Gods Arrow Against Atheists, Chapter 2
Chap. 2. Wherein, and in the next Chapter is shewed that the Christian Religion, is the onelyonly true Religion in the world, and wherewith onelie God is pleased.
IN auntient times all the world was deuided and distinguished into Iewes, and Gentiles, and this distinction doth and may still remaine among vsus: If therefore I canne proue the truth of this our Christian Religion against both Iewes, & Gentiles: I shall then proue it against all the worlde. In this Chapter I will first proue it against the Iewes, and in the next against the Gentiles. Concerning the Iewes they will easily graunt our Religion to be the true Religion, if we can proue Iesus Christ (whome we beléeue) to be that Messias which was foretold by their prophets, being the true and vndoubted prophets of God. And this we are sure may easily be proued, and therefore in vaine doe the Iewes looke for any other Messias than he that is already come, namely Iesus Christ our Mediator, Sauiour, and Redeemer, in whome God his Father is well pleased, and for whose sake (if we beleeue in him,) he will not be offended with vsus but be reconciled to vsus & saue vsus. Whatsoeuer was foretold to belong vntounto their Messias, is fullie performed and perfectly accomplished in our Iesus Christ and in no other: And therefore our Iesus was, and, is the true Messias and no other. Let vsus herein consider the markes of the Messias whereby he might be knowne. And so shal I we see that our Sauiour Iesus Christ is the onelyonly true Messias & none but he.
1 One marke for vsus to know the Messias by,Psal. 118 22 Esay. 6. Deu. 28. Esay. 65. Esay. 53. Dan. 9. is that when hee came, hee should not be knowne or acknowledged to be the Messias, but should be reiected and refused of the Iewish Nation, to the end he might be put to death amongst them according to the fore-apointment and determinate counsell of God: for had they receaued him for the Messias they would neuer hauehave vsed him so shamefully as they did, neither shuld he then hauehave bin slaine amongst them as was foretold he should. This then being one marke of the Messias that he should be refused for the Messias of the Iewish Nation, and of the chiefest rulers amongst them, is a great confirmation of our faith in as much as it is found fully performed in our Sauiour Iesus Christ, whome they scorned, reiected, condemned, and put to death. And therefore as if the Iewish Nation had receaued our Iesus for the Messias, It had bin an vndoubted argument that he had not bin the right Messias, so on the other side because they did refuse him; It is a very strong perswasion to vsus that he was and is the very true Messias indeede. In vaine therefore it is if any do looke for such a Messias as should be wholie receaued of the Iewish Nation for none such was promised, yea it was foretold (contrarie wise) that hee should be refused of them▪ As our Iesus was: that so he might be made an offering for sinne, according to the preordination of God.
2 It was foretold of the Messias that he should be borne of a Virgin, Esay. 7. ver. 14. That the place of his byrth should be Bethlem. Mich. 5. ver. 1. That at his byrth all the Infantes rounde about Bethlem should be slaine for his sake Ier. 31. ver. 15. That the King of the earth should come and adore him, and offer gold and other gifts vntounto him. Psal. 71.10. That he should be presented in the temple of Ierusalem for the greater glorie of that second temple. Mat. 3. ver. 1. That he should fly into Egypt and be recalled thence againe. Osc. 11.2. That a starre should appeare at his byrth to notifie his comming into the worlde. Num. 2. That Iohn Baptist (who came in the spirite and power of Elias, and therefore was called Elias. Luk. 1.17. Mat. 11.10.14.) should be the messenger to goe before him, and to prepare the waie and to crie in the desert. Mal. 3.1. Mal. 4.1. Esa. 40.3. After this: that he should begin his owne preaching with al humilitie, quietnes, & clemencie of spirit. Esay. 42.2. That he should be poore, abiect, and of no reputation in this world. Esa. 53 Dan. 9. Zacha. 9. Ier. 14. That he should doe strange miracles, and heale all diseases. Esay. 29.8.6. ε 5.91. That he should die and be slaine for the sinnes of his people. Dan. 9. Esay. 53. That he should bee betrayed by one that put his hande in the dish with him, which was his own Deciple. Psa 40. ver. 14.54. & Psa. 18. ver. 8. That he should be solde for thirtie peeces of siluer. Zacha. 11. ver. 12. That with those thirtie peeces there should be bought afterwards, a field of potsheards. Ier. 30. That hee should ride into Ierusalem vponupon an Asse before his passion. Zacha. 9.9. That the Iewes should beate and buffet his face, and defile the same with spitting vponupon it. Esa. 50.6. That they should whip his bodie before they put him to death. Esa. 53.2. Psal. 37.18. That they should put him to death among sheeues and malefactors. Esay, 53.12. That they should giuegive him Vineger to drinke, deuide his apparrell, and cast lots for his vpper garment. Psal. 68.22. & Psal. 22.18. That the manner of his death should be crucifixtion, that is nailing of his hanes & his feete vntounto the crosse. Psal. 22.16. Zacha. 12. That his side should be …serced, and that they should looke vppon him when they had so pierced him. Zacha. 12. That hee should rise againe from death the third day. Psal. 16.10. Ose. 6.3. That hee should ascend into Heauen and sitte at the right hand of his Father (in glorie and loyaltie, & like a conquering potentate ouerruling all.) Psal. 110.1.2. All these things, and whatsoeuer els belonging to the Messias are found perfectly fullfilled in Iesus Christ and in no other: And therefore hee alone and no other is the true Messias.
3 Hitherto hauehave I spoken of such circomstances and accidents, as did belong vntounto the Messias, concerning his incarnation, byrth, life, death, buriall, resurrection, and assention into heauen, and there sitting at the right hand of his Father: and also of his reiection by the Iewes and Iewish Nation: which things albeit they be very wonderfull and sufficient to establishe any mans beliefe in Christ Iesus our Lord, in whom only they are found faithfull: yet if we shall consider withall, the time of the Messias his apearing, & when he should come into the worlde our faith wilbee so much the more confirmed towards him.
Daniell the prophet of God (who liued in the time of the first Monarchy,Dan. 2.39.44.) foretold that there should hée thrée Monarchies more, & the last of these fowre Monarchies greatest of all: And that in the daies of this fourth and last Monarchy (which was the Romayne Monarchy or Empyre:) The eternall King or Messias should come & build vp Gods kingdome thorughout al the world. And this hapned accordingly, for Iesus came & was borne in the fourth Monarchy, which was the Romaine) namely in the daies of Augustus the Romaine Emperour. But yet let vsus goe more strictly to the matter.
The Temple of Ierusalem (as all men knowe) was builded twise, First by king Salomon which lasted about 440 yeares, & then was destroyed by Nabuchodonozor King of Babilō: Wherefore about 70. yeares after it was builded againe by Zorobabell, who reduced the Iewes from their Captiuitie.1. Esd. 3. Agge. 2.4. But this second Temple for pompe and riches of the materiall building was nothing like vntounto the first (which the old men in the booke of Esdras doe testifie by their weeping, when they sawe this second and remembered the first) (and which Aggeus the prophet doth expressely testifie.Agge. 2.5.6.7.8.9.10. And yet sayth God by his prophet Aggeus in the same place that after a while, the DESIRED OF AL NATIONS shall come, and then should that second house or Temple be filled with glorie, and that greater should bee the glorie of this last house than of the first: Which prophecie was fulfilled by the comming of our Sauiour Iesus Christ into this second Temple, which being personally done, was farre greater dignitie and more glorie thereunto, than any dignitie whatsoeuer was found in the first Temple builded by Salomon. It is therefore manifest that the Desired of al Nations, that is the Messias should come whilst the second temple stood.Dan. 9.26. And so doth Daniel also shew that the second Temple (after the rebinding thereof) should not be destroyed vntill the Messias were first come and slaine.Mal. 3.1. And Malachy the Prophet doth also most plainely testefie that hee should come during the second Temple. And so indéede he did: for Christ Iesus came into the world during that second Temple, and did himselfe likewise foretell the destruction thereof, ere that generation passed, which came to passe accordingly: for it was destroyed about 46. yeares after the ascention of our Sauiour into heauen, by Titus Sonne to Ʋespasian the Romane Emperour. Most vainely therefore doo the Iewes or any other expect for a Messias to come after the destruction of that second Temple.
Let vsus yet moreouer consider the prophecie of old Iacob concerning the particular time of the Messias his appearing. Come hither my children (saith hee) that I may tell you the thinges that are to happen in the latter dayes, Gen. 49.&c. The scepter shall not depart from Iudah vntill Shilo come, which is the expectation of the Gentiles. By Shilo is meant the Messias (as both Iewes and Christians expound it.) This prophecie so long fortold, was performed at the birth of Iesus Christ, in the dayes of Herode king of Iewrie. For from the time that the scepter was giuen to king Dauid (who was the first king of the Tribe of Iudah) it did not depart from that Tribe, but remayned alwayes in it vntill the dayes of king Herode, in whose time, and not vntill whose time all gouernement was taken away, and cleane departed from the Tribe of Iudah, and committed to a straunger: and therefore in the time of Herode was the Messias to bée borne, and neither before nor after his time. That the scepter or gouernement was not cleane taken away or departed from the house of Iudah (after it was once setled in it in the person of King Dauid) euen till the dayes of Herode the King, is euident: for from Dauid (who was the first king of that Tribe) vntounto Zedechias that died in the captiuitie of Babylon, the Scripture sheweth how all the Kinges descended of the house of Iudah:Talo…, in tract. Sanhed, ca. Dinei Man mouth. Rab. Moses Egyp. in praef. Maimonim Eld. lib. 1. cap. 1.2.3. Mac. lib. 1. cap. 2.3. Rab. Kimhi com. in Agg. Ioseph. lib. 13. & 14. Antiq. And during the time of theyr captiuitie in Babylon (which was seuentie yeares) the Iewes were alwayes permitted to chuse vntounto themselues a gouernour of the house of Iudah (whom they called RESCHGALVTA.) And after their deliuerie from Babylon, Zorobabel was their gouernor of the same Tribe, and so others after him vntill you come to the Machabees, who were both gouernors and Priestes, for that they were by the mothers side of the Tribe of Iudah, and by the fathers side of the Tribe of Leui (as Rabbi Kimbi affirmeth) and so from these men downe to Hircanus King of Iewrie, who was the last King which was lineally descended of the house of Dauid, and of the Tribe of Iudah.
For after Hircanus came the afore-named Herode, a meere straunger, whose Father (as Iosephus (who well knew) reporteth) was called Antipater, and came out of Idumaea: hée came into acquaintaunce and sauour with the Romanes, partly by his sayde Fathers meanes (who was (as Iosephus sayth) a well monyed man, industrious, and factious) and partly by his owne diligence and ambition, béeing of himselfe both wittie, beautifull, and of most excellent and rare qualities: by which commendations hée came at length to marrie the daughter of Hircanus aforesayde King of Iewrie, and by this marriage obtayned of his Father in lawe to bée chiefe gouernour and ruler of the prouince and land of Galilee vnderunder him. But Hircanus afterwardes in a battaile against the Parthians, fell into theyr handes, and was taken and carryed prisoner into Parthia.
Herode then tooke his iourney to Rome, and there hée obtained to bée created king of Iurie without any title or Interest in the worlde: for that not onelyonly his father in Law Hircanus was then liuing in Parthya, but also his yonger brother Aristobulus and three of his sonnes (viz. Antigonus, Alexander, and Aristobulus) with diuers others of the blood Royall in Iurie were aliue also.
Ioseph. lib. 15. Antiqu.Herode then hauing procured by this meanes to be king of Iurie, procured first to hauehave in his hands the king Hircanus & so put him to death. He brought also to the same end his yonger brother Aristobulus and his thrée sonnes likewise. Hée put to death also his owne wife Mariamnes which was king Hircanus daughter, as also Alexandra hir mother, & soone after two of his owne Sonnes which hee had by the same Mariamnes, for that they were of the blood royall of Iuda: And a little after that againe, hée put to death his third sonne named Antipater: Hée caused also to be slaine forty of the chiefest Noble men of the tribe of Iudah. Philo. lib. de temp.And as Philo the Iew (who liued at the same time with him) writeth, Hee put to death all the Sanhedrin, that is, the twenty seauen Senators or Elders of the tribe of Iudah that ruled the people. Hée killed the chiefe of the Sectt of the Pharisées. Hée burned the Genealogies of all the kings and Princes of the house of Iudah, and caused one Nicolaus Damascenus, an Historiographer, that was his seruaunt, to drawe …ut a petigrée for him and his line, as though hée had descended from the auntient kinges of Iudah. Hée translated the Priesthoode and sold it to strangers. And finally, hée so razed, dispersed, and mangled the house of Iudah, in such sort, as no one iote of gouernement or principalitie, remained therein. Now then in the daies of this king Herode and not till then, was the Scepter (that is) the gouernement departed from Iudah, and therefore then and not till then was the Messias to appeare according to that prophecie of Iacob, and so it came to passe accordingly: For Christ Iesus the very true & vndoubted Messias was then borne, viz. in the time of Herode king of Iurie. In vaine therefore doe the Iewes or any other looke for any other Messias to come after the daies of that Herode, in whose time (and not before) was the Scepter and all principality and gouernement departed vtterly from the house of Iudah, and therefore in his time, and neither before nor after was the Messias to appeare and come according to Iacobs prophecie.
Daniell the Prophet yet goeth néerer to worke, and foresheweth euen the very day and time of the day when the Messias should bée slaine for the sinnes of his people, for in the first yeare of Darius sonne of Ahasuerus king of the Medes, about the time of the euening oblation he prayed to his God for the people and their deliuerance, inasmuch, as then hée perceiued that the seauentie yeares of their captiuitie (foretolde by Ieremy) were now come to an ende. So Daniel thus praying, about that time of the euening Oblation God sent his Angell Gabriel to signifie and show vntounto him, that at the very beginning of his Supplications, the commaundement came foorth for the returne of the people from their captiuitie, and to build againe Ierusalem, and sheweth likewise that as the people had nowe béene in the captiuitie of Babylon seauentie yeares and then were deliuered from that their earthly bondage: So it should come to passe, that within seauentie wéekes of yeares, the Messi…s should come, who should finish wickednes, seale vp sinnes, blot out iniquitie, and bring in euerlasting righteousnes, and bée a deliuerer not onelyonly from the outward but from the spirituall Babylon, and hellish Aegypt.
The wordes of the Angell bée these following: At the very beginning of thy Supplications, the commandement came forth: And I am come to shewe thee, Dan. 9.for thou art greatly beloued: Therefore vnderstand the matter and consider the vision. Seauentie weekes are determined ouer thy people, and ouer thy holy Citie to finish wickednesse, and to seale vp sinnes, and to blot out iniquitie, and to bring in euerlasting righteousnes, to seale vp vision and Prophesie, and to annoint the HOLY OF HOLYES, or the MOST HOLY. Know therefore and vnderstand, that from the going forth of the commandement to bring againe the people, and to builde Hierusalem vntounto MESSIAH THE PRINCE, there shall bee seauen weeks and three score and two weekes, &c. After these three score and two weekes shall MESSIAH be slaine, and not for himselfe, &c. Hee shall confirme the couenant with many for one weeke, and in the middest of the weeke hee shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease. For the better vnderstanding of which wordes, it must bée remembred, that this worde Hebdomada signif…yng a weeke, or seauen, is sometimes taken for a wéeke of daies, that is, seauen daies, and then is it called Hebdomada dierum, a wéeke of daies, as in this prophecy of Daniel hee sayth of himselfe, that he did mourne three weekes of daies: But at other times it signifieth the space of seauen yeares,Dan 10.2. and then is it called He…domada Annorum, A weeke of yeares, as in Leuiticus, where it is said, Thou shalt number vntounto thee seauen weekes of yeares, that is,Leuit. 25.8 & cap. 23. & alibi postea. seauen times seauen yeares, which make fortie and nine yeares.
Nowe it is most certaine that these seauentie wéekes are to bée vnderstoode wéekes of yeares and not of daies (for that euen by the Iewes owne confession, as also by the bookes of Esdras it is manifest that the Temple and Hierusalem were many yeares in building before they were finished. These seauentie wéekes of yeares therefore are seauen times seauentie yeares, which make in a summe totall foure hundred and ninetie yeares: within which time the Messias should bée slaine: for from the going forth of the commaundement to bring the people backe againe, and to builte Hierusalem (which commaundement went foorth at the beginning of his supplications which were the first yeare of Darius, as the Text sheweth) vntounto the time that Messiah the Prince was annointed to preach the kingdome of God (which was after his baptisme when hée began to bée about thirty yeares of age) there must be seauen wéekes, and thrée score and two wéekes, that is, fortie and nine wéekes, which make foure hundred foure score and thrée yeares: which number of yeares béeing rightly accounted from that time of Darius, wherein the commaundement went foorth, are fully accomplished in the fiftéenth yeare of Tiberius Caesar, at which time, Christ Iesus was baptized and annoynted by the spirite of GOD descending downe vppon him in the forme of a Doue, A voyce also béeing heard from heauen saying: This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased.
Yet is there one wéeke more to make vp the number of seauenty, in the middest of which wéeke the Messiah should bée slaine, which came to passe accordingly: for in the midst of that wéeke, that is, about three yeres and a halfe after Christs baptisme, Christ Iesus the true Messias was put to death, and dyed for our sinnes, which was in the eighteenth yeare of Tyberius Caesar: In vaine therefore doo the Iewes or any other looke for an other Messias to come after the dayes of that Tyberius Caesar the Romane Emperour.
4 The Scriptures doo shewe that the Messias should come of the seede of Dauid, Psal. …. 2. King. 7. 1. Chro. 22.according to the words of God, I hauehave sworne to Dauid my seruant, I will prepare thy seede for euer, and will build vp thy seate to all generations: Which cannot bée applyed to king Salomon his sonne (as the latter Iewes apply it) for these wordes, that his kingdome shall stand for euer, and for all eternitie, cannot be verified in Salomon, whose earthly kingdome was rent and torne in pieces straight after his death by Ier…boam, and not long after as it were extinguished: neither can they bee vnderstoode of any terrestiall king, but they must néedes bée vnderstoode of an eternall king, which should come of Dauids séede: The promise then made to Dauid for Christ to come of his séede is againe repeated after his death by many prophets and confirmed by God as in Ieremie, where God vseth these wordes,Ier. 23.6. &c. & 33.16. Behold the daies come on, that I will raise vp to Dauid a iust seede, and hee shall raise a King, and shall bee wise, and shall doe iudgement and Iustice vponupon earth, and in his daies shall Iuda be saued, and Israell shall dwell confidently, and this is the name that men shall call him, Our iust God. All this was spoken of Dauid aboue foure hundred yéers after Dauid was deade, which proueth manifestlie that the promises and spéeches were not made vntounto King Dauid, for Salomon his sonne, nor for any other temporall King of Dauids lyne, but for Christ, who was particularly called the Sonne of Dauid, for that Dauid was the first King of the tribe of Iudah, and not onelyonly was Christs progenitor in the flesh, but also did beare his tipe & figure in many other thinges. For which cause likewise in Ezechiel (who liued about the same time that Ieremie did) the Messias is called by the name of Dauid himselfe: for thus sayth God at that time to Ezechiel: I will saue my flocke, Ezech. 34.…. &c.neyther shall they any longer bee left to the spoyle, I will set ouer them a shepheard, and he shal feede them, euen Dauid my seruant, he shall feede them, and he shall be their shepheard, and I will bee their God, and my seruaunt Dauid shall be their Prince. In which words not onelyonly wée that are Christians, but the latter Iewes also themselues doo confesse in the Thalmud, that their Messias is called Dauid, for that he was to descend of his seed.
Now then lette vsus sée whether Iesus Christ our Lord did come of the séed of Dauid, as was foretolde the Messias should. It is plaine that he did, for neuer any man doubted or denyed but that Iesus was directly of the tribe of Iudah, and descended lineally by his mother of the onelyonly house of Dauid (as was foretolde hée shoulde) which is confirmed most clearely by the two genealogies and petigrees set downe by Saint Mathew and saint Luke, Luke. …. Math. 1.of the blessed virgins whole discent from Dauid to Ioseph, that was of the same tribe and kinred with her: for according to the lawe of the Iewes, they vsed to marry in their owne tribe. And therefore the Euangeliste s shewing the lyne of Ioseph, doe thereby also declare the lynage and stocke of Marie (the mother of Iesus) as béeing a thing then sufficiently knowne vntounto all, though they speake no more.
Secondly, it is confirmed by their repayring vntounto Bethleem (when commaundement was giuen by Augustus Caesar, Luk. 2.1.2.3.4.5.that euerie one shoulde repayre to the head Cittie of their Tribe and familie, to bée taxed or sessed for their tribute) for by their going thither it is shewed, that they were both of the lynage of Dauid, in as much as Bethleem was the proper Cittie onelyonly of them that were of the house and linage of Dauid, for that king Dauid was borne therein.
Thirdly, it may appéere by this, for that the Iews who sought out all exceptions they could agaynst him, yet neuer excepted this, nor alleadged agaynst him that hee was not of the house of Iuda, nor of the house of Dauid, which they would neuer hauehave omitted if they might hauehave done it with anie colour, for such a spéech (if it could truly hauehave béen spoken) would easilie hauehave conuinced our Iesus not to bée the true Messias. But it appeared they neuer doubted of this. Yea I adde further, that it remaineth registred in the Iewes Thalmud it selfe,Thal. tract. Sanh. cap. Higmar. that Iesus of Nazareth crucified was of the bloud royall, from Zorohabel of the house of Dauid. Wherewith agréeth that saying of Paule the Apostle, where hée testifieth thus: Iesus Christ was borne of the seede of Dauid according vntounto the flesh, Rom. 1.3.4though hee were also the Sonne of God in power, according to the spirite of sanctification.
5 That the mother of Iesus was a Virgin, is plentifully testified by the Euangelists, & that so the Messias mother shuld be, the scripture of the Iews do sufficiently shew. For in Esay. 7.14. it is tolde as a strange thing to king Achas (and so it is in déede) that a virgin should conceaue and bring foorth a Son (and they should call his name Emmanuel, that is, God with vsus.) Which could not be strange, if the Hebrew word in that place did signifie onelyonly a yoong woman (as some later Rabbins doe affirme) for that is no strange or new thing, but common and ordinarie for yong women to conceaue and beare children: wherfore the Septuagints doe rightly translate the worde Parthenos, which properly and fully signifieth a Virgin, and so did also the Elder Iewes vnderstand it,Rab. Sim. …. Bea. Iohar. in cap. 2. Gen. Rab. Moses Hadars. in Psal. 14. as Rabbi Simeon well noteth. And Rabbi Moses Hadasan (of singular credit among the Iewes) vponupon these words of the Psalme, Truth shall bud foorth of the earth, saith, that it is not said, Truth shall be ingendred of the earth, but Truth shall bud forth, to signifie thereby that the Messias (who is meant by the word Truth) shall not bee begotten as other men in carnall copulation:Rab. Mos. Had. in Ge. 25. he also citeth Rabb… Berechias to bée of the same opinion: and finally Rabbi Hacadosch proueth by art Cabalisticall out of many places of Scripture,Rab. Hacad ad quaest. 3. in ba. cap. 9 Rab. Hacad in Esay. 9. not onelyonly that the mother of the Messias shall be a virgin, but also that her name shall be Marie. Like as also the same Rabbi Hacadosch proueth by the same art out of many textes of Scripture, that the Messias name at his comming shall be Iesus. And that the mother of the Messias should be a virgin may further appeare in the prophecie of Ieremie, where God saith: I will worke a new thing vponupon earth, Ier. 31.22.A woman shall enuiron or inclose a man: which were no new thing, but vsuall and wanted, except it be vnderstood of a virgin that should beare a child.
6 Now because Ch…ist Iesus by the wonderfull works and surpassing myracles which hée did, béeing such as no man could doo (if hée had béene but a bare man) as also by his heauenly doctrine, wordes, and déedes, did declare himselfe to bée the Sonne of God, sent from the bosome of his Father, let vsus also sée as we hauehave found the Messias to be man, so search whether he ought not to bee God also. The sacred scripture of the Iewes giuegive answer…, that hée ought to bée God also, and so to bee both God and man. Which thing is signified by the Prophet Esay, when he saith: They shall call his name Emmanuel, Esay. 7.14.which is by interpretation, God with vsus. Againe the same Esay testifieth, that the… shal call his name wonderful counsellor, Esay. 9.6.the mightie God, the euerlasting Father, the Prince of peace. Esay. 4.2.Againe by Esay hee is called The issue of the Lord, and also the fruite of the earth, to signifie him to bee both the Sonne of God and the Sonne of man. And Ieremie the Prophet doth testifie of him,Iere. 23.6. & 33.16. that hée shall bée called The righteous God, or God our righteousnes. And God himselfe saith of him,Psal. 2.7. Thou art my Sonne, this day hauehave I begotten thee. And Dauid proueth him plainely to be the Son of God, for though hée knewe hée should come of his s…ede as touching the flesh, yet doth hee also call him his Lord, Psal. 110.1.saying thus: The Lord said vntounto my Lord, sit thou at my right hande vntill I make thine enemies thy foote-stoole. Sith Dauid calleth him his Lord, it is manifest that hee taketh him not onelyonly to bée man, but God also, euen the Sonne of God, the second person in the Trinitie. This matter is testified almost euerie where in the scripture of the Iewes, and therefore I néed not further to amplifie.
7. Yet because the Iewes doo looke for the Messias to be a terrestriall king which should raigne in Iewrie, and subdue all their enemies with his terrestriall power and force, wherein how grossely they erre, as the premisse… doo partly shew so is it not impertinent héere to speake some what to conuince their so grosse an opinion. For first the time is past long ago wherin the Messias should come, and yet no such terrestriall King as they dreame of, hath béene raigning in Iewrie: and therefore very experience and knowledge of the times might teach them to abandon so foolish a conceit. Daniel calleth him the Eternal king: Dan. 2.44. Mich. 4.5.Micheas saith he shall raigne for euer: which cannot bée supposed of an earthly kingdome. Againe, Aske of me (saith God to his sonne) the Messias, Psal. 2.and I will giuegive vntounto thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the vttermost parts of the world for thy possession. Which word… do shew, that the Messias should bée an vniuersall king, to rule not onelyonly euer the Iewes, but ouer the Gentiles also,Psal. 71.… euen ouer all the world. Againe it is said, that he shal endure with the Sunne, and before the Moone from generation to generation, he shall raigne from Sea to Sea vntounto the end of the world: All kings shall adore him, & all nations shal serue him, all tribes of the earth shal be blessed in him, and all nations shal magnifie him. Gen. 18.And it was tolde Abraham, that in his séede (that is in the Messias which should come of his séede) all nations of the earth should be blessed. How then should hee ouerthrowe any nations for the Iewes sake (as they dreame) when all nations were to receiue their blessing from him. In the prophecie of Es…y, the commission of God his father vntounto him is thus set down.Esay. 49.6. It is too little that thou be vntounto me a seruant to raise vp the tribes of Iacob, and to conuert vntounto mee the dregs of Israel, beho…d I hauehave appeared vntounto thee also to be a light vntounto the Gentiles, that thou be my saluation vntounto the vttermost parts of the earth. Euerie where almost it is testified, that the Gentiles should hauehave eueryevery way as much interest in the Messias as the Iewes, and should bee as beneficial… vntounto them. The Messias therefore, though hee be tearmed a king, and is so indéed, yet is to be supposed a spirituall and eternall king (as the Prophets declare him) for it is too childish and fond to imagine him to bée an earthly king, which should raigne only in Iudea, and be a great & mightie terrestriall conqueror. Doth not Zachary (as touching his state in this world) shewe,Zachar. 9. that he should come poorely riding vponupon an Asse? doth not Esay say,Esay. 53. that in this world hee should bee a man despised,Dan. 9. abiect, and of no reputation? doth not Daniel expresly say, that he should come to be slain, that with his sa…rifice he might take away sinne, and cease al other sacrifices?Zachar. 12. doth not Zachary say, that they shuld look vponupon him after they had pierced or cru…ified him? And doth not the Prophet Esay say of him, that hee gaue his soule an offering for sin,Esay. 53. and that hee should be lead as a shéepe to the slaughter, and as a lamb… dumb before his shearer, so opened not he his mouth? Where then is his pompe, when he was to be poore? Where was his earthly honor, when hee was to bee abiect and of no reputation? Where was his worldly conquest, when he was himself to be slain: Where should his fles…ly resistance …ee, when hee was not so much as to offer it, yea when his enemies were to lead …im to death as the shéepe to the slaughter, and as a lambe dumbe before his shearer, not opening his m…ut… to saue himselfe? yea, how should the Iewes thinke (if they would throughly consider) that the Messias should be such a one as they dream of, when they were the men that should pursue him to death, and whome they should looke vppon when they had pierced him.
These things which hauehave béene spoken (though in very briefe and plaine sort) are I trust sufficient to conuince the Iewes, that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is that séede of the woman which shoulde breake the Serpents head, which deceiued Adam and Eue our first parents, and hee in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed, and is in all points the verie, true, certainè, and vndoubted Messias, which was fore-promised and fore-told by their prophets: for all thinges which were fore-tolde of the Messias, doo fitly, fully, and onelyonly agrée to him, and to no other. And therefore I conclude against them, that the Christian Religion (which wee professe, & which we hold deriued to vsus from that Christ the true Messias, the author thereof) is the onelyonly true Religion which is acceptable to God.