to the sack by the puissant army of the Romans, the Temple burnt and razed to the ground, all this nothing at all diminisheth the credit of the Prophet touching the establishment of the glory of that throne, but rather confirmeth, and doeth argue it to be of much more estimation. The rebel Jews, and traiterous murderers of Christ were overcome in battle: but Christ himself Prince of that kingdom with his Church could not be brought under subiectiō, neither shall at any time, but hath conquered, liveth, and triumpheth daily. And although you cannot yet conceive this invincible Majesty of that everlasting king, yet your Prophets saw it, yea, your father Abraham saw it, and rejoiced: Isaiah saw it, witnessing the same with an oath: The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the strength of his arm. Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies, & surely the sons of the strangers shall not drink the wine for the which thou hast labored: but they that have gathered it shall eat thereof, and shall praise the Lord. And the gatherers thereof shall drink it in the courts of my Sanctuary. &c. Again the same Isaiah speaking unto Jerusalem as though she were prisoner in Babylon: Whereas thou hast been forsaken, so that no man went by thee, I will make thee an eternal glory, and a joy from generation to generation. &c. Moreover in the 54. Chapter: For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season, but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion upon thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer: for this is unto me as in the waters of Noah, to whom as I have sworn, that I would no more go over the earth with waters, so have I sworn, that I would no more be angry with thee nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall remove, and the hills shall fall down, but my mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away, saith the Lord, that hath compassion on thee. And again in another place. Go ye out of Babel, flee ye from the Chaldeans with a voice of joy, tell and declare this, show it forth to the ends of the earth. Saye ye, the Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob. And within a little after: It is a small thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the desol • tion of Israel. I will give thee also for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the world. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palm of my hand: thy walls are ever in my sight. Thy buylders make haste, thy destroyers and they that made thee waste, are departed from thee. &c.

Neither did Isaiah see these things alone: The other Prophets, Patriarchs, and holy ones also did awayte for the royal excellency of this kingdom, before it was come. The Angels signified out of heaven that he was presently come, his miraculous works do ratify the same, his rising again at the feast of Easter confirmeth it, yea, the devils them selves felt it, and did tremble for fear. The holy company of Apostles, and Martyrs do confess it: all tongues and Nations do speak of his glory, bow the knees, and worship him. Finally, the holy Ghost through wonderful s • crete operation doeth daily and hourly enlarge, and ensea • e the infallible assurance thereof in the hearts of the faithful. Lastly you also, even you that are Jews, albeit as yet it be not revealed unto you, shall know and acknowledge once at the length (I trust) the inestimable treasure and incomparable riches of this kingdom, y ^e inuin • ible everlasting power of this king, who shall break and overthrow all other kingdoms of the world, and shall not possibly be destroyed it self, neither shall have any ende, Daniel.2.

But as this greatness of power is not car ••• , nor can be discerned with •• rnall eyes, ••• oeth it not wrestle with 〈◊〉 • nd blood with carnal weapons. T •• • on •• est of this ••• nce do • th extend itself 〈◊〉 a far more ••• stre • thed vnmeasurablenes, creepeth not ••• ng the ground like a worm: but pear ••• the height of the heavens, doeth not pro ••• e men to bloody battle: but assaulteth •• e Prince of this world, even the devil him self, and being advanced into heaven, hath thrown headlong out of heaven the ancient Arche enemy and accuser of mankind, yea, and slain him with the sword of his Majesty, hath removed away wrath, hath blotted out the curse of the Law, hath cured the canker of sin, hath trodden death under his feet, hath taken into his own government the power of all judgment, in so much that the Prophet Isaiah seemeth astonied, amazedly wondering at the marvelous course of his incomprehensible power: who having vanquished incomparable enemies, doeth likewise emparten his faithful servants with very riche spoils, not transitory and soon vanishing away, but enduring beyond all ages. Will ye yet hear more concerning y ^e power of this mighty Monarche? Listen then a while to the testimony of the verity it self in the Gospel. This is the will of my father, that sent me, that every man which seeth the son, & believeth on him shall have everlasting life. What can be more princely then this? And I will raise him up at the last day. What can be of more power? For as the father hath life in him self, so likewise hath he given to the son to have life in him self, & to give life unto him unto whom he will, and hath given him power also to execute judgment. What can be more heavenly? Neither doeth the father judge any man, but hath given all the judgment unto the son. What can be more admirable? Unto whom all power is given in heaven and in earth. What can be required more? Moreover that ye may be assured that the son of man is of power to forgive sins upon earth, behold a sign wrought upon the sick of the palsy: Take up thy bed and walk. Again: As the living father hath sent me, even so do I send yo: whosoever sins ye forgive, shall be forgiven them. Besides all this, let us hear what Peter speaketh of him: To him (saith he) all the Prophets do give witness that through his name all that believe in him, shall receive remission of sins. What can be more marvelous? When the son of man shall be exalted, I will draw all things unto myself. What can be more glorious?

Let us adjoin herewith the t • stimonie of Saint Paul: Who hath reconciled all things in heaven and in earth: who undertook in his own person all the hatred and enmity betwixt God and men : who with a beck of his countenance reli • ueth the afflicted consciences humbled even to hell gates, who doeth refresh and comfort them with his spirit, healeth with a word of his mouth, looseth them that are fettered with the chains of sin, dischargeth from all fear of judgment and death, acquitteth from the tyranny of the devil. What may be comparable to the Majesty of this Empire? and withal what can be more amiable then the same Majesty, at the naming of whom all knees in heaven, earth, and hell, do fall prostrate and worship? Yea, the devils themselves do tremble and quake for fear, the dead arise again, maladies are healed, prisoners are loosed, the hungry are filled, the oppressed with labor are refreshed and disburdened, mourners, and such as pyne away with sorrow and anguish are recomforted, death is subdued, tears are wiped away, sorrow and sadness is turned into mirth and gladness, enterchange is made from the lowest to the highest, mountains are thrown down, hidden things are discovered, rough & crabbed things are made plain and straight, the first become the last, and the last are made the first.

All which heavenly graces, albeit you miserable Hebrews will not acknowledge, & most disdainfully do blaspheme in your synagogs, y ^e angel of y ^e everlasting testament, having regard to y ^• part of him only, wherein he seemeth weak according to the utter apparance & dispensation of the flesh by rea • on of his death and burial: yet we for our part beholding his heavenly divinity, inseparably united together with the baseness of his humanity, and comparing his miraculous life, death and resurrection, yea, the whole course and actions of his life with the reports of the Prophets: and being established in faith with infallible testimonies of the sacred scriptures, instructed hereunto by y ^e guyding of the holy ghost, persuaded by the assured promises of the Prophets, and casting ankerholde in the assured haven of his wonderful miracles: do firmly believe, and with unshaken faith confess, that this is the very same Messhias whom you do yet expect and look for. Finally, reposing all our trust and affiaunce upon his mighty power, guarded with the invincible protection of so great Majesty, do with so valiant forwardness of mind, raise up the undaunted courage of our hearts against all assaults and battrie of the world, against all storms of fretting adversity, that now neither the raging railing of your blasphemous mouth, nor fearful delusions of wily Satan, not y ^e dreadful sight of hell gates, nor y ^e tyrannous threatenings thereof: not y ^e griesely coūtenaunce of gastful death, be it never so terrible, nor the cruel curse & continual accusations of the Law (which is more horrible then all the rest) can in any respect appall & terrify our settled consciences. For why should that person tremble or be amazed with the threatenings of the Law, whose Lord and master Christ Jesus is Judge and ruler over the Law? Why should he dread death, or the devil him self procurer of death, or all the furious champions of the devil, for the safety of whose life, and assured raising from death to life, y ^e very sonne of God Christ Jesus is become surety & pledge? who sitting at the right hand of the Father, doeth keep the keys of death and hell, and therewith alone shutteth, and no man openeth, setteth wyde open, and no man shutteth, restraining and disposing all things in heaven and earth with an only beck of his countenance.

And hereof ariseth that wonderful constancy of our Martyrs and Apostles, in yielding their bodies to tortures and death: hereof springeth that invincible force of Christian faith: hereupon is grounded that vnpenetrable Rock of Christ's Church, which being so oft undermined by your subtle pyoners, circumvented w ^t so many traitorous sleights and devises, vexed with so many furious outrages of Gentiles & Jews, attempted with so many cruel crampes of the prince of darkness, assaulted with all kind of torments and persecutions, could notwithstanding never hitherto be discomfited with any kind of battery, or shaken with engine, neither shall be overthrown at any time, whiles the world doeth endure. The vnuanquishable continuance whereof if you would but indifferently without all partiality ponder in your hearts, what else doth it argue then an heavenly an • unspeakable power of her captain Christ Jesus? But as the power of this captain is spiritual, so it is not discernible, but by spiritual insight, raised up (as I said before) not to strive against mankind, but to subdue the tyranny of Satan, the mighty prince of this world, and to despoyle & force him out of his kingdom. And this may every sensible man easily conceive, if he will enter into somewhat a more deep consideration of his miraculous works: so that this marvelous victory of this triumphaunt conqueror, can by no argument & proof appear more manifestly, then even in this one overthrow of that ancient archenemie. For if that conquest be so much the more praise worthy, by howe much the force of the vanquished is more notorious, what ought we thē to judge of him, who only and alone, undertaking the challenge, not against man's power, but in the behalf and defense of mankind rather, against all those mighty & invisible adversaries of mankind, vnuanquisheable otherwise by any policy of men, against all those spiritual furies & incessaunt accusers of mankind before the throne of God, against all those princes & potētates, and rulers of darkness, against the poisoned darts of death, against the intolerable burden of sin, against the dreadful curse of the Law, and wrath of God's vengeance, against the force and gates of hell, was able by his only prowess to tread down, and triumph over them all, without all aid and help of man, yea and which is most to be marveled at, without all strength, without all sleyght and policy of resistance, far unlike the warlike attempts and martial affairs: where it cometh always to pass, that the most notable and famous enterprises are never achieved without huge troupes of courageous soldiers, or subtle practice of politique governors. For here beyond all reach of man's understanding, I know not how miraculously this marvelous victory was obtained, without force of arms, industry and policy, through the only plain & open conduct of simple truth. For what simplicity can be greater, then to yield to the will of the adversary in humility and patience? And what could be more void of hope to recovery? And yet by this means it came to pass, that pompous Pride through humility was brought into subjection: glory of riches confounded by baseness of poverty: haughty arrogancy of the world suppressed with humble infirmity: the curse of the Law rased out by undefiled innocence: sins forgiven: the mouth of the enemy stopped up, through meek taciturnitie: victory obtained by yielding: finally, death by dying vanquished, and life everlasting purchased.

And yet to confess the truth frankly and simply, this glorious conquest wanted not his singular dexterity and artificial policy, being nevertheless both heavenly, holy and achieved by most upright Justice: not to the ende to betray in snare, or seduce any good man from the right path of truth, but to intrappe that crafty enemy the Devil only. And that not without great cause. For what could be more agreeable with reason, then the same old wily serpent (which had beguiled mankind first with subtlety and lies) should be encountered again with a certain heavenly policy, (yet void of all color of lying) and so entrapped and entangled with sleyghts & deceits of his own forge, should be catched in his own pytfall, and bereft of his place? What could be more convenient, then to strangle the most horrible deceyuer with his own halter, and by most just law to disfraunchise the most unjust intruder from his unjust possession?

Wherefore go to, what sayest thou now Satan, thou cursed imaginer and practizer of all mischief, allege somewhat at length if thou canst: what sayest thou? Doest thou not see y ^t all thy practizes are discovered through that heavenly light? Doest thou not feel infirmity of the flesh, treading now upon thine own head, whiles thou wast devising mischief against infirmity of weak flesh? Thou hadst swallowed down a bait, but art enforced to cast y ^e same out again of thy gorge. Thou diddest awayte for the destruction of mankind, but withal didst accelerate his safety. Thou didst enforce the innocent to the death of the cross, such was thy cankered malice, or such rather was thy lewd folly. Thou didst undermine the Son of God: wherein albeit thou didst scarce pynche him, yet hast thou slain thyself thereby, & blessed us forever. For thou hast not fastened him vpō the cross alone, but nailed all our sins also together with him, which being now thoroughly cleāsed with that only sacrifice, hath delivered us from everlasting torments, and recoyled them back upon thine own head irrecoverable for evermore. The brazen serpent might have been a good president unto thee, to have made thee more wary & advised, which, if it had not been hanged on tree, could not have healed the wounds of them y ^t were plagued. The valiāt Sampson being a type & figure of our Lord Jesus, might have forewarned thee: and that mystical immaculate Lamb, above all the rest: the sleying of the which was no less dreadful to the enemy, then comfortable to the godly. Neither happeneth it otherwise to thee, & thine at this present. Thou didst endeuoure to establish thine empire, and art despoyled of thine empire. What? wast thou ignorant, y ^t he whom thou didst assail, was the son of God? Why then didst thou confess him so to be? And if thou know it, with what shameless impudency couldst thou attempt so execrable impiety? But he seemed weak in thine eye perdy, being clad with p ••• e beggarly baseness of the flesh: & thy meaning perhaps was to try, whether he could be slain, & therefore thou didst rush upon him so sternely, and murdered him so horribly. Well, and why dydst thou not hold him fast, when thou hadst slain him? Howe chanced that he slypt out of thy paws? and being escaped, whither went he from thee? and where doth he now remain? O cruel cursed manqueller, doest thou not perceive, into what streightes thy savage bloodthirstinesse hath driven thee at y ^e last? Doest thou not acknowledge y ^t the very same tree, and that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which by the ministry of thy chāpions, thou gavest to him for food, is turned into thy poison, & for us into the bread of life? Doest thou not remember how y ^• famous & solemn feast day, wherein he did triūphe over death, when he spoiled principalities & powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in his own person, wherein thou thyself with thy mates dydst rejoice by the space of two days, was erected to us for a perpetual monument of eternal joy and freedom? At the very naming where • of, the whole rabble of thy adherents do tr •• ble and quake for fear. Doest thou not acknowledge now at the length, y ^• glorious name y ^t was given him above all names, the power whereof thou doest feel now and then among, to thy great grief? and whereunto all the furies of hell confederates of thy malice are compelled to yield maugre their teeth? Doth not this victorious conqueror by contrary enterchaunge of times, tread down thy cowardice deservedly, as saying thus, Death where is thy sting? Death where is thy victory? And what availeth thee being altogether vanquished, and brought into thralldome, to kick against the conqueror, inciting & provoking the Pharisees & kings of the Gentiles, so furiously to rage against the godly Martyrs? Go to, and what hast thou won by their imprisonmēts, chains, stoning to death, scourgings, tormētings by fiery enflamed plates, tortures and rackings, burning, broylinges and skorchinges, by all kinds of horror and cruelty, and by so many their slaughters? I will tell thee. Thou hast confirmed the faith of Christ, thou hast established & enlarged the kingdom of Christ, and hast heaped upon thyself and thy brood double torments of unquenchable flames. And herein we are somewhat beho •• ing to thee, for that through this deadly madness, it cometh to pass, that throughout the whole world, the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is magnified and renowned, and also because thou ceasest not to lie in wait against his heel daily as yet: but he that is in heaven doeth scorn at thy malicious devises, he derydeth thy subtle sleyghtes, that hath skill to convert thy despite and outrage to the benefit of his elect, and to the glorious increase of their eternal felicity.

But I return to the prophets again, out of every of whom I do not purpose to set down all that they write touching my purpose: but I will give you a taste of a few special sentences, taken out of an infinite number skatteringly here and there, and will gather them together to f • t our present matter: that ye shall neither be able with shift or cavillation whatsoever, to delude the manifest proofs concerning Christ Jesus our Lord, unless you disclaim wholly from your own prophets: nor yet allow of your pr • phets, unless you do admit withal our savior Jesus Christ. Amongst whom, (because I will not be long) to omit the notable prophecies of Ezekiel, very much auaylable to this our discourse, wherein he foretelleth of the return of the dispersed Jews, frō Babylon to their own city, and the seconde building up of their temple, which from thenceforth should • stand unshaken, and never perish anymore, nor be molested by any invasion of the enemy. For even to that effect doth the prophet treat very largely, in the xxviii. of his prophecy, saying: And they shall dwell in their land with all security, & they shall build houses, & shall plant vineyards, & shall inhabit the land confidently, when I shall execute judgment against all thē, that shall stand against them round about them. &c. And again in the 34. chapter thus he saith: And they shall be safe in their lande, & they shall no more be spoiled of the heathen, neither shall the beasts of the lande devour them, but they shall dwell confidently, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown. And they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the reproach of the Heathen anymore, &c. And in his xxxvi. chapter, speaking to the mountains of Israel: And I will bring my people again, (saith he) unto them: and you shall be their inheritance, and they shall possess you. Thou shalt not waste thy people from henceforth. And I will cause no more to hear in thee the shame of the Heathen any way: neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people anymore. &c. And immediately in the chapter next ensuing: And they shall be no more two people, neither be divided anymore from henceforth into kingdoms: neither shall they be polluted anymore with their Idolles, nor with any of their transgressions: But they shall dwell upon their lande them selves, even their sons, and their sons sons forever. And my servant David shall be their Prince forever. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, it shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will multyplye them, and will place my Sanctuary among them for evermore. And in another chapter a little before: And I will call for corn, and I will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. &c. Now considering and conferring with this, the great famine that not long after ensued, the city being besieged by the Romans, when as mothers were enforced through famine to slay their suckling babes, yea & the city besides were almost starved & pyned up with hunger, I cannot see how that saying can be verified, unless you understand it, as having relation to the spiritual kingdom of Israel, and not to the carnal.

But to pass over these, because we shall not be able to stand upon all their testimonies spoken to this effect, (as I have said before) we will proceed to others. And first let us consider the place taken out of the ix. chapter of Daniel his prophecy, because it fitteth this purpose more notably, then any other: where the heavenly Prophet doeth in few words comprehend the whole estate of your common weal, from your return out of the Babylonicall captivity, even to the uttermost point of your desolation, describing withal in the same chapter, the death of the Messhias, the ende and consummation of sin, together with the utter abolishment of the observances and sacrifices of the ceremonial Law, by such special marks & tokens so evidently, that it can by no means possible be gainsayde. Wherefore let us with good advise ponder the words of the prophet, & with no less diligence, thē the matter requireth. For in this wise the Angel Gabriel doth cal upon Daniel, whiles he was praying, and speaketh the words ensuing.

At the beginning of thy supplications, (saith he) the commandment came forth. And I am come to show thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seuentie weeks are shortened, (or determined) upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the wickedness, & to seal up the sins, & to reconcile the iniquity, & to bring in the righteousness of the world to come, (or everlasting) & to seal up the vision, & the prophet (or prophecy) & to annoint the most holy, (or the holiness of the sanctified.) And thou shalt know and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment, to bring again the people, and to build Jerusalem, unto Meschias the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and three score and two weeks. And the streets, and the wall (or trenches) shall be built again in the straits of times. And after three score and two weeks shall Meschias be slain, (annointed) & shall have nothing, (shall be bereft of his life.) And the people of the Prince that shall come, (coming) shall destroy the city, and the Sanctuary, and the ende thereof shall be in (with) a flood: and to the end of the battle the desolation shall be determined (the ende of desolations.) And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: & in the mids of the week shall cause to rest (cease) the sacrifice & oblation (Minha.) And upon the wyng (or as some say for the ouerspreading) of the abominations, there shall be desolation, (he shall make it desolate) even until the consummation determined (determined desolation) shall be poured upon the desolate.

The same after the common translation.

Seuentie weeks shall be shortened vpō thy people, & upon thy holy city, that wickedness may be finished, & sin may take an end, & iniquity wiped out, & everlasting righteousness may be brought in, & the vision & prophecy may be fulfilled, and the holy of holy ones may be annointed. Know therefore & understand, that from the going forth of the commandment, that Jerusalem shall be builded again, even to Christ the prince seven weeks, & three score two weeks shall be. And the streets shall be built again, & the walls in straitnes of times. And after three score two weeks shall Christ be slain, & that shall not be his people which will deny him. And the people with the prince that shall come, shall destroy the city & the Sanctuary, & the end shall be destruction, & after the end of the war determined desolation. But he shall cōfirm his covenant to many in one week, & in the mids of the week the offering & sacrifice shall cease, & there shall be in the Temple abomination of desolation, and even to the consummation and ende shall the desolation continue.

Munster his translation.

Seuentie weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy hill, to finish wickedness, and seal up sins, and to cleanse iniquity, and to bring in the righteousness of the worlds, to seal the vision & the prophet, and to annoint the holy of holy ones. And thou shalt know & consider from the going out of the commandment, for therepayring and building again of Jerusalem unto Messhias the prince, shall be seven weeks & three score two weeks, but the street shall be restored and builded again, & the trenche, but in strayghtes of times. And after three score two weeks, shall the annointed be cut of, & nothing shall be of him. And the people of the Prince coming, shall destroy the city, and the Sanctuary, and the ende thereof shall be in overflowing, and to the end of the battle determined desolation. And he shall make strong a covenant with many for one week, and in the mids of the week he shall make to cease the sacrifice, and the offering Minha. And for the ouerspreading of abominations shall be desolation, and to the consummation & determined banishment shall be poured upon (the people) which is subject to desolation.

The translation of Pagninus and Vatablus.

Seuentie weeks are cut of upon thy people, & vpō thy holy city, to finish wickedness, to consume sin, & to purge iniquity, & to bring in the righteousness of the worlds, & to finish the vision, & the prophet, and to anoint the holy of the holy. Know therefore & understand, that from the going forth of the commandment, for the bringing back of the people, and the building of Jerusalem unto Christ the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore two weeks, and he shall come again, and the street and the wall shall be built again in the streightes of times. But after threescore two weeks, Christ shall be cut of, and there shall be none (to help him) and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and Sanctuary, and the ende thereof with a floode, and to the ende of the battle it shall be cut of with desolations. And he shall strengthen a covenant with many one week, and in the mids of the week he shall cause to cease the sacrifice and oblation, and for the ouerspreading of abomination, he shall make desolate until the consummation, and (truly) being cut of shall be poured upon the wonderer.

Calvin's translation.

Seuentie weeks are finished upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to shut up wickedness, & to seal up sin, and to purge iniquity, & to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and the prophesy, and to anoint the holy of holy ones. Thou shalt therefore know and understand, from the going out of the commandment of the return and building again of Jerusalem unto Christ the prince, to be threescore two weeks, and (the people) shall be brought again. And the street and the wall shall be builded again, and that in the streightes of times. And after threescore two weeks, Christ shall be cut of, & shall be nothing. And the people of the prince coming shall destroy the city and the Sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood. And to the end of the battle determination of desolations. And he shall strengthen a covenant with many for a week, and in the middes of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to rest, and over the destruction or ouerspreading shall be amazed, (or cause to be amazed) & at the end and determination shall pour out upon the amazed.

Melanchthon's translation.

Seuentie weeks are cut of upon thy people, and upon thy holy city. And iniquity shall be purged, and everlasting righteousness shall come. And the prophesy, and the vision shall be sealed, and the holy of holy ones shall be anointed. And thou shalt know, and understand from the going forth of the commandment, and the restoring and building again of Jerusalem unto Christ the prince in seven weeks, and in seventy two weeks. And the street and wall shall be built again in the streightes of times. And after threescore two weeks Christ shall be cut of, and there shall be no people for him. And the people of the prince coming shall destroy the city, and the Sanctuary. And the end thereof shall be a flood. And to the ende of the battle may be finished as though an appointed desolation or banishment. And he shall confirm a covenant, even as a testament to many for one week, and in the middes of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. And upon the wing, the abomination of desolation, and unto the determined consummation shall pour out upon the desolation. And upon the wing shall be abomination of desolation.

Urbane Rhegius differing very little from the common translation, hath written as ensueth.

Seuentie weeks are shortened (or finished, determined) upon thy people and upon thy holy city, that wickedness may be finished (or transgression shall be restrained or driven away) and sin may come to an ende (or sin then shall be shut up or covered) and iniquity wiped away (or purged) & everlasting righteousness brought in, and the vision or prophesy may be fulfilled (or ensealed) and the holy of holy ones may be anointed. Knowe therefore and understand, from the going forth of the commandment (that is to say, from the time wherein the commandment was published) that Jerusalem shall be built again, even to Christ the prince, are seven weeks and threescore and two weeks, and the streets and the wall shall be builded again in the streightes of times. And after threescore and two weeks Christ shall be slain, and that shall not be his people which will deny him (or that will not know him, or will forsake him.) And the people of the prince shall come and shall scatter abroad the city and the Sanctuary (destroy) and the end thereof destruction (or the end thereof with a tempest, or with a flood) and after the end of the battle appointed desolation (or after the battle all shall remain desolate) he shall confirm a covenant with many in one week, and in the half of the week the offering and sacrifice shall decay, and in the temple shall be abomination of desolation (or upon the wing or wings shall stand the abomination of desolation) And even unto the end & consummation shall desolation continue, (or it is decreed that the desolation shall continue even unto the end.)

Ye men and Hebrews, you hear in this prophesy many strange & wonderful things, which do convince your errors very singularly. First, where he saith that your Messhias shall come whiles your common wealth flori • heth in most prosperous estate. If this be true, what hope induceth you to believe that your Messhias shall come now, your common wealth being utterly defaced and scattered? Then, mention is made of the benefits of your Messhias, wherein is foreshowed that he shall be slain, yea, the time also wherein he shall be slain, is expressly set down. And after threescore two weeks (saith he) Messhias shall be cut of Veëin lo. And first herein the Jews do agree together with us, that these weeks are not to be numbered by limitation of days, but of years.

Wherefore these threescore two weeks spoken of by the Prophet are by computatiō accounted to amount to 436. years. After y ^e end of which threescore two weeks, Messhias shall establish his covenant by his doctrine, death, & resurrection in the other week next ensuing. In the half whereof he shall by his own only sacrifice and oblation, wherein he shall offer him self to God the father in his cross and passion, dissolve and utterly abolish all your sacrifices and offerings.

But here arise in the mean space many scrupules to be resolved: first, to know at what time those weeks took their beginning, and so also when they ended. For herein the learned expositors seem to be variable in judgment. Some are of opinion that the beginning of the weeks entered first, whē as the seventy years of their captivity were finished: That is to say, from the second yere of the reign of Darius Histaspes. And of this mind are Clement of Alexandria, Theodorete, Eusebius, Jerome and Augustine, grounding as it seemeth upon the words of Zechariah in the first Chapter of his prophesy.

Again many do deny this utterly, supposing that the weeks began first at the going forth of the commandment: That is to say, when proclamation was made by the commandment of Cyrus in the first yere of his reign, that the Jews should be released, and sent home into their country again. In like manner they do vary also, about the end and finishing of the said weeks. For some that reckone the beginning of y ^e weeks frō the first of Cyrus reign, do ascribe y ^e end of the same to the time of Christ's birth in the reign of Augustus the Emperor of Rome. Some others do draw them longer to the Baptism and passion of Christ. Others also accounting frō Darius, do begin at the seconde yere of his reign: many at the sixth, some others at the twentieth yere thereof. Some writers also mislyking the former opinions, do make their reckoning otherwise. Besides this scrupule many seem to be encumbered much about the intricate and confused supputation of the years and reigns of the kings which succeeded Cyrus and continued until the coming of Alexander, which thing chiefly above all the rest entangleth the accompt most by reason of the uncertain limitatiō of those times. There is also no less disagreement in the order and obseruatiō of the years, betwixt them which do number from the reign of Cyrus: amongst whom those which apply to the birth of Christ, do recompt the number of years to be 540: some reckone 501: some otherwise either more or less. Finally, albeit the most approved writers do verify that fourteen Persian kings, or at the lest thirteen succeeded eche other in the kingdom of Persia until the conquest of Alexander, yet the Jews make accompt of four only. But these buzzards unacquainted altogether with foreign gouernements, are to be rejected utterly as unmeet arbyters of this controversy.

Some be of opinion, that Cyrus, after the conquest of Babylon reigned twenty years, some others seven years only. Some report that betwixt Cyrus & Darius the Assyrian, only Cambyses reigned, and that by the space of twenty years. There be others, that making no mention of Cambyses at all, do enterlace betwixt Cyrus and Darius one named Ahasuerus, and unto him they allow twenty years of holding the kingdom likewise. So great is the variety of opinion also concerning the continuance of the Persian Empire, yea even amongst y ^e learned: whiles some do attribute to that government under the Persiā Kings 130. years full: others 200 lacking two: some other there be which otherwise make their calculation.

But as concerning the succession of the Persian kings, many of our writers suppose that the Temple began to be built at Jerusalem in the reign of Longimanus, who as they say was y ^e fourth after Cyrus in success • on: which fourth place Jerome ascribeth to Darius, and driveth this Longimanus to be the seventh in number after Cyrus. Briefly there is no one thing amongst y ^e Historiographers, that moveth more doutful matter of controversy, as well among the Grecians as y ^e Latinists. Wherein as it would seem troublesome to recite the names of all the authors that write of this matter: so would it be over tedious to recompt all their several opinions and reasons alleged thereunto. Neither will I take upon me to determine any certainty in this cōfuse variety of wits, nor do I think it necessary: namely sithēce this our later age hath raised up many learned men, who by exquisite comparing of y ^e ancient Chronicles, have left to the posterity commendable testimony of their studious industry: who albeit express no small disagreement in some certain points, yet receiving much light from the ancient Chronicles, seem to approach somewhat near the mark.

Philip Melancthon, as in all liberal sciences singularly studied, so through wonderful travail in the careful conference of histories achieving a more ripe and sound judgment, setteth down a double order of reckoning: in the one whereof he nombreth the weeks to begin in the reign of Cyrus, and so until the birth of Christ: in the other he taketh the original of the weeks in y ^e time of Longimanus, & so proceedeth unto y ^e time of Christ's death & resurrection, yielding herein to the judgment of y ^e learned, to make their choice, whether of them they list to approve. But Io. Calvin seemeth to allow neither of thē, induced as it seemeth w ^t this reason, that y ^e beginning of y ^e computation ought not to enter in y ^e reign of Longimanus, nor y ^• end thereof to be determined at the birth of Christ, as he supposeth: which thing truly is very well noted by Io. Calvin, according to the singular dexterity of his learning and capacity.

For as it behooved these weeks to comprehend the fullness of time, from the free manumission of the captives, to y ^e last purging and cleansing of sins, which should come to pass by the only oblation of Mes • hias our savior: it is out of all question, that neither the reign of Cyrus is exempted from this abatement of weeks, namely since the Prophet Isaiah in y ^• 45. cha. of his prophesy, doth note Cyrus by e • pecial name to be y ^e only deliverer of y ^e people frō their captivity: neither those weeks could be finished before y ^e whole exploit of our redemptiō were of all parts accomplished. And therefore I. Calvin doth not w ^t out some probability dissent frō them, who derive y ^e entrye of y ^e said weeks frō the second yere of Darius his reign only. So would I likewise contentedly ye • ld to his judgment herein, if he had made a full & distinct computatiō of all y ^t m • ane process of time, which passed over betw • xt y ^• going forth of the commandment frō Cyrus, to the passion of Christ according to the true and just proportion of y ^e weeks. But forasmuch as those years which were betwixt the going forth of the commandment and the passion of Christ, being duly account • do amount above 530 years, as appeareth by collation of Chronicles: therefore some dout also may be made here, how Calvin's reckoning may be appliable to this accompt. For resolution whereof, Matthew Beroalde in his Chronographicall demonstration will help us somewhat: who beginning his number at the reign of Cyrus also, proceeding onward until y ^• ascension of Christ, doeth reduce those years which were accountable betwixt whiles, to the seventy weeks mentioned in Daniel, to wit, to 490 years, or to tē Iubiles, very well agreeable with Calvin's reckoning. The same also doeth Gerardus Mercator • very late writer testify, if credit may be given to their report.

But what answer will those men make on the other side, to y ^e other Historiographers? to Constantine Phrygio, who nombreth y ^e years from the reign of Cyrus unto the passion of Christ 544? to Io. Lucidus & Io. Functius? whereof the one far otherwise measuring y ^• weeks after the death of Cyrus from the xx. yere of Darius, the other from the vii. yere of his reign, do recompt y ^e same to be 490. And to p • sse over infinite of the like disagremēts, Theodorus Bibliander also seemeth to be of like opinion to them, that make accompt of more years betwixt the reign of Cyrus and the blessed passion of Christ, then are recorded by Beroalde & others. But whether this computation be right, yea or nay, I am not to determine at this present.

Well thē may some man say, what certainty can be agreed vpō in this so great cōtrarietie & disagreement of opinions? For y ^e discharge of which subtle question, I do answer in few words. First the infallible testimony of gods truth doth not depend upon man's determination: howsoever men be carried hither & thither in conceit, & their opinions like clockes whirled about vpō wheels, that never sound in one minute of time, yet doeth not the day alter his appointed course: no more will the certainty of God's promise be any time unsteadfast or deceiveable. And albeit ancient Chroniclers do sometimes wander in precise, and exact observation of minutes, and small moments of days, or years, or utter their several judgments therein, according to their several capacities: yet this contrariety withstandeth not so much, but there may be a general consent in the substance of the matter debated: nor is this to be marveled at, considering the great antiquity of foreworne years, and the immeasurable blindness, and ignorance in the same: so also how variable • oeuer the opinions of many seem discrepant eche frō other, yet this contrariety, as it is not altogether void of truth, so doth it not much prejudice the cause, which is here in controversy. For whether the accompt of seventy weeks be derived from the reign of Cyrus, as some will have it, or from Darius, as others do think, to continue either until the nativity of Christ, or to his death and passion: or wh • there the same were the Assyrian Darius, or Longimanus, in the sixte yere of whose government, the building of the Temple was resumed, and finished: yet in this one point, all and every the Historiographers, as well aunci • nt, as late writers, with one general consent do conclude, and agree togethers, that these seventy weeks cannot by any application be ascribed to any other person, then to Christ Jesus, the true Messhias, even the same Messhias, (I say) which was borne of the virgins, • n the time of Augustus the Emperor, and was afterwards crucified under Pontius Pi • ate, and which was restored again to life, the third day after his death.

And thus much touching the diversity of judgment in the computation of the learned: who notwithstanding differ not so much in the state, and ground of the question. Only the controversy ariseth upon the application of the time: as whether the accompt of the weeks ought to be referred to the birth of Christ, or to his passion. But what is this to the purpose: This groundwoorke remaineth yet unshaken, and ratyfyed by most approved testimony of general consent, which appertaineth chiefly to the sentence of the Prophet, and the material parte of his prophesy: to wit, that no one sentence throughout the whole Scriptures, doeth more manifestly convince your error touching your Messhias, and more substauncially establish our faith, then this one testimony of the Prophet Daniel, wherein the mystery of the seventy weeks most manifestly is here determined upon that nation, and people of yours. The which same weeks the Angel gathering again together, divideth into three several distinct orders. The first order comprehendeth seven weeks: the second, three score two weeks: the third, one week only, which was the last, and the seuentieth in number. In which last week, he signifieth that it should come to pass, that the holy of holy ones should be anointed, slain, and make an ende of sin, and sin offerings appointed in the law of Moses: which things being accomplished, and the full number of years completed and finished, the city afterwards should come to utter ruin and destruction. And because the Prophet should the better conceive the very disposition, and distinct proportion of times, in which those things should be brought to pass, the Angel doeth, as it were leading by the hand, instruct him by this divided partition of weeks: as if this were the purport of the prophesy.

For so much (O Daniel greatly beloved of God) as thou art so careful, and zealous for the estate and safety of thy people; it pleased Almighty God to hear thee, even in the beginning of thy prayers, and withal to empart his heavenly will unto thee, by me his messenger, sent to this effect, to make thee understand the things that appertain to thy nation, and the whole estate of that kingdom. For the Lord hath so decreed by his secrete determination, that this people being now in captivity, shall return again into their native country, and the city and Sanctuary shall be restored, and advanced to his ancient dignity and estimation. And if after the restitution and establishment thereof, thou wilt further inquire of the continuance and durance of the same: and withal what great enterprises, and manifold successes shall happen therein, understand thou: That seventy weeks are concluded, and determined upon this people, which being recompted by the Sabbaths of years, or reduced into ten Iubiles, will make the noneber of seven times seventy, to wit, 490. years: for so many years fully shall that common wealth prosper, until wickedness be finished, all curse of sin be removed, all sin offerings abolished, and everlasting righteousness be brought in, and all things be accomplished, whatsoever were foretold by y ^e prophets & visions: finally until the holy of holy ones be annointed.

For as the administration of that common wealth was erected at the first for the Messhias his sake, it could not be, that kingdom utterly to be abolished, before the same Messhias was manifested in the flesh.

I have somewhat declared unto you concerning the seventy weeks. For the better perceiuerāce of the orderly proceedings and enterchaunged successes whereof, a threefold distinction of times ought severally to be considered. Namely: Seven weeks, then three score two weeks, and one week. In the first seven weeks, all that intercourse of time is comprehended, that must grow betwixt the laying the foundation of the seconde temple & building thereof, until y ^e full finishing of the same: for so many years are accounted from the first yere of Cyrus reign, unto the vii. or viii. yere of Darius, before y ^e building of the Temple was thoroughly performed: which will amount to 49. years. Agayne the three score two weeks do note unto us, the remnant of the time, wherein Messhias the Lord should be borne in the city of David, after that y ^e city & Temple were repaired & built again: which building was cōpleted in the 32. yere of y ^e reign of Darius the Assyrian, or Artaxerxes. Now that other one week which remained, doth signify unto us the anointing, preaching, revealing & suffering of the same Meschias: & of those other things, which were to ensue after his death. In the middle part of which week, shall Meschias be slain: to wit, three years & an half, after his baptism and annointing. By which death he shall accomplish the mystery of man's redemption, whereof the prophets did so oft prophecy and prognosticate, long time before.

The residue of the week doth appertain to the preaching of the Apostles, to y ^e calling of the Gentiles, to the establishing of the covenant w ^t many, to the abolishing of the old circumcision, & external sacrifices of y ^e ceremonial Law, to y ^e confirmatiō of free remissiō of sins, & to the performance of y ^e promise of rising again, & life everlasting. All which were of all parts cōpleted, & ended in y ^• last week: that is to say, in those 7. latter years, wherein the Meschias shall be annointed, slain, rise from death to life, ascend up into heaven, endue his Church with the inestimable benefits of the holy Ghost, and allure the Gentiles to the free mercy pronounced by his Gospel: which week being added to the former, will make the just number of 70. weeks, to wit, 490. years.

For so many years did the merciful God of Israel, of his unspeakable bounty preserve that nation in peaceable tranquility, not for any their deservings, but for his dear sons sake only, which was to issue out of that seed & generation. It remaineth now, that we make a proportionable comparison of the number of those years, with the records of the continual proceedings and successes thereof. First, this is a matter confessed: That the delivery of the Jews from their captivity, was by the Proclamation of Cyrus, the first yere of his reign, at what time the foundation of the Temple was laid, which being hindered with sundry interruptions, was yet at the last brought to full perfection, in the sixth or seventh yere of Darius reign. The Temple being thus perfected in all fourniture, commission was given at length to Nehemiah's, in the xx. year of the reign of the same Darius, with absolute authority to repair their city again. The same yere in the 25. day of the month Elul, the wall was erected and finished: the whole doing whereof lasted 52. days only, as Esdras reporteth in his sixth chapter. But houses were not built as yet, as appeareth in the seventh chapter: for accomplishment whereof were allowed xii. years more, as appeareth plainly in the fifth chapter of the same, where you may hear what Nehemiah's him self speaketh after this manner: From the twentieth yere (saith he) even to the xxxii. yere of king Artaxerxes, that is xii. yere, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor, &c. So that it is evident, that whiles the city was building, so many years passed over. For so we read, the Nehemiah's gave his promise to return to the king and queen, as soon as the work was finished.

Thus much touching the ix. chapter of Daniel: neither is this all that Daniel reporteth of the Messhias, for besides this, many other his prophecies do foreshewe, and as it were directly lead us by the hand, to the kingdom of Messhias, yea to the very distinct time thereof: as is that of the Stone, which being hewn out of a great hill without mans hand, smote the image that represented the four Monarchies of the world, and brake his head, his breast, his legs, & his feet in pieces, that no place was found for them, but the stone it self became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

But what is the purport of all these things? And first, what is meant by the stone hewn down without hands, & falling from a great hill? what by that striking and breaking the image in pieces? by that huge mountain? by that exceeding increase of the stone into an immeasurable quātitle: the incredible greatness whereof overthrowing all other kingdoms of the earth, should possess the whole world besides? Wherūto tend all these? what do they import? what do they represent unto us else, thē the same which we perceive most plainly was accomplished in the son of God? who descēding from the highest heavens into the woē • e of a base virgins, & borne of his mother without all carnal knowledge, who alone coming into the world, without all aid of natural generation, did vanquishe all power and pomp of the world and the devil, by holding his peace only: brake the gates of hell in sunder with suffering only: overcame death with dying only, and purchased thereby an everlasting kingdom of perpetual felicity for his chosen and elect, which kingdom shall endure in unmovable eternity, above, and beyond all other kingdoms and empires of the world. For all other empires standing in most fickle estate, by enterchaunge of elder years wax transitory and vanishe away, and with mutual enmity do pursue eche other to utter destruction. This only kingdom raised up without hands by the eternal God, cannot be shyuered with any violence, or wax old with any process of time, nor be subdued by any force or polycie of man, but with his vnperysheable perpetuity shall crushe in pieces and wear out all other kingdoms, and it self persiste nevertheless vnuanquisheable, forever and ever. And this so incomprehensible Maiestis of this kingdom, the Prophet doeth not in one place alone prophecy should come, nor doeth he promise it only, but discovereth also the very mynute and instant of time, wherein this kingdom should flouryshe: so that the commendation, wherewith your Joseph doeth so highly advance this Prophet, is not unaptly applied: To wit, that he doeth not only foreshewe the events and successes to times, (as other prophets do) but with a most plain view, as it were, doth point with the finger to the time it self, in which all these things should come, that should ensue. &c.

I could vouche out of the same Daniel sundry sentences, many also out of other prophets, to the like effect: for what else doth the whole prophetical history of the Bible, even from the beginning to the ende thereof describe unto us, then Christ Jesus, & his kingdom, very base & simple in the eye & judgment of carnal capacity, but to the spiritual beholders, most beautiful & glorious? What doth the delivery of Jonah out of the whales belly the third day, prefigure unto us other, then the resurrection of Christ? What doeth the translating of Elias into heaven in a firy chariot, signify other, then the ascension of Christ? What doeth that brazen serpent foreshewe other, then Christ crucified upon the cross? What do the manifold afflictions of king David represent, but the continual persecution of Christ in this world? What doth Moses signify, but a deliverer? Joshua, but the victorious conquest of Christ over all his enemies? What doth the rule & government of Joseph, with a certain royal majesty over the Egyptians emply, but the kingdom of Messhias, at whose b •• ks all things in earth and heaven should be obedient and subject? It would require a long discourse, t • overrun all the mystical s • yings of the prophets. I will add hereunto one or two places out of the prophet Malachi.

Malachi being of one mind & judgment that Daniel and our Paul were of, dot • not only foretell the casting away of your ••• ion, but rendereth also the reason, that procured God's wrath against your people. For Malachi and Daniel do both agree in this point: that the vtt • r destruction of that nation was decreed upon by the secrete counsel of God, to the ende they should beco • e a president; whereby the wicked might be forewar • ed of the severe Justice of God: as also for this cause chiefly, by reason that else the vain • ersuasion, that hath taken root so long in the hearts of the people, touching the righteousness of the Law, touching •• rcumcision, 〈◊〉 to offerings, & sacrifices, could not be rased out of their minds, if the ceremonial Law should continue in her former authority. And therefore it pleased Almighty God, to make manifest to all men, that th • se e • t •• nall rites, shadows, and Ceremony •• ie • , were not auaylable to procure true ryghto •• nesse: and that the rygh • eousnesse of the Law was not that pure right • u • snes, where • unto the promises did direct th • m. But let us hear: • he words of Malachi: I have no pleasure in you, ( • ayeth the Lord of hosts) n • yther will I accept of • ring at your hand •• • or from the rising of the Sun, unto 〈◊〉 going down of the same, my name is great among the Gentiles. And in every 〈…〉 offered unto my name, for my name is great among the Gent • les, saith the Lord of hosts • Amongst m ••• things w ••• thie 〈◊〉 be noted in th •• saying of the P • rophete, there are • hre • spec • all 〈◊〉 to • ee con ••• ered: Namely • th • one co • cernyng you that are Jew • s: secondly, concer •••• your Sacrifices: lastly, the pl • c • it self, where offryng shalb • made. For the 〈◊〉 had promised, • hat he would alter 〈◊〉 • enew • eu • ry of these; to the ende 〈…〉 thereby despoyle you of all matter to glory vpo • : as upon yo • r parentage, 〈◊〉 • o • shippings, yea your temple it self, your offerings and Sacrifices. And why • s because he had determined to make an innovation of them (as ye do hear) and to translate them from you to others: which thing the same holy Ghost doeth manifestly set down in another place in like words, by his Prophet Isaiah: Behold (saith he) I will create new heavens, and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. And again in another place: And the Lord shall kill thee, and shall call his servants by another name, &c. The words are somewhat unlike, but the sense is all one, nothing differyng from the saying of Malachi, I have no pleasure in you, &c. Doest thou not perceive in these words, howe thou shalt • e cast away, thou proud generation • And because you shall know • that God will nevertheless not be destitute of a people, that shall glorify his name though you be clean • ewen of from the Olive tree, My name (saith he) is great among the Gentiles.

I have declared unto you, what shall become of your nation and people. Now will I proceed to explain unto you of your Temple, and place of prayer, whereupon you vaunt yourselves so much. The Prophet therefore goeth forward: In all places shall pure offerings be offered unto my name, from the rising of the Sun, even to the going down of the same. As if God would say, You Jews are so addicted to that only Sanctuary and Temple of the Lord, which he did erect amongst you long ago, as though he ought not be worshipped in any place else, and as though no nation in the whole earth might offer sacrifice unto the Lord, except you alone. And under color of this prerogative, being pufte up with pride, you swell with immeasurable vain glorious persuasion of fleshly courage, and set all other nations at naught, as though you alone were the only inheritance of the Lord, and as though you held him fa •• tied to your generation, with an inseparable chain of privileged bounty and favor, and so fast locked within the walls of your Temple, that he could not be of power to depart from you, nor would not for any cause sequester him self from your Temple. But to the ende your blundered senses may no longer lumper in darkness, stroking yourselves with vain and counterfayte confidence of falsely conceived opinion, I will by way of friendly advertisement pronounce, and even now do denounce and forewarn you, That the calling upon the name of the Lord, is not inseparably bound to place, time or persons: but that the largesse of his mercy is extended also upon all people, nations and tongues, whether they be Jews, or Gentiles, Scythians or Indians: and that this his loving kindness, wherewith he embraceth all mankind, will reject no person from his fatherly protectiō: wheresoerver his name is feared, and his Majesty worshipped, there he doth indifferently distribute the gifts of his grace towards all persons, without parcialitie. Yea and because you shall understand my saying more plainly, behold, I do protest unto you in the word of the Lord, that it shall come to pass, that you yourselves being Jews, & your whole race for the most parte being cast away, and this your Sanctuary (whereupon you boast so much) being utterly rejected, the Lord will transpose his loving countenance, not into one angle of the world among the Jews only, but will be magnified, & have y ^e glory of his name called vpō, in every place throughout all nations & tongues, wheresoever s •••• tered over the face of the earth, from the r • sing of the sun, to the going down of th • • ame. For my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts. Hitherto yo • have heard the words of Malachi used towards your people.

It remaineth lastly, that we speak of y ^• sacrifices. For the Prophet doeth evidently •• clare, that innovation shall ensue of the Sacrifices also, speaking in this wise: Among the Gentiles, and in every place, incense and a pure offering shall be offered unto my name. Well now: what manner of offerings be these of the Gentiles, which the Prophet doeth commend so highly? Be they sacrifices of goat • , or calves? They be sacrifices of calves truly, but such as the Prophet Osee me • tioneth in his prophecy. And we will render (saith he) the Calves of our lips. Ueri •• these be the calves • where with the Lord is now well delyghted. These calves do we off • r, when reknowledging our v • rygh •• ousnesse, we yield humble thank • to the gracious goodness of God, who cleansing our wickedness with the fountain of the blood, & death of his dearly beloved son Christ I • su, doth endue us with the inheritance of everlasting life. These be the spiritual offerings of the Gentiles, differing very much from the sa • rifices of the Jews: for these are the pure offringes of the Spirit, that consist not in bloody broiling of brute beasts, nor in smelling of flesh, nor are offered with the hands of Priests embrewed with gore. And for that cause, the Prophet doeth call them clean. Well then: and why are these offerings called clean, rather then the Jewish Sacrifices? What? shall we say, that their blood offerings are unclean, and their sacrifices defiled then? Verily, albeit the Prophet doeth not in express words verify the same, yet who so shall duly ponder the substance, and pyth of his talk, shall easily discern, that the Prophet by secrete implication, doth condemn the Jewish sacrifices, as polluted, and profane in the respect of offringes of the heathen.

But here will one of your sect urge again, and demand, whether these Sacrifices were not instituted by God at the first, and the ordinances of the same prescribed unto us by Moses? whether in them also were not contained the calves of thankesgyuing, and purging of sins? whether God could be the author of any o • seruaunces and ceremonies, tha • were not of all pa • tes sincere, pure and without blemyshe? For answer whereof, we d • not deny, that those Sacrifices were instituted for your behoove, by special commandment and sufferance of the high • and most excellent Lawemaker Almyghtie God. But consideration must be had of the meaning, purpose, ende & time, wherein they were to be frequented. No • that they were of value of their own nature, to purchase true righteousness, but to direct & lead us to the righteousness, that was to come: not that you should accompt them as infallible ple • ges of perfect piety, but that almighty God might trayne & instruct you with these, as with certain principles meanwhiles, until you might be made apt to receive higher mysteri • s. Not because that great Lord and father of Spirites was delyghted with the slaughter of brute beasts, of bloody go • re of his creatures: but his good pleasure was under these shadows, types, and figures, to prefigure the death of his only son: who by his bloodsheadding should be of power to wash men's consciences clean frō all filth & corruption of sin: not because you should always lie no • zeling in these, and proceed n • further, but to nurture your childhode, for a time were they delivered, least by pursuing the error of the Gentiles, ye should either rush headlong into the idolatrous abominations of the heathen, or at the least restrain you in stead of a scholemaster, in some orderly comeliness for a time, until the clear day should appear, wherein better things should be revealed, and the truth it self should shut up, and abolish those shadows and sacrifices.

Briefly to satisfy this matter in two words, two notes are chiefly to be observed in these kinds of sacrifices: namely, the use, and the time. As concerning the use: Truly the due observation of those sacrifices was not of force by their own nature, to make a chosen and beloved people of God: but to be rules and principles, for that people whom Moses had gathered to minister in his synagogue: not because they were able of them selves to give eternal salvation: but that they should foreshewe the coming of him, in whom rested true safety, and withal should represent an outward shadow of inward holiness and cleanness of mind. And for that cause provision was made for such beasts only, t • at were clean, unspotted & undefiled: hereby enducing the people of y ^• old Synagogue to learn, how they ought to be have thē selves in their daily conversation unblameable. As to that which appertaineth to the consideration of the time, this ought to be hold̄ for certain, that those blood offerings of the Ceremonial law, were not delivered, because they should never cease, even as neither the Temple was built, to the end it should never be rased, and destroyed: or as though the overthrow thereof, should forthwith extinguish all worshipping of god withal, but were given for a time only, not to continue forever, but transitory rather, and remoueable, remain • ng in use as certain exercises and introductions of outward discipline, until the blessed seed should come, in whom the promise took effect. And therefore almighty God did with great care, long time as it were allow the Sacrifices, to nourtour the weak capacity of the people of • hat rude age: by means whereof the said sacrifices had th • n their certain use & estimation, nor were adjudged unclean, during that season. But as now, the estate of the time being altered, sithence the truth it self doeth overspread the world with wonderful lightsomeness, and the Sun of righteousness displayeth his clear and palpable brightness: these carnal • Sacrifices and blood offerings do utterly cease, and are altogether discharged from further use.

For what availeth to gaze after shadows, where y ^e body is present to be beholden plainly? What senseless man will burn candle, or light a torche, in sunneshine at midday? who will groape for darkness in open light? or seek for night in clearest day? The cause why that butcherie of siely beasts was permitted you for a time, was to enfourme your grossness, and tame the hardenesse of your hearts: that so, by view of visible signs, and representations of spectable shadows, the Lord might train you along, to the true and pure cleansing of sins, which was then to come. But now, sithence we are come to the truth itself (whereof y ^e other were but shadows) it is a necessary consequent, y ^t those things which were sometime esteemed for clean, y ^e very same again through alteratiō of time, may be accounted not only unclean, and defiled, but filthy also, and abominable.

Which things being undoubted true (ye men of Israel) as may most manifestly appear unto you by the testimoni • , & discourse of Malachi and other Prophets, what e • treme madness is this in you, to persevere still in so deep a slumber, dreaming yet about your old rotten tabernacles, your forlorn Temple, your carnal worshippings, and motheaten sacrifices? But let us imagine and grant by way of a case put, that you may recover your Jerusalem again: which notwi • hstanding will never come to pass, (unless God himself and all his Prophets do lie) I would fain learn of you then what you would do there. First you will procure your Temple to be built up again. And why so? because ye may offer incense and sacrifice to God after your accustomed manner? As though that general Lord of all nations cannot be worshipped else where, then in a blind angle of the world, at Jerusalem perdy? And how then will the saying of the Prophet Malachi be verifi • d? who saith that the time should come, when the Lord of hosts sho • ld be worshipped in all places, and incense offered unto him throughout all the world, from the rising of the sun, to the going down thereof. If you will so straight and restrain • all worship due unto God, within the walls of your Temple only, as it were, locked fast in some closet, then I demand of you further, with what kind of sacrifice you will pacify your God, within that Temple? forsooth with blood and butcherie of beasts. But where is then that pure and undefiled offering mentioned by Malachi, which is not embrued with sl • ughter, I suppose, but performed by spiritual sacrifices?

Finally, with what argument can you pers • ade that the living God ought to be worshipped more properly and peculiarly of you Jews, then of all other nations, namely since you are so plainly convinced with the express testimony of Malachi • who making no mention of the Jews, doth prophesy, that the name of God shall be had in great admiration amongst the Gen • iles. What answer • will you make also to that promise of y ^e same Malachi, in the Chapter following: where foretelling the signs and tokens that should go before the coming of the Messhias: to wit, That his forerunner should come first and prepare the way before the face of the Lord? And immediately saith • . And 〈◊〉 Lord whom ye seek, shall speedily come to his holy Temple, even the Angel of the • ouenāt whom you desire & •• What • came not that same forerunner • that was promised? Was not his voice heard also in the desert according to the prophecy of Isaiah • crying out as loud as he could, to the ende you should prepare the way of the Lord, and should make straight in the desert • path for your God. Why did you no • 〈◊〉 preparation then? Why did you not receive the Angel of the Covenant, whom ye desired, coming into his holy Temple? Nay rather, why did you banish him from out your Synagogue? why did you daily exclude him frō thence, railing continually vpō the Lord with outrageous reproaches, and taunting blasphemies? What punishment or torture may • e imagined horrible enough to countervail so execrable outragies?

Also by the way here is not to be passed over in silence, the saying of the same prophet, annexed in the end of the same chap. concerning y ^e dreadful & terrible day of the Lord, wherewith he will ouerwhelm the proud & wicked doers, whom that hot scorching day, evē as an hot burning oven should devour, as flame consumeth the stubble, leaving neither branche nor root of them.

But you will say, that this threatening doth concern others, and appertaineth nothing at all to you. Yes truly, the very order, proceeding and event of the matter, do most manifestly convince, that this diref • l threatening was denounced against you chiefly: whose words that ensue hereupon immediately, are these: Behold (saith he) I will send you Elias the prophet, before the coming of the great and fearful day of the Lord, and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the childrē to the fathers, lest haply I come and smite the earth with cursing. And to whom 〈◊〉 this Elias be sent, but unto you? and therefore, what land shall be accursed but you? Finally, what signifieth the word anathema, but a certain final destruction of all mankind; except those persons only who •• Elias should reduce to amendment of conversation? For God hath not so utterly rejected his people, y ^• no remnant thereof shall be saved, as I declared before unto you out of s. Paul.

But I will surcease to surcharge you with more testimonies, adding only one or two places: first out of the book of Genesis, an • then out of the Prophet Osee: wherein it shall not be needful to use long discourse. For who is so ignorant in the holy scriptures, that understandeth not, what is meant by that scepter which the Patriarch Jacob enspired by divine oracle, did boldly pronounce, should never be removed from the tribe of Judah? And who is he at the length, but even y ^e same whom the Prophet Isaiah describeth, saying, I have given him for a governor, and teacher of the Gentiles? Which sentence y ^e holy Patriarch inspired with the same holy ghost, did long before, in the same sense profess, though in other words: And the Gentiles shall be gathered unto him. But as then was not the scepter yet of power in Israel. But y ^e godly grayheaded father foreseing long before, the events of things to come, did prophesy of Judah in this wise: The Scepter or Mace of the empire shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiuer from between his feet, until Silo come, and the gathering of the Gentiles shall be unto him. Howsoever some rascal Thalmudistes do practice to pervert this place w ^t most frivolous cauillatiōs: yea though all the start up Rabbin's would burst in sunder, yet can this sentence by no violent wrest be framed appliable otherwise, but that two special matters must necessarily be grounded thereupon. First, that Judah and his tribe should be invested in the title, and the interest of the kingdom. Next, that this prerogative should endure unmovable, until Mes • hias did come, unto whom the Gentiles should gather them selves. And to the same effect tendeth the interpretation of Ionathas and others, who lived long before the age of Christ, whose words, who listeth to hear, are these:

Thus much thought I good to rehearse out of Ionathas: yet have we no need (praised be God) to vouche any commentaries of the Jews, to manifest the mysteries of the holy Scripture, namely since there can be no better interpreter of the prophetical scriptures then time, and approved experience of the successes thereof.

The testimony that I thought good to borrow out of Osee; most worthy to be noted of you that are Jews, is that, which he setteth down in the first Chapter of his prophesy: where the Prophet inueighing against Israel useth this speech:

Whereby you may plainly perceive the saying of S. Paul confirmed by the Prophet, to wit: If to be issued of the race of Abraham be prised so highly in the sight of God, what meaneth then this casting away of the Israelites, mentioned by the Prophet? what signifieth that special choice, and calling of the Gentiles, and the wild Olive tree to be planted in their place? for so we read the promise set down by the Prophet: And the number of the children of Israel (saith he) shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured and told. And in the place where it was said, ye are not my people, it shall be said unto them, you are the sons of the living God It was a singular prerogative for them not being Israelites borne, to be named and numbered amongst the true children of Israel. But that other did far surmount, that being before the brood of the devil, they should now be called the sons of y ^e living God. And to whom (I beseech you) is this unspeakable benefit promised? forsooth neither to the Israelites nor to y ^e Jews, nor to thē which seemed to appertain unto God, but unto thē which were altogether severed, & estranged from God: y ^e very abject, & rascal Gentiles, barbarous & uncircumcised heathē perdie, whom the incomprehensible mercy of God will join near unto him self, and will engraffe them into the root of his own natural Olive tree, having first sawed of the natural branches, in whose stead he shall gather the Gentiles together, from out a wild Olive tree, in such plentiful abundance and infinite heaps, as will not be comprehended within the territory of Palestine only, but like unto the sandes of the sea, will replenish the whole world, far and wide from the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same.

Ye have heard the mind and purport of the Prophet, which if ye suppose to be as yet not accomplished for your behoove, through the Gospel of Messhias, our Lord and Savior, open your eyeliddes, (if you be not blind) and behold the innumerable multitude of people, and tongues, which everywhere throughout all the world, do profess the true worshipping of God: number them, if you be able: but if the quantity be so infinite, as the sand of the sea, exceeding all reach & compass of number, you may easily conjecture thereby (ye men of Israel) into what streightes your wilf • ll ignorance forceth you, and how perilous that froward blindness of yours is, and withal • bethink yourselves in time, what were best for you to embrace from henceforth: nay rather, how foolishly you have behaved yourselves heretofore. God did send his only begotten son into the world, the seed of a woman, and borne of a virgins, whose parentage & kindred, from whence he issued, because you did not know, and nevertheless were amazed to behold his heavenly power in doing miracles, his wonderful clemency employed to the cure of all manner diseases, and casting out of devils, yet being swallowed up of extreme madness, & overwhelmed with blind rancor, & canckred malice, you did most cruelly despoyle him of life, and spilled his guiltless blood, without all cause of offense. For why may I not justly accuse you, as partetakers of the same crime, sithence ye do with whole bent affection of hateful despite, pursue the embrued steppes of your bloody sires, and gladly allow of that execrable murder?

And therefore (thou cursed Jew) thou art duly charged with y ^e guilt of innocent blood: englut therefore thy greedy guts with gore. Thou didst receive Caesar to be thy king, refusing Christ: continue his bondslave sti • . Yet this worketh no grace in thee, nor allur • t • thee to abandon thy doting error: for thou doest as yet breathe out villainy against the king of the Jews, whose name we have in greatest estimation. But what thinkest thou to gain by kicking against the prick? Doest thou not perceive, how God hath made frustrate all thy devises contrary to thine expectation? Doest thou not see, how thy mischievous practices recoil back upon thine own head? Doest thou not feel thy downfall into the pit which thyself hast digged • Thou seest the Temple so razed and overthrown to the ground, that no stone thereof can be found: thou doest see thy religion utterly abolished, the priesthood, the Law, the kingdom, your cities, your nation, your race and, kindred wholly extinguished: brie • ely thou canst recompt no one thing remaining, but a few wretched roages, and contemptuous runnagates, true monuments of the outrageous insolency, and miserable calamity of their forlorn forefathers: yea, that seely small portion also, enduring through none other privilege, then by this commendation of Paul, and the gentle suffer •• ce of the Christians. And being thus continually • turmoiled with sundry miseries, notwithstanding God's just judgment doeth daily execute new increases of his severe wrath against you: yet are your minds so intoxicate with the poisoned do •• oreanche of bewitched ignorance, that these wonderful scourges can plie your hearts to no better grace, persisting still in perverse frowardness, as y ^t these pinching plagues (y ^• horror whereof might have prevailed to procure amendment) seem rather to stir and provoke you to further cruelty. For albeit • you do plainly perceive, and cannot deny, but that all whatsoever your own Prophets have foretold of the Messhias, is absolutely accomplished in the person of Christ Jesus: albeit you may easily learn out of the holy Scriptures, & by continual experience and successes of times, that there is none other Christ, but even the same whom the whole world doeth worship at this present: albeit you sensibly feel that you are become a mockery, not to almighty God only, but accounted also no better then rascalles & runnagates of all nations of y ^• world: yet do ye curse Christ in your synagogues daily, and expect yet another Messhias (I know not whom) which you shall never see, but in that terrible & dreadful day of wrath, at what time maugte your teeth, you shall behold him whom you have cruelly crucified. What monstrous hardness of heart is this (ye men and Hebrews) that so many • heavenly oracles of so many your own Prophets, so many manifest testimonies of sacred scriptures, so many horrible punishments, so many unmerciful plagues wherewith your nation is, and hath been continually tormented, cannot induce you to conceive some sparkle, of true repentance? The Romans did • ansacke you with such outrage in their conquest, that they spared neither young nor old, men, women, nor infants, neither left one stone standing upon another of your whole city. Finally, your habitations are become waste and desolate, ye have now neither city nor temple, kingdom nor priesthood, people nor Prophet, and (which of all other is most lamentable) you have eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, nor hearts that can understand, whereby you may repent, and be converted to your liege Lord and •• u • reign king.

Bu • go ye to: let all that which is past, be imputed either to your ignorance, or to the wrathful vengeance of God for your unbelief sake, because ye knew not the time of your visitation. And being allured & stirred up to better remembrance, by so manifold examples, learn now at the length by the preaching of the Gospel, to acknowledge our Christ • Jesus y ^e Lord of peace, of meekness, & of humility, to be the only Messhias, sent from God the father: in whose name all nations of the earth shall be saved, & to whom all knees in heaven and earth ought to bow down, and prostrate them selves. There was sometimes an vnsa • orie season of darkened ignorance, when as our Temples also were polluted with filthy Idolatry: but now sithence all clouds of foggy superstitiō are for the more part scattered and vanished out of sight, & the clear dawning of the lightsome truth of Christ's Gospel displayeth his orient beams, tread no longer the dyrty track of superstitiouse mismases: but return with us, and be made partakers of the lively wellspring of sincere and pure doctrine. The same Christ, whom you do persecute, must be worshipped: whose doctrine you do practice to root out, even he doth offer you salvation freely and fr • nkely. The same whom you contemptuously entreated as a man, is worshipped in all the world both God and man, howsoever ye despised him (as Joseph was sometime rejected of his brethren) yet reigneth he in the glory of his father: whom you mortal men belee • ed to die the natural death, the same revived again immortal, and shall live in immortality forever. Whome your forefathers embased under the raskall rabble of the people, and accounted for an abject, and outcast of all men, even to his Majesty do all the lofty estates, and stately powers of heaven and earth prostrate and humble them selves: that the saying of Isaiah may aptly be verified in this place, The kings of the earth shall stop their mouths before him. Whom you reproached with the most shameful death of the cross, the very same cross is turned into his glory, to our salvation, to the judgment of the world, to the destruction of his enemies, and everlasting consolation of them that be redeemed. So that here again the prophecy of Isaiah may seem to take effect • And everlasting joy shall be upon their heads, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. Finally, whose name your forefathers hoped to have been razed out of all men's memory, the very same name hath God magnified above all the glory of Angels and men: at the calling upon whose name, the dead arise again, maladies are cured, devils do tremble and quake for fear, unclean spirits are tormented, and flee away: yea the whole Ierarchie of Angels do bow down and worship. Now for as much as these things are so manifest, that no man can be ignorant of them, I do wonder much what reason you can allege, to color your obstinate contumacy, who being taught by so many examples, can content yourselves nevertheless to lie still snorting and slumbering in vanishing shadows: & neglecting the very natural son of God, can gro • e like buzzards, after asēselesse imaginatiue shape, of I know not what Meschias: when as your true Meschias is already come • or besides him else shall never any one come: unless all your own prophets were liars, who have described unto you none other Meschias, but this one only person.

But this matter happily may offend you, (to repeat again somewhat of y ^t I have spokē) because his coming was contemptible, base & of no reputation, because he was condemned to death, because he was crueified on the cross, because he died and was buried. But if every of these had not met, & been concurrāt together in this one persō, he could never have been the true Messhias: neither would myself have acknowledged him. But you tarry gaping still after some gaye glorious king. Well: and what wanted in this person (I beseech you) to the absolute measure of highest royalty? whom the Lord did so advance to the right hand of his omnipotent power: at y ^t bryghtnes of whole majesty you saw the sun lose his light, the earth quake: you saw graves opened, you saw stones crack in sunder, you saw all • o the veil of the Temple rent in pieces. Or if you did not see it with your own eyes, your forefathers beheld them all, whereof they could never deny any one title. So did they see him poor and base, you will say: I confess no less, what then? Yet they conceived not the power and force of that his baseness, nor how honorable that reproach was. In like manner they saw him dead, yet they co ••• aued not the mystery of his death: they conceive • • ot (I say) how it pleased the Lord by the death of this one man, to open a way for salvation to all people. They conceived not that the tyranny of the devil was vanquished by the ignominy of the cross, and that all sacrifices & shadows were finished by this only sacrifice. But so it pleased God the father to give his son unto us, for a pattern of perfect humility, & by this means to glorify his only begotten. The brightness of whose glory, if you do acknowledge, there remaineth matter enough to save you: but if you will not acknowledge him, this is also matter enough to condemn you. And will ye, or nill ye, you shall be forced to confess, that no counsel, policy, or device of man, is able to counteruayle the counsel of God, neither any force and power of men, is able to withstand the power of CHRIST.

But I hope well of your amendment: for why should I not hope, when as I find S. Paul to conceive so well of your return again? Wherefore ye men and Jews, seeing ••• ear the name of Jews, (which by interpretation is called Confessors) pluck up your hearts, raise up your minds, persevere no l • nger in your wont • d obstinacy against your own Prophets: withstand not from henceforth the manifest light of the Gospel. Lette the profession of your faith be sound, sincere, and pure at the length, learn to understand the Law of God after the spiritual meaning, and sense of the holy Ghost: so shall ye begin to be accounted, according to the nature of your names, pure professors of the truth. Be not dismayed with despair to attain everlasting life, because you crucified the son of God: your error only procured this mischief. God will not the death of a sinner, but that he may be converted, li • e & be saved. The most horrible crime that may be imagined, can be no estoppell to salvation against him that will believe. Only acknow • ledge your wickedness, & repose your trust in the free promises of the Gospel, and ye shall freely receive the reward of eternal felicity, freely offered unto you. It is an heinous reproach against the glory of God, to be disobedient to y ^e prophets: it is much more heinous to persecute, & murder them. But to rack the savior of the world upon the cross, is • f all other most execrable. Yet hath the Lord promised to forget all these injuries, if ye will but repent you of them: neither requireth he the blood of beasts at your hands, to purge those offenses. Christ is the perfect Sacrifi • e offered for the sins of all people. Only acknowledge your sins, brag no more of your own righteousness from henceforth, believe only in the son of the living God. If he were not the son of God, declare thē unto us, who was his father in earth, if you can. If he were not a Prophet, howe could he, not only conceive in mind, but in words also foretell & express the destruction of your na • ion, the dismēbring of your commonwealth, the abomination standing in the holy place: yea, every of them orderly as they en • ued? Howe could he prophecy of his own rising again the third day, & of the sending of the holy Ghost? Howe could he know the ce •• aintie of the calling of the Gentiles, the denying of Peter, and of many other things, partly come to pass already, partly to be accomplished hereafter? And if he uttered any one untruth in any of all these, condemn him for a liar: But if experience & approved e • idence of the orderly successes & events thereof, have openly denounced his words to be true, what should stay and hinder you from the truth? For to speak nothing of his miraculous works, tell us yet, if you did ever hear of the like, or if any skill, policy, or industry of man might possibly reach unto the like. But if this so great and incredible power did so far surmounte all ability of man's strength and capacity: hereof may you suff • ciently gather, how you ought to judge of the inestimable power of his Divine nature.

But for as much as the excellency of heavenly things are of their own nature unsearchable, nor can be attained unto by man's policy, or worldly wisdom, but must be discovered by the only operation of Almighty God: I do most humbly pray and beseec • e the same God the father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for his dear sonnes sake, that as he hath long sithence, according to his just judgment, executed his wrath against your unbelief, by cutting you off from your natural root, so it may please him of his i • finite mercy (whereby he is of power to pl •• t you into your former dignity again) that your hearts being delivered from the thick clouds of obstinate infidelity, our Lord & savior Christ Jesus, the only & undoubted Messhias, may enlighten your souls, & gather you home again to your natural root: That is to say, that he will vouchsafe to reduce you again into his own family, with his elect Saints, and make you partakers of his gladsome Gospel, and everlasting felicity: That as the root is holy, so the branches also recovering the natural verdure of their honorable stock, may be engraffed again by faith, from whence they revolted through vnbelie • e. For performance whereof, to remove away all mistrust of well conceauing hope, as also to be of assured confidence, that the time of your recovery is evē at hand, S. Paul doth minister special matter of comfort, who in the self same sermon which he preached concerning the falling away of the Jews, doth not only set down his own judgment thereof, but also very plainly disclose that high mystery touching that blessed and joyful return of the Jews, revealed as it were unto him, by the secret counsel, and determination of almighty God.

Of the which I will speak more hereafter by the help of Christ, after that I have debated somewhat with the Gentiles (whom the Lord hath called) and have in few words exhorted my dearly beloved brethren in Christ, to be myndeful of those things, according to my simple understanding. And yet I see no cause, why I should spend any long time herein: for I do firmly trust, that all those sayings are already noted by you, yea & deeply imprinted in your minds, which the Apostle doth teach here, touching the due observation of our calling, so that mine exhortatiō shall not be much needful in this place. First, I suppose that you are not ignorant of the great rigor that God executed upon his people, wherewith if he would have punished you, what might have letted him I pray you? Yea rather what was the cause, why he did not punish you? Do ye think that any of you were endued with any such excellency, as ye might thereby challenge any preeminence above the Jewish nation? Were not we sometimes even in the same plyght, that many Jews remain in at this day: to wit, unfaithful unbelievers in the sight of God? Then if God excluded the Jews for their unbelief (as he did) what argument might induce him to have more compassion vpō the Gentiles, who were sometimes as void of faith, as they are now? Whereby you may perceive (my dear brethren) howe the inestimable mercy of God doeth miraculously work in man's election, beyond all hope and capacity of man, who hath compassion on whom it pleaseth him, and hardeneth the hearts of whom him lysteth. That it may ryghtly be said, That it consisteth neither in the power of the wylling, nor of the running to obtain mercy, but in the merciful God. If this be not yet apparaunt unto you, look upon those Israelites, that are yet forsaken of God: who were sometimes in his favor, and you admitted in their stead. What was the cause thereof, I pray you? Thou wyle say, that the Natural branches were broken off, that I might be engraffed in. It is true in deed, they were broken off, as thou sayest. But good sir, this was not done for thy sake, but for their own unbelief sake. And yet it followed hereupon, that we were planted in: neither is this false, that thou speakest. But this is not y ^e point I seek for: there is yet another thing, to wit, not whether the Jews were broken off: But I would fain know, what virtue was in thee, that might procure thee to be engraffed in their place. And wherefor should they, being natural branches, be hewn off? If you compare with them in auncienty of race, they did far excel you in auncientie of birth, and dignity of parentage. For they were your elders far, by which title they might lawfully challenge the preeminence of the birthright. If you stand with them upon deseruinges, howe precisely did they pursue the prescript rule of righteousness? whereof thou dydst take no regard at all, although in truth they were never able to attain the perfection they sought for. If thou contend with them in excellency of zeal, they wanted not very fervent and entier zeal, albeit their earnest bent affection wanted true understanding. If thou boast upon thy vpryghtnesse of life, surely we Gentiles were in no respect comparable unto them in conversation of life. If thou have regard to the paynefulnes of the toil, or estate of the calling, they did bear the brunt and heat of the sun, and were then first, when as thou camest into the vineyard skarsely amongst the last, even at the last caste. All which notwithstanding thou doest plainly perceive, that they are rent off from the natural stock, whereupon they grew, and thyself being otherwise a starueling boughe of a wild Olive tree, and of an unfruitful stock, art adopted into the inheritance of the sons of God.

What shall we say then? Is God to be accused of ingratitude, because he departed from his own? or of inconstancy, for making innovation of his ancient coue • aunt? God forbydde. For he did never constrayne the performance of his promise to any place or people. He made a promise to Abraham only, that out of his seed a sprought should issue, in whom all nations and kynredes of the earth should be blessed. For he doeth not say, In thee all nations shall be blessed: but in thy seed: in whom all men truly should be rewarded with life everlasting, as many as would receive him: as on the other side, he that did refuse him, should obtain no mercy nor favor at God's hands. And it is not to be doubted, that this seed is the very Son of God, whom if the Jews would once at the last lovingly embrace, they should no more be excluded from the benefit of the promise. But for as much as they do yet not only refuse him, but continue also their cancred outrage against him with execrable cursings, and cruel spoiling this seed in his members so horribly: there is no cause, why they should presume to challenge any prerogatyue of the promise, since the person could not prescribe vpō the promise as made unto him, but in respect of the seed. But why was not this been • ite of faith and belief in Christ impartened to the Jews, as well as to the Gentiles indifferently? Some question in deed might be moved herein, if the same had not already been discussed by his Prophets sufficiently: to wit, That the Jews them selves should loathe, reject, yea and procure the death of their own Messhias. And if yet any person will seem so captious, to be further inquisitive to learn why the Jews are not able to comprehend that, which is laid open to the Gentiles, the same may be satisfied with this • itte and reasonable answer: Whereas the Jews were thoroughly persuaded in mind, and confirmed in conscience, by custom of long continuance, that no righteousness was acceptable in the sight of God, but that which consisted in performing the works of the Law, and celebrating the Sacrifices, and ceremonies of the same, and that this false conceived opinion, so deeply rooted in the hearts of men, could by no means else be extirped and plucked out, but by the vndermyning, and utter overthrow of the name of that nation, the whole common wealth thereof, together with all the Sacrifices and ceremonies appertaining thereunto. Heereof sprang all that blindness, and subversion of the Jews, albeit the same blindness infected not all in general, nor the same destruction was allotted unto them, to endure forever.

But by this example it may happily be thought, that God did execute too much cruelty and rigor against those seely wretches the Jews. Admitte in deed, that it was so. This was therefore a good lesson to forewarn us, according to Saint Paul's advertisement, that we should duly, and with careful consideration, exactly examine the severity of God: and not his severity only, but his bountyfull goodness withal: That so through the often remembrance of the one, we might be restrained in a couenable fear, and through the daily recordyng of the other, we might be raised to thankfulness and duetyfull love towards God. A very lively example truly of God's severity is here expressed in the Jews, who being fallen from their ancient dignity, were overwhelmed with such blyndenes, that notwithstanding Christ (whose coming they looked for many hundred years) was come already, and conversant amongst them, they should yet pursue him with contumelious reproaches, rail upon him, and persecute him. The like president of God's lenity and gentleness, appeared in us that are Gentiles, manifestly: whom of his free mercy, he freely vouchsafed to associate into the fellowship of such inestimable blessedness, which was neither due to our parentage, nor could be purchased by any our deseruinges. Sythence this is most true, what remaineth, (ye men and brethren beloved in our Lord and savior Jesus Christ) but that according to the counsel of the Apostle, premeditatyng and continually recording the example of the Jews, we become more circumspecte, and learn by their ruyne, what we ought to fear, and what we ought to eschew? First, That being taught by the Jews unbelief, we endeavor by all means possible with earnest and hearty supplications and prayers, to escape that dangerous gulf of incredulous unbelief. But ye will demand what kind of unbelief that was wherewith they were blinded. Do they not believe in one God maker of heaven and earth? do they not confess as well as we, that the same God is most mighty, most merciful, yea a most righteous judge, and rewarder of deeds? The answer is ready. If we were Angels or such kind of men, as could not possibly decline out of the way, or had never fallen into error, then would this faith have been a sufficient cover to shroude us, in that we might need no further mediator. But now being altogether sinful, borne of sinful parents, environed with the whole body of sin, what do we else when we call upon God without regard of the mediator, then raise his wrath, sharpen his vengeance, and provoke him to aggravate the judgment of our damnation, and (to speak the words of Isaiah) procure our dwelling with devouring fire, and make our habitations in everlasting flames? For what can be more dreadful for man's weak nature, then to debate with God without Christ? From y ^t which I beseech our savior Christ to preserve us all.

The other is, left we should foolishly flatter our selves at other men's harms. Faith is the gift of God, and consisteth not in any demonstration of man's imagination: whereunto if it were possible to attain by force of nature, by works, by dew deservings of the Law, by ceremonies, by parentage, or nobility of race: surely the Jews as they were our ancients in years, so approached nearer the election then we. But considering this faith dependeth upon the free mercy of God only, and the free distribution of his especial election: and thou through the only kindness of the Lord, art endued with that blessing, that is denied to others, thou mayest worthily rejoice in this thy felicity. But beware that this singular felicity suggest not matter of pride, as may make thee tread down, and scorn the calamities of the afflicted: but learn rather by their example, what thou mayest fear thyself. Wherein no man can enstruct thee more piththily, then saint Paul: Be not proud in mind (saith he) but fear: for if God spared not the natural bran • hes, take heed least he spare not thee. For thou, whosoever thou be, that stādest in faith, doest not stand so assured, that thou mayest not fall: neither is their unbelief such, as is overspread over them all, or such as shall endure forever, and is irrecoverable. For as there are very many Jews (as I said before) which do confess and profess Christ (as is this one Jew whom ye see here present at this time) so is the Lord mighty, and of power to have compassion upon the remnant, and raise them up, which are yet forsaken, and trodden under foot.

And that ye may the better understand, that God is of power able to do the same, as also his determined purpose herein, and what he willeth us to conceive thereof, I will declare unto you the judgment, and hope of S. Paul touching the same, where of he doeth also under a certain secret mystery make us partakers. And to this purpose it seemed good to s. Paul to advertise us that are Gentiles, that we should be well advised, least being puffed up with pride, and swelling with a vain arrogant persuasion of our own strength, we conceive better of our selves then is requisite, because we seem to stand in better estimation then the Jews: therefore he would not have us ignorant of this great blindness of the Jews, as the which neither happened to all the Nation in general, but in part, upon Israel: nor that the same was past recovery, but should endure only so long, until the full number of the Gentiles were accomplished. And then (saith he) it shall come to pass, that all the people of Israel shall be saved : which testimony of the Apostle is a sufficient argument to declare, that the Jews shall be restored again, if I be not deceived. But when that return of the Jews shall be, the divines are not fully agreed upon. When the fullness of the Gentiles shall come (saith S. Paul.) But when that fullness shall come, is known only unto him, whose words in the gospel are these. It is not for you to know the signs and the seasons, which the father hath put in his own power. Unless peradventure we will interpret this fullness in this wise: that the Jews shall continue so long in blindness, as the Gentiles did in unbelief, whiles the Jews remained in belief: and that the fullness of the Gentiles shall seem to be accomplished, when as the Gentiles may prescribe as long continuance in the possession of God's Church w ^t out the Jews, as the Jews did first enjoy their synagogue w ^t out y ^e Gentiles. The number of which years will not vary much, if y ^e computation be proportionably made. For, if according to this rule, ye derive your number frō the first institutiō of the Jews common wealth, unto the utter subversion of the same, ye shall find 1564. the course of which years if ye compare with the calling of the Gentiles, that is to say, from the time that the holy ghost was sent, until this present time, the number of years will not be far unequal. And yet in my judgment it shall not be amiss, if a man make his calculation, having relation to those times whereof the Lord him self made mention in the Evangelist Luke. And Jerusalem (saith he) shall be trodden under foot of the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

But the knowledge of the certain moments and appointed minutes of that time, we commit unto the Lord. This only we learn most assured out of S. Paul, that God hath decreed upon an infallible certainty of time, wherein the Gentiles shall mount to their fullness, and the Jews also after that fullness of time shall return unto the faith. For speedy & good success whereof, this one thing doth minister plentiful matter of good hope, y ^t our Lord Jesus Christ hath vouchsafed to cleanse his Churches everywhere almost so happily in these our days, & purged them frō all offenses & stumbling blocks, which occasioned y ^e Jews to withdraw themselves so long from the participation of our faith.

And here I might use offered opportunity, to exclame against the presumptuous boldness of those persons whatsoever they were, which presumed to thrust into Temples and Churches of Christians, images, and counterfaites of he saints and she saints at the first, and to conueye the pure worshipping of y ^e invisible God, to the representations of visible things, contrary to the prescript ordinance of y ^e Law of God, contrary to reason & nature, contrary to y ^e approved custom of y ^e elders, & contrary to all example of y ^e Patriarchs, Prophets & Apostles: out of which puddle as issued wonderful stench, so amongst all other, nothing more noisome thē those pestilent Botches of imageworship, breadworship, wineworship, crosseworship, signs & pourtraictes of visible creatures, y ^e view whereof caused the true and sincere professiō of y ^e Christians to be loathsome to y ^e Jews, to their great hinderāce and prejudice. For what marvel was it if the Jews (y ^t were taught by y ^e prescript rule of gods law to abhor worshipping of images) entering into y ^e churches of Christians, & beholding y ^e walls, pillars, & all y ^e corners • hereof, bedaubed w ^t painted, & carved idols, besides innumerable other babbles of imagery, perceiving also opē market to be made, not only of y ^e picture of y ^e cross, but of the sacrament of bread & wyne also, displayed & blazed abroad not after y ^e manner of communicating, but gloriously vaunted w ^t singular magnificence to be honored and kneeled unto: what marvel was it (I say) if they being offended with this open idolatry, did so long refrain from us, and from the discipline of our faith?

But it is well now, thanked be Christ, y ^t these offensive baggage & image worshippings are for y ^t more part defaced & scraped out of Christian churches, & the ancient purity of christiā profession, is begun to take so good footing, y ^t now amongst us remain no dregs in our temples, in our religion, nor in our doctrine, that may minister just occasion of offense to the Jews, or any other enemies, though thei inveigh our religion never so much. And I would to God, all other that profess y ^e name of Christians, would yield their like endeavor to the abolishment of all corruptions of religion, and inciuilitie of living out of their congregations, which may breed any further lothsomnes to y ^e Jews. Truly this is much to be lamented, that our adversaries can find no blemish of just quarrel in the person of Christ Jesus, whose name we would seem to profess: and on the other side, to wit, in us nothing consonant, and agreeable to the true touchstone of God's holy word, and Christ's religion, whereof we bear the name, but all things repugnant and unlike the pure & first pattern thereof.

But I will not adventure further vpō this quauemire: the sink is deeper thē can be in this place, or at this time scoured or launched. But sithence our present purpose is now to treat only of the conversion of the Jews: of the good success whereof, as there is no hope at all else then by purging and cleansing the filthy puddles of our superstitions, the unsavory stenche whereof the Jews can by no means digest: what remaineth for us to do (my dear brethren and honorable fathers in the Lord) but that every of us in our vocation, employe all our endeavor, faculty and power, that nothing may be committed amongst us, in our default from henceforth, whereby the true religion of Christ (which he gave most pure without spot or blemish) may be defiled, and brought into hatred and obloquy, and blasphemed amongst the Jews, Turks, Pagans, and unbelieving infidels. My meaning here tendeth not to y ^e determining of controversies in sects, nor of doutful controversies debated in schools: the censure whereof, I commit to the great masters, and doctors in divinity: Only my request at this time is, that those gross monuments of manifest idolatry, those fantastical devises and frivolous forgeries of signs and Images, and those stagelike gestures and pelting trumperies, frequented in Churches, as are the praying for the dead, worshipping of creatures & signs, forbidding priests marriages, & such like pieuish absurdities (wherewith the Jews were never acqua • n • ed) which are manifestly repugnant to y ^e 〈◊〉 word of God, yea and contrary to common reason almost, may be rooted out and vanished from Christian Churches and congregat • ons: that so we may open an entry to the Jews and Turks, to conceive an inward desire to be joined to the son of God: or if we will not do this for the Jews sake, let us yet at the least have due regard to our own estate. We have been plagued sufficiently enough by the Turks and Saracenes for our idolatry, if we respect the sundry overthrows, famines, slaughters, and alterations of kingdoms, wherewith the Christians have been miserably tormented many hundred years, to the great delight of the Jews: neither is any hope almost of redress from great calamities, like to ensue, unless we cast away this worshipping of idols out of Christian congregations and Temples, (as I said before) and by this means enter upon a new course of better conversation and purer worshipping of God.

But forasmuch as this notable enterprise of reformatiō of life, and purer discipline, hath over many adversaries at this day, such as will by no persuasion suffer themselves to be allured frō their accustomed impiety: & that this wicked age ministereth no hope of recovery by exhortation, and that nothing can avail now to bring this to pass, but supplications and prayers: Let every of us most humbly join together in earnest & hearty prayer, to the eternal God, father of our Lord Jesus Christ: beseeching him for his dearly beloved sons sake, that as he hath shut up all under unbelief, because he will have compassion on all, so he will vouchsafe to deliver the Jews from their infidelity, all Christians from superstition and idolatry, and withal govern and sanctify his Church in the same pure sincerity, wherewith he did beautify it at the beginning. For which cause we humbly beseech thee also, most mylde Savior, which art appointed King over thy holy hill Zion to manifest thyself a redeemer unto thy people out of that thy holy hill Zion, and to turn away ungodliness frō Jacob. Then shall that come to pass which thou didest promise long ago by the mouth of the Prophet, that the children of Judah, and the children of Israel being gathered together under one head, shall all together with us, with one soul, one voice, and one mouth, acknowledge thee to be the true son of the living God, shall magnify thee our redeemer, and attain eternal salvation of body and soul, together with us, in thy everlasting kingdom, through thee, our Lord and Savior, Amen.