An Advertisement of Corruption in our Handling of Religion, Part 55 – Part 56
How S. Paul further ſettled the Iudges times and Ioſuahs, whereby a table added to ſome of our Bibles appeared: bad and all Thalmudiques, The Ieruſalemy: The Babylonian: Seder Olam, and Maimoni in Beth-Bechira, and all be reproued.
WHere S. Paul ſaith, God gaue them Iudges after a ſort 450. yeres, vntounto the time of Samuel the Prophete: our tranſlation ſpeaketh thus, Act. 3.20.By not marking the Ebrews ſhortnes, we ſeemed to Abr. Zac to giuegive Saul fourty yeres. So the Iewe deſpiſeth the N. Teſtament by our fault. And afterwards they deſired a King, and God gaue vntounto them Saul the ſonne of Cis, a man of the tribe of Beniamin forty yeres: Here we can not wel be vnderſtood. Saul reigned not 40. yeres. For David when he fought with Goliath in the beginning of Sauls reigne ſhould be aboue 20. and at his 30. Saul kicked againſt the ſpur of his owne ſpear. The Apoſtle foloweth the phraſe of the Iudges: where a ſmall King maketh a Period, as where we ſay: And ſo the land reſted forty yeres: the playner were, And ſo the land reſted. Forty yeres as Tremelius hath: Quieuit terra. Haec gesta quadraginta annorum. S. Paul meant that Samuels dayes & Saules made 40. yeares, and Samuel came to the laſt of them. And dyed but 4. monethes afore Saul, by the Thalmud in Themurah. And the Rabbines can confeſſe that, when they will. For thus they write in Middras pſ. 25. It is ſayd:And in Kimchi vponupon Pſ. 99. Moſes and Aharon were among his prieſts, and Samuel among them that call vponupon his name: Thou ſhalt find all that is written of the one, written of the other: The one was of Levi, the other was of Levi: the one made a Pſalm, the other made a Pſalme: the one reigned over Iſrael, and the other reigned over Iſrael: the one reigned 40. yeares, and the other reigned 40. yeares: the one made warres, and the other made warres: the one kild Kings, and the other killed Kings: the one built altars, & the other built altars: the one offred, and the other offred: the one prayed for Iſrael, and the other prayed for Iſrael: the one ſerved as a Sacrificer, the other ſerved as a Sacrificer. Thus ſpeaketh the Old Rabbin, agreeably to S. Paul: But litle pleaſured his owne ſide. And that note of Midras muſt needes be holden Old. For ſince the Eldeſt Thalmud was compiled, ſoone after great Constantines dayes, the Iewes Rabbines conſpired to croſſe the Apoſtles in ſtorie, that their people ſhold not embrace Chriſt. Maymony praef. ad Miſnah cōfeſſeth in effect why the Thalmud was made: he wrote Miſnah 423. yeres agoe, the greateſt Rabbin of the faithles that ever was: who plainly openeth all the Iudaique to ſuch as can overrule him. In the Thalmud Ieruſalemy 1200 yeres old, in Megilah fol. 72. Col. 4. from the partitiō of the land to Samuel, are 376. yeares: yet in trueth Ioſuah had but tenne after that: and in all, but 17. as it was told. And the Thalmud giveth but eleven to Samuel and two to Saul: yet the Rabbines hauehave cōſpired theſe 1200. yeres to overthrow the New T. by checking S. Paul for Ioſua, Iudges & Samuel: as S. Lu. for Salomons houſe. And if they could prevaile in eyther, they had gotten the victorie: whiche our right reverend Fathers gave them without all entreaty: & graunt them more fortifications then of them ſelves they durſt ever chirp to ſpeak for. My poore ſelf hauehave aunſwered this in Ebrew print, as the Lords know, & Europe & Aſia: & infull many Ebrew written treariſes, ſent to Byzantium by poſt from Francfort to Venize. thence by ſhip: and the Rabbin there is reported of our Marchants to accept, & commend dayly vntounto noble Grecians, that he had from England a greater light then ever he expected from Chriſtians. And at Francfurt in the cōpany of many, a Iew being preſent, I ſaid to the company in French, which they all vnderſtood, that by, 1. Sam. 7.3. I would make the Iew confeſſe afore thē all, that the Rabbines were but as Elymas Magus. Thē I ſpake to the Iew in Ebrew this much: Rabbi, this you know, that all muſt ſanctifie the name of God, & beare witnes to the truth continually: or feele flames eternall: yea, ſaith he, that wote I well, and am ready to doe all that toucheth me. Then ſaid I, read this verſe, 1. Sam. 7.3. Since the time that the Arke ſtayed in Kiriah Iaarim, the dayes were many, they were twenty yeares: and all Iſraell with hearty ſighing ſought after the Eternall. And Samuel ſpake to all Iſrael, ſaying: If with all your heartes ye returne vntounto the Eternal, remove your ſtrange Gods, &c. Doeth not this text tell plainly, that …0. yeares paſſed after Elies death, before Samuel medled in governmēt; yea ſaith he, that is plain: ſo much I fully hold, and none can deny it. Then I told the by-ſtanders what I demaunded, and what he graunted: and how vponupon his graunt, al his Thal. fell. And how, ſayd I, cā your Rabbines giuegive Samuel from Ely but eleuen and Saul but two & David ſeauen in Hebron: that hee ſhould within 20. of Ely call thence the Arke frō Kiriah Iaarim by this text. Then he anſwered me nothing, but to the by-ſtanders wordes of high reverēce to his teacher: exceedingly beyond all that Chriſtians would thinke, a Iew would ſpeake. So to all vsus Saint Paul affoordeth ſuch weapons, in one ſhort ſentence, to ſettle al the book of Ioſuah, Iudges, & firſt of Samuel in a moſt Divine frame: by 450. yeares after a ſort, for the Iudges, & 40. for Samuel. That one ſentēce of S. Paul, is more worth then a mountayne of Gold, to ſhew the harmonious frame of the holy ſtory from ſince Ieſus of Nun gave poſſeſſion of the lande vntounto Ieſus death, when he did make his own name Nun: Midr ſp. 72 frō his name Nun: teacheth that Meſsias ſhal raiſe vp the dead.that is, by Midr. Pſ. 72. raiſer of the dead. Even the very Midras noteth that Meſſias ſhould doe ſo: and by alluſion to Nun Pſ. 72. in the Ebrew: as they holde no ſyllable idle in ſtrange termes touching Meſſias. All theſe times hauehave an eaſie account: by S. Paul, and in all the reſt by Iewes thus: Seaven yeares the Lande had for conqueſt and partition: wherevpon the next yeare Iubilies were to begin. Seaven Iubiles Ioſephs houſe had the Arke, till Sylon loſt it: thence the Philiſtines did cary it: & after ſix monethes Iuda had it in their power. Thence are ſeaven ſeaventies to the firſt of Nebuchadraezar: when hee tooke Ieruſalem, and caried King Iehoiakim to Babel: whom he ſoone ſent home againe.Daniel and they ye quenched the fyer are the glory of the firſt captivity. And caried thither Daniel the Noble, the Godly, the Wiſe, the wealthier then the King of Tyrus, the beloved of Chriſt and his Angells, and cariried the three noble men that quenched the fire. So, that part of Iudahs ſtory hath famous Limites: and old Theodoret, and Iewes when they are not malicious, generally hold the diſputable partes aright: when as we, they ſay, The Temple ſtood *R. Abraham Ben David in Gabalah427. yeares. And very many of our men here ſpeake trueth, even folowing particulars, & not marking how (Ezekiel 4.) God bringeth all paſt doubt, by paynes in particulars they agree with a trueth vnknowen: So hitherto we hauehave a pleaſaunt meaſure of times Now the captivitie of Babel was but of 70. yeres from Nebuchadrezars firſt yeare. Three captivities there were. The firſt of king Ioakim, when he was ſent home. The ſecond, when he was taken vponupon rebellion and caried for Babel, but was caſt away vnburied, as an aſſe, by Gods iudgement, Ier. 22. for burning Ieremies Lamentations: then was his ſonne made king, and after three monethes caried to Babel with many thouſands: among whom were Ezekiel and Mardochai, Ezekiel and Mardochai, ar the Gold in the ſecōd captivitie.who made Hester mother to the Perſian King Artaxerxes that a Perſian king of Beniamin his Iaſper, Exo. 28. ſhould be the firſt foūdation of Ieruſalem: as Iapis hath place, Ap. 21. This ſecond captivitie was 8. yeares after the firſt,Darius borne when Nabycadnezar would be making a King over Gods people. Then to him a revē ger is borne that Madi & Elam of Iapheth and Sem may puniſh Cham. and then was Darius borne, to proclayme Daniels God when he was 62. yeares old, and tooke Babel. The third warning brought flames to the Citie and Temple, and captivitie: tenne yeares after the former. Then the Arke and golden Covering were ſpoyled by Babel, and the Candleſtickes, and the Tables broken with fire. For ſeeing wee hauehave no other record of them, we muſt hold that the Temple being ſet on fire, the heat would breake the Tables: that goodly monument graving by the finger of God. And as Moſes for Idol-worſhip of few, brake the firſt tables, Gods anger deſtroying the kingdome for comon Images, wold much more breake the ſecond tables. And full 18. yeares are ſpent in theſe three captivities. *The third captiuitie is glorious by Ezra. For Ezraes record of life, confuteth al heathen millions that giuegive Elam aboue 130. yeares over Iuda.Ezra maketh famous the third captivitie: Being an other Moſes drawen out of the waters of troubles: when Saraias his father was kild by Nauocodroſor king of Babel, with king Sedekias children. And Ezra lived to Philip Macedons times, ſeeing he ſaw the Perſians later times: & by the record of his captivitie, hee captiveth Heathen writers: and by his record of kindred vp to Adam, he cōfuteth Aristotle that denieth the worlds creation. This third captivitie was but of 52. yeares, and the whole from the firſt 70. As Moſes, Levit. 26. and Ieremie 25. foretold. And Daniel cha. 9. & Ezra, 2. Chr. 36. & Zach. 1. and 7. obſerve what fell out. Then Daniel ſtopped the Lions mouthes, and Darius Iapetionides proclaymeth the God of Daniel over 120. nations: and the Angel Gabriel which beginneth the firſt ſpeach of the New Teſtament to Zacharie at the Altar of incenſe, and telleth Mary that the Power of the Higheſt will ſhadowe her, otherwiſe then the Tabernacle, Exo. 40. where the ſame phraſe is vſed, Gabriel twiſe named in the New Teſtamēt, a teller of comfort, and twiſe in Daniel, a teller of affliction for comfort, terming Daniel a man full of Grace, ſheweth (when Daniels prayer was like the evening offring,) of Chriſt his offring of all offringes: that the captivitie time ſeaven times being meaſured, ſhall ſee the redemption to life eternall for Iapheth, for Elam, and all: when the Iewes hauehave ſerved Heathen at home, & learne obedience, hating ſtrange Gods, ſo long as they ruled at home: but never could rule them ſelves from ſtrange Gods but only vnderunder David: againſt whom yet they rebelled. This geometricall frame of Temple S. Paul doeth force vsus to acknowledge: ſeaven yeares of conqueſt, ſeaven Iubilies for Ephraims glory: ſeaven ſeaventies for Iudahs glory: ſeaventy for captivity, to feele Ieremies Lamentations: and againe the former meaſure of time ſeaven times 70. or 490. yeares to finde comfort in ſervitude: whiche none but the poore and mourning will euer find. Alſo this laſt part Aben Ezra doeth confeſſe, full ſore againſt his will, putting full many long Parentheſis into one litle ſaying:Aben Ezra a malicious Iewe as it was noted expoundeth Daniel well againſt his will. that he ſhould be vnſpied of Chriſtians, how vponupon his graunt all Iudaiſme fayleth. Now as David 27. times in Pſalme 137. repeateth of God: that his mercy endureth for euer, ſo I may well iterate the teſtimony of Aben Ezra for our ſtrenght: vponupon Dan. 9. THE SEAVENTIE SEAVENS are from the beginning of Daniels prayer vntounto ſealing Meſſias (which is Chriſt) the Holy of Holy. This much Aben Ezra confeſſed: the moſt head-ſtrong and moſt learned Rabbin, and moſt bent to his ſkill to overreach vsus. And the commentarie vponupon Daniel he finiſhed in the yere 4916. by the Iewes*65. in Gen. 11.17. in ye Kings, & 90 from Daniels 490. 172. yeres they ſteale from the Scripture, to diſturbe vsus. So he wrote in Rhodus city in the 5088. in October as he recordeth: 423. yeares agoe, for we are now in 5531. The plain trueth, forced him as Balaam: & yet we miſſed: vntill good Calvin brought the trueth into the open Church: with a ſound hart, though he could not anſweare all obiections of forged aſtronomers: whoſe fragmentes the great aſtronomer Aben Ezra held but fables, and of Greak toyes, never heard while Graecia was free in glory and eloquence.S. Paules one ſaying, Acto. 13. keepeth all the Bible in a right frame. Which yet wee corrupt to diſturbe all. And but for ſaint Paul, we could never hauehave brought about the Iewes conſent, from Midras Rabba, for Iudges and Samuel, from Abraham ſonne of David for the Kings: and from the Thalmud for Babels 70. and from Aben Ezra, the time thence to our Lord his death: without S. Paul we could neuer hauehave found the heauēly meaſures of the time. And this much for our diſturbance of all our owne building by bad vnderſtanding of S. Paul, and as ill tranſlating, of a moſt rare heauenly ſentence, worthy to be written in great characters of gold, that they who paſſe by, may read it with delite: how God gaue Iudges offenders and defenders after a ſort 450. yeares: and not about 450. vntounto the time of Samuel, and then God gaue them Saul. Forty yeares, this much of theſe poinctes: where one text euill tranſlated and expounded marreth all Moſes.
Of Moſes fiue bookes diſannulled by ill tranſlating of one verſe, Exo. 12.40. and by ſpeaking the ſame in the argument of the ſame.
THis was the text. The dwelling of the children of Iſraell, while they dwelt in Egypt, was four hundreth and thirty yeres. Now in the argument this cometh. 40. They dwelt in Egypt four hunderth and thirty yeres. This one errour overthroweth all Moſes.
1. He writeth of Cohath his grandfather that he was one of the Lxx. ſoules that came with Iacob into Egypt, Gen. 46. & that he liued but 133. yeres. And his ſonne Amram, but 137. Exod. 6. and Amrams ſonne but 120. Deut. 33▪ All maketh but 390. And ſo Moſes had deſcended to the dead: ad inferos, as Heathen ſpeak, and had left ſuperos, the living: forty whole yeares before Iſraell left the ſoyle that Nilus watereth. And he from whoſe hand the fiery Law came, the Creatour of Heauen and Earth ſhould no more ſpeak with Moſes, then Iuppiter in Creet ſmake with Minos. This overſight is exceedng great: that our Doctors and Biſhops ſhould make Moſes forget him ſelfe: his owne age, his Fathers, and his Grandfathers. And if eueryevery treſpaſſe receaue iuſt recompence: much of Gods anger that hath fallen vpō our nation, hath fallen for this corruption of the Law.