Look from Adam and Behold the Protestants Faith Proved, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. All holy Prophets doe point unto Chriſt, and preach ſalvation only in him.
SOmewhat yet will we now declare further, concerning the times of the Kings of Iuda and Iſrael, which in a manner were even as the times of the Iudges of Iſrael. For like as in the firſt yeeres of Ioſue, God gave great victorie and honour, and afterward reſt and peace: Even ſo were the Iſraelites very victorious and triumphant under David, and had great reſt and peace under Salomon. The departing of Iſrael from Iuda.But like as after the death of Ioſue the honour of Iſrael decreaſed, and the departing away from God followed with one perſecution upon another (though in the meane time they had peace and deliverers, as Othoniel, Ehud, Barack, Gedeon, Iephtha, Sampſon, &c.) Even ſo did the worſhip of Iſrael decreaſe after Salomons time. For the ten Tribes of Iſrael fell away from the houſe of David, only Iuda and Bejamin held Salomons ſonne Roboam for their King: the other made Hieroboam King. And ſo of one kingdome were made two, the kingdome of Iſrael, and the kingdome of Iuda. The kingdome of Iſrael (through the perſwaſion of Hieroboam) choſe them another manner of ſerving God. Not that they utterly denied and refuſed the God of their Fathers, but they ſerved him after a ſtrange heatheniſh manner of their owne imagining. But afterward they fell the longer the more and further into groſſe idolatrie, ſo long, till the Lord ſuffered them to be rooted out, and carried away by the King of the Aſſyrians, and ſcattered abroad among all the Heathen. The kingdome and the Kings of Iuda were ſomewhat better, howbeit they had ſome alſo which excelled the Kings of Iſrael and of the Heathen in ungodlineſſe. For they likewiſe went forth ſo long in unrighteouſneſſe, till Nabuchodonoſor the King rooted them out, and caried them away unto Babylon. But afore, we ſee that there was a wonderfull combrance in the civill policie, and in the religion. Sometime was all righteouſneſſe and true religion oppreſt, and violence and idolatrie uſed. Sometime gat righteouſneſſe up againe, and the right true faith had the victorie, all unright and idolatrie being put downe. This came to paſſe alſo in Iſrael under Helias and King Iehu. King Iehu.Yet was the idolatrie and wrong rather puniſhed, than any amendment following. Like as it came alſo to paſſe after the birth of Chriſt, that there were vertuous Kings and Emperours, which (according to the prophecie of Eſay in the 49. chapter, verſe 23.) did all righteouſneſſe, ſet up the faith of Chriſt, and put downe all idolatrie. Againe, there came other, that ſet up all unrighteouſneſſe and idolatry, perſecuted the truth, and at the laſt receiued their reward convenient. So weightie a matter is it to have good or evill Rulers.
God alwaies … P…phetsBut in theſe wonderfull alterations, and thorowout all the time of theſe governances of both the kingdomes, God alway ſent his ſervants the holy Prophets, to rebuke wrong and idolatry, and to teach all righteouſneſſe and true ſerving of God. And firſt after the time of David and Salomon (under whom there was a great multitude of learned and holy Prophets; for David alſo and Salomon were excellently endued with the ſpirit of wiſdome and prophecie above other men) theſe were the chiefe,The oldeſt Prophets. moſt famous, and oldeſt Prophets, of whom the Bible maketh mention with worſhip: Semeias, which lived under Roboam King of Iuda: Ahias the Silonite under Hieroboam. Azarias the ſonne of Obed, which lived under Aſa King of Iuda, and Iehu the ſonne of Anani, whom Baaſa the King of Iſrael ſlew: Helias the great Prophet, and Micheas the ſonne of Iema, lived under Achab and Ioſaphat.
Now like as in the time of David there was a great number of learned men; even ſo teſtifieth the ſecond booke of the Chronicles in the 17. chapter, that in the time of Ioſaphat there were many learned Levites and Prophets. Heliſeus was in the time of King Iehu, and Zacharias the ſonne of Ioiada, was under Ioas, under whom alſo he was ſtoned. Nevertheleſſe we have no bookes written and ſet forth by theſe: only we have the prophecie of Abdias, which wrote his prophecie under Achab. Afterward under Vzzia, Iothan, Achas and Ezechias Kings of Iuda, lived the moſt part of them, whoſe bookes are abroad. For under theſe preached and wrote Ionas, Oſeas, Iſaias, Ioel, Nahum, Amos and Micheas. Afterward under King Manaſſes wrote Abacuck. VnderUnder the holy King Ioſias, wrote Sophonias, Baruch and Hieremie, in whoſe daies Iſrael had ſuch misfortune, that Hieruſalem with the Temple was deſtroyed, and the people that remained over and periſhed not, were caried away captive into Babylon. In the ſame captivitie did Ezechiel and Daniel write their prophecies. And after the captivitie when Iſrael was delivered againe, and came home to Hieruſalem, then preached and wrote Eſdras, Haggeus, Zacharias, Malachias and Nehemias. Beſide theſe Prophets no doubt there were other moe, of whom no mention is made. But theſe are the chiefe, by whom it pleaſed God to open unto us all that appertaineth to our ſalvation. And though we had alſo the writings of the other, yet ſhould we reade no other thing in them, than we finde in our owne Prophets, for as much as theſe whom we have, agree ſo together all in one.
Now whether they be our own Prophets,The Prophets preached the old faith. whoſe writings we have, or the other whoſe writings we have not, yet have they all preached the ſumme of the doctrine and knowledged the faith that wee ſpake of afore, and wrote in one ſumme, which faith Adam, Noe, Abraham, Moſes and David had: And this did they the more evidently, becauſe they applied themſelves to open the Law, and to drive away the miſunderſtanding, which was riſen up among and in the people: therefore point they every where from the letter unto the ſpirit, from the outward ſacrifice unto Chriſt Ieſus, from all idolatry unto the onelyonly God, which ſaveth us through his mercy onelyonly in the bleſſed ſeed, and through none of our deſervings. This did Paul ſee,Rom. 3.20, 21, 22. and therefore ſaid he, Rom. 3. Through the workes of the law ſhall no man be iuſtified in the ſight of God. For through the law commeth the knowledge of ſinne. But now is the righteouſneſſe of God declared without the law, The Law and the Prophets allow the righteouſneſſe of God that commeth by faith. Act. 3.24.for as much as it is allowed by the teſtimonie of the Law and the Prophets. The righteouſneſſe of God commeth by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt unto all, and upon all them that beleeve. So ſaith Peter alſo in the third of the Acts: All the Prophets from Samuel, and thenceforth (as many as have ſpoken) have told of theſe daies. And in the 10.Act. 10.2, 3. chapter: To this Ieſus Chriſt give all the Prophets witneſſe, that whoſoever beleeveth in him, ſhall through his name receive forgiveneſſe of ſinnes.
Who ſo now is learned in the writings of the Prophets, knoweth well, that there is nothing read concerning the Lord in the New Teſtament, which the Prophets have not propheſied of afore. He that is then any thing inſtructed in the Prophets, hath no doubt conſidered this in the New Teſtament, that the Apoſtles prove all their doctrine of the Lord Ieſus, out of the Law and the Prophets: yea that the Lord himſelfe confirmeth his owne doings with the Scriptures of the Prophets, and that the Euangeliſts thorowout the holy Goſpell, ſet unto the doctrine and miracles of Chriſt, theſe words: And this was done, that it might be fulfilled, Matth. 21.4.which was ſpoken by the Prophets. Nevertheleſſe for their ſakes that are not yet inſtructed, I will now declare the principall articles of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, out of the holy Prophets.
As touching the true Godhead and manhood of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt,The godhead and manhood of Chriſt▪ and that he ſhould be borne at Bethlehem, in the land of Iewry, of a pure virgin and maid, out of the kinred of David, the Prophets teſtifie after this manner. Eſay in the ſeventh chapter ſaith; Behold, Eſay 7.14.a virgin ſhall conceive and beare a ſonne, and ſhall call his name Emanuel (that is to ſay, God with us. Mich. 5.2.) Micheas ſaith in the fifth chapter: Though thou Bethlehem Ephrata art too ſmall to be reckoned among the principall cities of Iuda, yet out of thee ſhall there come one unto me, which ſhall be ruler in Iſrael, whoſe forthgoing is from everlaſting. Eſay 9.… ▪In the ninth chapter of Eſay it is written: VntoUnto us is a childe borne, and to us is given a ſonne, upon whoſe ſhoulders the kingdome ſhall lie, and he ſhall be called after his owne name; even the wonderfull counſell-giver, the mighty one of Iſrael, the eternall father, the prince of peace, his kingdome ſhall increaſe, and of his peace there ſhall be no end, and he ſhall reigne upon the ſeat of David his father. In the 23. of Hieremie it is written thus:Ierem. 23.5, 6. The righteous bloſſome. Behold, the time commeth (ſaith the Lord) that I will raiſe up the righteous bloſſome of David: he ſhall be king and reigne, and proſper: iudgement and righteouſneſſe ſhall he execute upon earth. In his time ſhall Iuda be ſaved, and Iſrael ſhall dwell without feare: and this is the name wherewith he ſhall be named, even God our righteouſneſſe.
Concerning the comming of Iohn the Baptiſt, which was the forerunner of our Lord Chriſt, and prepared the people for him, hath Malachy written in the third chapter after this manner:Mala. 3.1. Iohn Baptiſt. Behold, I will ſend my meſſenger, which ſhall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom yee long for, ſhall ſhortly come to his temple, and the meſſenger of the covenant whom yee would have. Behold, he commeth, ſaith the Lord zabaoth. And afterward: Behold, I will ſend Helias the Prophet afore the comming of the great and fearefull day of the Lord.Mala. 4.5.
Of Chriſts preaching, of the grace of God, of the forgiving of ſinnes, of the wonders alſo and tokens of the Lord,Eſay 61.1. The office of Chriſt. ſpeaketh Eſay in the 61. chapter, after this manner: The ſpirit of the Lord God is upon me, and therefore hath the Lord anointed me, to preach the Goſpell to the meeke hearted hath he ſent me, to heale the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captive, to open the priſon to ſuch as are in bonds, to proclaime the yeere of Gods gratious will, and to bring conſolation to all them that are in heavineſſe. In the 34.Ezech. 34. Chriſt is called David. chapter of Ezechiel it is written thus: Over my ſheepe will I raiſe up one onelyonly ſhepherd, which ſhall feed them, even David my ſervant, which ſhall feed them, and he ſhall be their ſhepherd. I the Lord alſo will be their God, and David ſhall be their Prince, even I the Lord have ſpoken it. In the 35. chap. of Eſay it is written thus: Say unto them that are of a feeble heart: Be ſtrong and feare not, behold, The miracles of Chriſt.our God commeth to take vengeance, and to reward: God commeth himſelfe, and will deliver you. Then ſhall the eies of the blinde be opened, &c. Then ſhall the lame man leape as an Hart, and the tongue of the dumbe ſhall give praiſe.
Of the kingdome of Chriſt, in the which he himſelfe alone is king, all the world being ſubject unto him, declaring his dominion and royall majeſtie, writeth Eſay thus in the ſecond chapter:Eſay 2.2. And it ſhall come to paſſe in the laſt time, that the hill of the houſe of the Lord ſhall be exalted upon the height of mountaines above all little hils, and all nations ſhall come together unto him, the people ſhall goe to him and ſay: Come, let us goe up to the mount of the Lord, even to the houſe of the God of Iacob, that he may ſhew us his way, and we will walke in his paths. For the Law ſhall come forth from Sion, and the word of God from Hieruſalem. In the 7. of Daniel it is written thus:Dan. 7.13. I ſaw a viſion in the night, and behold there came one in the clouds of heaven like the ſonne of man, which came to the old aged, and they brought him before his preſence. And he gave him power, glory, The kingdome of Chriſt.and the kingdome, and all people, nations and tongues muſt ſerve him: his power is an everlaſting power, which ſhall not be taken from him, and his kingdome ſhall not periſh. Eſay ſaith in the 62. chapter: And the heathen ſhall ſee thy righteouſneſſe, and all kings thine honour, Eſa. 62.2.and he ſhall call thee by a new name (O Sion) and the mouth of God ſhall give thee the name. And thou ſhalt be a crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord, ad a royall crowne of the kingdome in the hand of thy God. And ſoone after it followeth:Eſay 62.10. Make ready, make ready the way, gather up the ſtones out of the ſtreet, and hang out the banner unto the people: behold the Lord hath cauſed it to be proclaimed unto the end of the world. Tell the daughter Sion: behold the Saviour commeth, loe, his treaſure and his reward bringeth he with him, and his deeds goe before him. And they that are redeemed of the Lord, ſhall be called the holy people. Zach 9.9.Zacharie ſaith in the ninth chapter: Reioyce O daughter Sion, be glad O daughter Hieruſalem: behold thy king commeth unto thee, even the righteous and Saviour: meeke and ſimple is he, he rideth upon an aſſe, and upon a young colt of the ſhee aſſe. He ſhall preach peace unto the heathen, his kingdome alſo ſhall reach from the one ſea to the other, and from the river unto the uttermoſt part of the earth.
The death of Chriſt. Dan. 9.26.Of the death and paſſion of Chriſt ſpeaketh Daniel in the ninth chapter after this manner: And after two and ſixtie weekes ſhall Christ be ſlaine and put to death, and yet ſhall they have no true teſtimony, that he is guilty of death. Eſay in the 50. chapter ſaith thus:Eſay 50.5, &c. The Lord God opened mine eare, and I refuſed it not, neither went I backward: I gave my bodie to the ſmiters, and my cheeks to the nippers, and my face have I not turned from their ſhamefull intreating and ſpitting upon me. The Lord God alſo ſhall helpe me, therefore ſhall I not be confounded. And therefore have I hardned my face like a flint ſtone, and am ſure that I ſhall not be confounded. Eſay 53.2, &c.In the 53. chapter there is written of Chriſt after this manner: He ſhall have neither beauty nor faireneſſe, we ſhall looke upon him, but we ſhall have no deſire unto him. He is deſpiſed and contemned of men, a man of trouble, and one that hath had experience of infirmitie. He is ſo deſpiſed, that we ſhall hide our faces from him, and have him in no eſtimation. And yet hath he borne our unperfectneſſe, and felt our ſorrowes. We alſo thought, that he ſhould be wounded, ſmitten, and puniſhed of God. But he was wounded for our ſinnes, and ſlaine for our wickedneſſe ſake. And the puniſhment whereby we have peace, is laid upon him, and through his wounds are we made whole. All we have gone aſtray like ſheepe, every one of us hath had reſpect unto his owne way, and the Lord hath laid all our ſinnes upon him. Violence and wrong was done unto him, he hath beene evill intreated, and yet opened he not his mouth. He ſhall be lead as a beaſt to be ſlaine, and as a ſheepe dumbe before the ſhearers, ſo ſhall he not open his mouth, &c. The whole chapter deſcribeth all the cauſe of Chriſt ſo clearely, that holy Hierom ſaid not in vaine: Eſay is not only a Prophet, but alſo an Euangeliſt. Zacharie deſcribeth the Prieſthood and ſacrifice of Chriſt, and teſtifieth,The ſacrifice of Chriſt. that with the ſame only oblation he hath obtained grace for all ſinne; and therefore ſeven (that is to ſay, all) eyes ſhall have reſpect unto him, and ſhall ſeeke peace and reſt of their conſciences in him, and ſhall finde it. Heare now O Ioſue thou high Prieſt, Zacha. 3.8.thou and thy companions, that ſit before thee, ſeeing yee are men of examples. For loe, I will bring my ſervant, even the bloſſome. For behold the ſtone which I have laid before Ioſue, will I bring, To the ſame only ſtone ſhall ſeven eyes looke. Behold, I will digge it up and diſcloſe it, ſaith the Lord Zabaoth, and the ſinne of the earth will I take away in one day. And in that day ſhall every man call his neighbour under his vine and figge tree.
The buriall and reſurrection of Chri…t. Matth. 12.40.The buriall and reſurrection of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, hath the Prophet Ionas figured very excellently. For thus ſaith our Lord Chriſt himſelfe: Like as Ionas was three daies and three nights in the whales belly, ſo ſhall the ſonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The Aſcenſion.Of the aſcenſion of Ieſus Chriſt and ſending of the Holy Ghoſt, hath Ioel alſo written in the ſecond chapter, and it is alleaged of S. Peter, Act. 2. Of the calling and gathering together the Heathen,The vocation of the Heathen. and of every thing pertaining to the holy Church, doth Eſay write in the 49. chapter, and ſo forth to the end of his prophecie.
1 Pet. 1.9, &c.Thus haſt thou, that the Prophets alſo in their time, did preach Ieſus Chriſt, and pointed not the people to truſt unto the works of the law and their owne deſerving, but unto Chriſt, of whom they propheſied every thing that followed after. Therefore did Peter ſpeake right, 1 Pet. 1. ſaying: Ye ſhall receive the end of your faith, even the ſalvation of your ſoules. The Prophets ſought ſalvation in Chriſt.After which ſalvation have the Prophets inquired and ſearched, which propheſied of the grace that ſhould come unto you, ſearching when or what time the ſpirit of Chriſt (which was in them) ſhould ſignifie: which ſpirit teſtified before, the paſsions that ſhould happen unto Christ, and the glory that ſhould follow after. VntoUnto the which Prophets it was alſo declared, that not unto themſelves only, but unto us they ſhould miniſter the things, which are now ſhewed unto you, by them which have preached unto you the Goſpell through the Holy Ghost, that was ſent unto them from heaven, &c. In the which teſtimonie the holy Apoſtle Peter had a ſpeciall reſpect to the prophecie of Daniel; which did not only record the paſſion and glory of Chriſt, but alſo pointed to the time, in the which Chriſt ſhould come. For like as God in greateſt perils, dangers and alterations, hath alway renued and more clearely expreſſed his promiſe concerning the bleſſed ſeed: as in the time of Noe when the world was deſtroyed: in the time of Abraham, when God would prepare himſelfe a new people: in the time of Moſes, when God received his people and caried them out of Egypt, to bring them into the land of Canaan: in the time of David, when all things ſtood ſo well, and it muſt needs be avoided, leſt any man ſhould thinke David were the bleſſed ſeed: before the captivitie of Babylon alſo, and in the time of the Prophets, which (as it is ſaid afore) preached and wrote, that no man ſhould doubt in Gods promiſe, as who ſay they were given up and caſt away, though the Temple were broken, the Citie burnt, and though the people (of whom Chriſt ſhould be borne) were led into captivitie. Even ſo now alſo in the captivitie, when the faithfull might almoſt have thought, that the promiſe of God concerning the Meſſias, were cleane gone, even then did God ſhew his ſervant Daniel a more cleare viſion of Chriſt, after this manner: The people ſhall be let goe againe out of captivitie, and ſhall come home to Hieruſalem, A propheſie told unto Daniel.build the Temple and Citie againe, but with a ſore time. And after that the Citie is builded, unto the time of Chriſt, ſhall be 62. weekes, that is, 483. yeeres. And even ſo was it from the third yeere of Darius Hiſtaſpes or Artaxerxes, in the which the Citie was builded, Nehemie 15. untill the 42. yeere of the Empire of Auguſtus, under whom Chriſt was borne, Luke 1. The Angell alſo gave Daniel farther information of Chriſt, how that his owne people ſhould ſlay him, and finde no fault in him, and how that the ſacrifice with the ceremonie ſhould ceaſe. And a ſtrange people (ſaith he) ſhall come from farre, and make the Temple with the Citie an horrible abomination, yea they ſhall deſtroy and breake downe all together. All which things were afterward fulfilled in the laſt weekes, that is, within 70. yeeres, or thereabout. For within 30. yeeres did the Lord grow to teach and to ſuffer. For when he was 30. yeere old, Iohn baptiſed him. Afterward within three yeeres was he put to death, and within 40. yeeres followed the deſtruction of Hieruſalem by Titus and Veſpaſian. The number of the yeeres.All the time now and yeeres from the captivitie of Babylon to Chriſts birth are 616. yeeres. For the captivitie of Babylon endured 70. yeeres. In the firſt yeere of Cyrus were they delivered, in the ſecond yeere began they to build the Temple, and builded 46. yeeres, even untill the 6. yeere of Darius. In the 32. yeere of Darius was the Citie finiſhed, which maketh 143. yeeres: Adde now hereto the 483. yeeres out of Daniel, and thou haſt the foreſaid ſumme even 626. yeeres.
In the ſaid yeeres had our holy faith ſore conflicts, and the ſeed of the Serpent preſſed ſore upon the ſeed of God, as the Babylonians at Babylon,Faith aſſailed and religion ſuppreſſed. and the Perſians, when the people of God was come home againe. Nevertheleſſe the truth had ever the victorie, and was the more clearely teſtified by Daniel, Haggeus, Zacharie, Eſdras, Nehemias, and Malachy. Afterward were they ſpecially oppreſt by the ungodly king Antiochus in the time of the Machabees. Antiochus.When as the times were ever the longer, the more full of perils and adverſitie, untill Aulus Gabinus, Pompeius and Craſſus, Captaines of Rome conquered the land, and the true old religion was utterly gone; in ſo much that out of the old ſerpent there aroſe in Iſrael all manner of ſects and ſymonie, whom our Lord Ieſus Chriſt with his comming in the world reſiſted, and called them the Serpents generation, as the holy Euangeliſts teſtifie. Notwithſtanding,God had eve… ſome vertuous men. in the middeſt of ſuch miſchiefes in Iſrael, there were alſo godly vertuous people, which ſought God and his anointed (though the errour was great) Among whom no doubt was ſpecially the Prieſt Zacharias the father of Iohn Baptiſt, Elizabeth his wife, and godly Simeon. When Zacharias had knowledge of the Lords comming, hee ſayd with a joyfull heart: Praiſed be the Lord God of Iſrael, Zacharie. Luk. 1.68.for he hath viſited and delivered his people, and ſet up the horne of ſalvation in the houſe of David his ſervant, according as he had promiſed afore by the mouth of holy Prophets, &c. For his words are read. Luc. 1. Simeon when he ſaw the child Ieſus in the Temple, and had taken him in his armes, he ſayd:Simeon. Luk. 1.29. Now Lord let me dye in peace according to thy word. For mine eyes have ſeene thy Saviour, whom thou haſt prepared before the face of all people, that he might be a light to give light unto the Heathen, and the glorie of thy people Iſrael, Luke 1. Loe, thus the hearts of all righteous in the old Teſtament from Adam unto Chriſt (even 3974 yeers) have ſtood onelyonly upon Chriſt, in him was their comfort, upon him they truſted, it was hee whom they longed for, and in Chriſt Ieſus were they ſaved. Therefore hath our Chriſtian faith endured ſince the beginning of the world, and is, and continueth ſtill the onelyonly true, old, undoubted and faſt grounded faith.