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CAP. XI.
VVhen Christ was baptized, and beganne to preache, what highe priestes there were in his tyme.* 1.1
ABout these times then, accordinge vnto the Euangelist (The ••luetenth of Tiberius Caesar,* 1.2 the fourth of the procuratorship of Pontius Pilate, Herode, Lysanias & Phillip ruling the rest of ••udaea, in their Tetrarchies) the Sauiour, & our God, Iesus the anoynted of God, begin∣ning* 1.3 to be about thirty yeares of age, came to the baptisme of Iohn, and began to publish the prea∣ching of the Gospel. the sacred Scripture do declare, that he finished the ful time of his teaching, vnder the high priesthoode of Annas, & Caiphas, signifying, that within the yeares of their publi∣que ministery, he ended yt course of his doctrine. for beginning about the high priesthood of Annas, & lasting vnto the principality of Caiphas, yet in this space, there we•••• not foure yeres fully expi∣red. for the legall rites by his edict being in maner abrogated, it folowed then, that the succession of progenitors, by age and line vnto that tyme vsually obserued, should thenceforth be of no force. Nether were then those things, which concerned diuine worship, with due administration execu∣ted, for diuerse seuerally, executing the office of high priesthoode, vnder Romayne princes, conti∣newed not in the same, aboue one yeare. Iosephus, some where in his bookes of Antiquities, writeth* 1.4 foure high priestes, by succession to haue bene after Annas, vnto the time of Caiphas. saying thus: Velerius Gratus (Annanus being remoued) ordayneth Ismael the sonne of Baphus, high prieste. And the same Ismael, not long after being deposed, he appoynteth Eleazar, the sonne of Anna∣nus, high priest in his place. the yeare after, this Eleazar being reiected, he committeth the office of high priesthoode to Simon, the sonne of Camithus. And him (vvho enioyed this honor, no lon∣ger* 1.5 then one yeare, Iosephus (vvhich vvas also called Caiphas) succeded. The whole tyme of our Sauiours preaching, is shewed to haue bene comprised, in the compasse of 4. yeares. foure high priestes also, in the same foure yeares, to haue bene from Annas, to Caiphas, executing the admi∣nistration of the yearely ministery. The holy Gospell doth very well set forth Caiphas, to be high priest that yeare, in the which the passion of our Sauiour Christ, was finished, that the tyme of Christes preaching might not seeme to repugne with this obseruation. Our Sauiour, and Lorde Jesus Christ, not long after the beginning of his preaching, chose 12. Apostles, whome of all the* 1.6 rest of his disciples, by a certayne singuler prerogatiue, he called Apostles. Afterwardes he ap∣poynted other seuenty, whome he enioyned by two and by two, to passe vnto euery place, and city, where he him selfe should come.