The consent of time disciphering the errors of the Grecians in their Olympiads, the vncertaine computation of the Romanes in their penteterydes and building of Rome, of the Persians in their accompt of Cyrus, and of the vanities of the Gentiles in fables of antiquities, disagreeing with the Hebrewes, and with the sacred histories in consent of time. VVherein is also set downe the beginning, continuance, succession, and ouerthrowes of kings, kingdomes, states, and gouernments. By Lodovvik Lloid Esquire.

CHAP. II.

Of the birth of Moses: of his fauour with God: of his gouernment o∣uer Israel for 40. yeeres in the wildernes, and deliuerance of them from Pharaoh, by the direction and inctruction of God of Ioshua his successor, and of his warres and victories, and of his good go∣uernment ouer Israel for 32. yeeres, and of the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes during the time of Moses and Iosua, which were 72. yeeres.

MOses the sonne of Amri, being borne in E∣gypt, in the time of Israels bondage, and throwen according to the commande∣ment of Pharaoh vnto Nilus: but by the * 1.1 prouidence of God, Pharaohs daughter named Thermutis, walking for her plea∣sure with her maides about the bankes of Nilus, beheld a thing houering vpon the water, commaunded her maide to see what it was: there Miria Moses sister tended to see what should become of the childe: when Pharaohs daughter sawe that it was a goodly child, she much delited in him, and caused an Egyptian wo∣man to giue him dugge, which the childe refused: his sister Miria said, Ifan Hebrew woman were there, he would sucke. Thermutis willed her straight to bring one, and she brought * 1.2 the mother of Moses: to whome the Kings daughter saide, Take this childe, and bring him vp for me. and she adopted him her sonne.

This childe grewe both goodly and godly, of whom ma∣ny things are written of: while yet he was in Egypt, being but a childe in Thermutis armes, she put the Kings diademe vp∣on the childes head, and he threwe it to the dirt, not estee∣ming * 1.3 pompe and regall shewe. But after he grewe to be a

man, he was made a Captaine ouer the Egyptians against the * 1.4 Aethiopians, and he ouerthrewe the Aethiopians: where the kinges daughter of Aethiope, called Tharbis, beholding his magnanimitie, with admiration of his great actions, fell in loue with Moses, offred him mariage and to be a kings sonne, * 1.5 and a king himselfe afterward of Aethiope: the condition he accepted, vpon yeelding vp of the towne to spare blood, which was done.

But enuie of the Aegyptians against Moses, disgrasing and disdaining his fortune, and threatning him to the death, af∣ter the killing of the Aegyptians, fearing it should come to light, fled vnto the Madianits, wher he maried Iethroes daugh∣ter, and continued fourtie yeeres, vntill the Angell appea∣ring in a flaming bush, commaunded him to goe to Pharaoh, to deliuer Israel from captiuitie, with whome Aaron his bro∣ther which was the first Priest after the lawe giuen, was ioy∣ned * 1.6 with Moses in commission to execute the commaunde∣ments of God: for to Moses was granted wisedome, counsel, and power to doe miracles: to Aaron eloquence, learning, and power to speake what he would. Nowe by Gods mercie which to the Israelites was alwaies great, and by the which they were nowe deliuered from the handes of Pharaoh, after many miracles done which Nazianzenus setteth forth in few Greeke verses, & in Latine by Frigius Mosaicus briefly written in two lines the ten plagues of Egypt, in these wordes: * 1.7

Sanguis, Rana, Culex, Muscae, Pecus, Vlcera, Grando, Vermes & Tenebrae, Pestis primogenitorum.

Euen then Moses caried the bones of Ioseph to be buried in * 1.8 Hebron, by his progenitors, as Ioseph had commanded, when he prophecied of an other Pharaoh which shoulde entreate Israel euill. This singular man of God Moses, to whome the lawe in Mount Sinai was giuen, and by whome the lawe had full execution, with whome GOD talked so famili∣arly, that hee alone continued with GOD fourtie dayes in Mount Sinai: the moste auncient Chronographer of the worlde, the verye light of prophane Histories,

and the onely teacher of time, as by his 5. bookes appeare: but for that Moses must be spoken of almost in euery place, for the recourse and triall of time, I will nowe goe forward with the historie.

Nowe reigned ouer the Assyrians Ascatades the 18. king in Niniue, and in the 8. yeere of this Ascatades, Cancres Pharaoh the king of Egypt, with all his great armie were drowned in * 1.9 the red sea. In Moses time happened two great floods, the one called Deucalion flood, 784. yeeres after Noahs flood, the o∣ther in Thessalia, after which followed such earthquakes in * 1.10 Thessalie, that many thousands of beasts, men, women and children, townes and cities, were destroied, as both Berosus and Xenophon doe agree. After which earthquake fire wasted many townes and cities in Greece, called incendium Phaeton∣tis. In Moses time the kingdome of Athens beganne, wherein * 1.11 Cecrops was the first king of Athens 350. yeeres before the de∣struction of Troy. From Abraham to Moses 450. from Moses to the first building of the Temple 480. yeeres. Thus farre Bero∣sus writeth, euen from the beginning of Noah out of the arke, * 1.12 vntil the going of the Israelites out of Egypt, yet a litle farther vntill the falling of Dathan, with 250. more which held with Abiran and Chore, for their murmuring against Moses. After this went Moses vp from the plaine of Moab to mount Nebo, where the Lorde shewed vnto Moses all the lande of Canaan, according to his promise, saying: thou shalt see the lande of * 1.13 Canaan with thine eies, but thou shalt not goe ouer thither, and there Moses the seruant of the Lorde died, for whome I∣srael wept 30. daies, and after whome Iosua succeeded. Moses was 120. yeeres of age when he died.

Nowe you must vnderstande that when Ioseph was dead, and the Hebrewes began to be multiplied, the Egyptians both feared and hated them, oppressed them as you heard with all toile and slauerie, and not yet contented, but a law was made * 1.14 among the Egyptians, that euery male childe of the Hebrewes should be throwen to Nilus. This lawe continued from Mo∣ses birth, and before, vntill their God deliuered them by Mo∣ses.

God had appointed with Moses, and after with Iosua, wise and graue men, as Elders, Iudges, Magistrates, to gouerne the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes vnder Moses, (as Iethro his father in lawe had councelled him,) the head of any tribe or of any citie, Conuocauit populos Israel, & Senatum eorum, & principes eorum, & iudices eorum, Ios. 23. Hee had also the Le∣uites, the Priest, and the high Bishop: a state of Common-wealth chaunged from Oligarchia, which was in Abrahams time, into Aristocratia, by the expresse commandements of God, in all the lawes of the Hebrewes Morall and Iudiciall. And after God gaue the Ceremoniall Lawes to Moses at mount Sinai: for the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes were of all others most principally to be allowed, for that God ordeined all their lawes, ordered their Iudges, al their Kings, and their high Priestes: for these three states gouerned the Hebrewes from Moses the first Iudge, vntil the last high Priest, though by Moses other officers were appointed, as Tribunes, Centurions and Captaines, some ouer a 1000. some ouer a 100. some ouer 50. by the Greekes named Chiliarchi, Heca∣tontarchi, * 1.15 Pentecontarchi, Decatarchi. The offerings which were gold, siluer, and brasse, blewe silke, purple and scarlet, fine linnen, Goates haire, and Rammes skinnes coloured red, oile, spices, perfumes of sweete sauour, the Tabernacle, the Arke, the stone table, and the rod of Aaron, and Manna which were testimonies of Gods presence. Read of these Ceremo∣niall lawes in Exod. 25.

About this time reigned in Egypt Ramesses: afterwards hauing vanquished his brother Danaus from Egypt, Egyptus * 1.16 vsurped the kingdom of Egypt, & named it Egyptus after his owne name. Amongst the Argiues, Stelenus their 9. King, and after him succeeded Danaus, being driuen out of Egypt by the * 1.17 foresaid Egyptus, his brother giuing that name to the Coun∣trey of Egypt, being before named Mizraim. Nowe in Creete gouerned Axit, and in Athens the 4. king Ericthonius in these daies.

Nowe Memphis in Egypt, of one Epaphus, as Eusebius doth

name, was builded. Dardanus builded Dardania, in the sixt yeere of this king Egyptus: this afterwarde was called Troy-Cyrene at this time was likewise builded in Libya, and Nisa a great citie in India, by Dionysius. In Niniue Amintes the 19. king of the Assyrians gouerned. It is written by Orosius, that * 1.18 Danaus king at this time of the Argiues, hauing fiftie daugh∣ters, who being married to fiftie brethren, sonnes to his owne brother Egyptus, wrought meanes by these his daugh∣ters, to requite the iniurie of his brother: they agreeing with their father, conspired the deathes of their husbandes, and slewe them all in one night. This historie is diuersly written, which I leaue to euery mans iudgement.

After that Moses had gouerned the people of God 40. yeeres in the wildernes, hee made choise of Iosua (as you heard) to be their Gouernour and Iudge: for there was no succession of Gouernors, no election of states, no Prince, no Iudge to claime right amongest the people of Israel, but the lawe of God was the Iudge that gouerned Israel. So Gedeon saide: Non dominabor vestri, nec dominabitur vestri filius meus, sed Dominus, he was the onely ruler, so they prospered all the time of good Iudges. This Iosua the second Iudge of Israel, whome God raised after Moses, was adorned with excellent giftes, as with counsell to gouerne Israel, and with strength to defend Israel: this bringeth them after all difficulties vn∣to the land of Canaan: which Iosua diuided among the people, he appointed their borders, he established lawes and ordi∣nances, * 1.19 assuring them of Gods fauour, if they would obey God, and contrariwise of his plague and vengeance by dis∣obedience. To this good Iosua God saide, my seruant Moses is dead, nowe therefore arise, goe ouer Iordan, thou, and all this people, vnto the lande which I gaue them: for euery place where you shall tread vpon, haue I giuen you, there shall be no man able to withstande thee all the daies of thy life: bee thou strong, and be of good courage, I will not leaue thee, nor forsake thee. This was great comfort to Iosua, to haue God to be with him, to assist him, to strengthen him, & to defend him.

Then Iosua commanded his hoste, with their Captaines * 1.20 and officers to passe ouer Iordan, he exhorteth the Rubenites, the Gadites; and the halfe tribe of Manasses, to execute their charge, saying, the Lord your God hath giuē you this land, which was somtime in the possession of Sihon king of the A∣morites, and in the hands of Og, king of Bashan, goe you for∣ward, God shal go before you, and cast out the Cananites, the Hittites, the Iebusites, Girgashites, Perisites, and the Amorites: so * 1.21 they passed ouer Iordan drie, the water staied, and gaue them place in like sort as the red sea did. The walles of Iericho fell downe, and gaue them place, to enter vnto the citie without * 1.22 strokes. Nowe Iericho being burned, diuers kings, countreies and cities, hearing how Iericho and Ai were destroied, gathe∣red their forces together, one to helpe an other, but in vaine, for the Lorde fought for Israel: for fiue kings rose against Io∣sua, which were destroied and discomfited: and as it is writ∣ten in the 12. of Iosua, thirtie kings were vanquished, ouer∣throwen, and slaine, whose names you may reade in Iosua. * 1.23 This godly Iosua was an other Moses, ruled Israel in all obedi∣ence of the Lorde, conquered and possessed the land of pro∣mise, and kept Gods people all his time in peace, liued 110. yeeres, and gouerned Israel two and thirtie yeeres. Eusebius * 1.24 saieth thirtie, and hee died two hundred yeeres after Iosephs death.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The maner of Moses birth.
• * 1.2

  Thermutis Pharaohs daughter.
• * 1.3

  Moses threwe the diademe of Aegypt to the dirt.
• * 1.4

  Moses made captaine ouer the Aegypti∣ans against the Aethiopi∣ans.
• * 1.5

  Reade Fregius of Moses life.
• * 1.6

  Moses & Aa∣ron sent by God to Ae∣gypt.
• * 1.7

  The tenne plagues of Aegypt.
• * 1.8

  Iosephs bones brought by Moses out of Aegypt.
• * 1.9

  Cancres king of Aegypt drow∣ned in the red sea.
• * 1.10

  Deucalion flood.
• * 1.11

  The king∣dome of A∣thens.
• * 1.12

  Berosus endeth his hystory.
• * 1.13

  Moses death.
• * 1.14

  Israelites toile and sla∣uery.
• * 1.15

  Chiliarchi. Hecatontarchi. Pentecontarchi. Decatarchi.
• * 1.16

  Ramesses was surnamed E∣gyptus.
• * 1.17

  Cornelius Taci∣tus lib. 2.
• * 1.18

  Crosius lib. 1. cap. 11.
• * 1.19

  Iosua deuideth the land of Chanaan. Iosua made or∣ders & lawes.
• * 1.20

  Iosua cōman∣deth his host to passe Ior∣den.
• * 1.21

  Iordan gaue place to Iosua and to the Arke.
• * 1.22

  The walles of Iericho fell.
• * 1.23

  Iosua cap. 12.
• * 1.24

  Melanthon.