The suruey of popery vvherein the reader may cleerely behold, not onely the originall and daily incrementes of papistrie, with an euident confutation of the same; but also a succinct and profitable enarration of the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill Christs ascension, contained in the first and second part thereof: and throughout the third part poperie is turned vp-side downe.

CHAP. VII. Of the captiuitie and circumstances thereto pertaining.

The first Section. Of the time of the Captiuitie.

THe Babylonians besieged the citie of Hierusalem and tooke it in the eleuenth yeare of the raigne of Sedechias in the ninth day of the 4. month; to whom Nabuchodonozor had giuen commission for the siege, while himselfe was at Reblatha. The city being taken, king Sedechias with his wiues, children, nobles, and friendes, fled away by night into the wildernesse. But the Babylonians pursued after them, and Sedechias with his wiues, children and friendes were brought before the king Nabuchodonozor: whom after the king had sharply reprooued for the breach of promise, he caused his children and friendes to be slaine before his eies. That done,* 1.1 he caused Sedechias to be bound in chaines, his eies to be pulled out, and so to be carried to Babylon. In the first day of the first moneth he commanded to burne the citie, to bring away all the vessels of gold and sil∣uer out of the temple, and to leade all the people captiue vnto Babylon. Ioseph. 10. lib. antiq. cap. 11.

The temple was burnt after the building thereof, 470. yeares, monethes sixe, dayes ten: after the departure out of Egypt 1062. yeares, moneths sixe, dayes ten:* 1.2 after the de∣luge 1950. yeares, moneths sixe, dayes ten: after the crea∣tion of Adam. 3513. yeres, monethes sixe, daies ten: so writeth Iosephus, who was himselfe a Iew, a Priest, otherwise of good credite, and wrote the thinges that were done in his time: ne∣uerthelesse I haue prooued in the second chapter, where the fift age is handled, that the temple could not stand so long. For from the building thereof, vntill the captiuitie, be onely 432. yeares, and eleuen yeares after that was it burnt, as is prooued in the second doubt of this present chapter.

The captiuitie began the fourth yeare of Ioachim, aliâs Eliachim, Iere. 25. ver. 1. Daniel with others of the Nobili∣tie were carried captiues. Dan. 1. ver. 3. yea, Ioachim himself was bound with chaines, and so carried to Babell. 2. Paralip.

36. ver. 6. Nabuchodonozor carried away into Babell, Ioa∣chims mother, his wiues, his Eunuches, and the mightie of the land carried he away into captiuitie, from Ierusalem vnto Babell, 4. King. cap. 24. verse 15. The king of Babell made Matthanias his vncle king in his steed, and changed his name to Sedechias, verse 17. ibid.

The first doubt.

The captiuitie beganne, when Ieconias was carried away captiue to Babylon, as it seemeth in S. Mathew. cap. 1. v. 11. And yet was he eight yeares old, when he was caried into Ba∣bylon. 2. Par. 36. ver. 9. before which time hee did not reigne, ibid. Therefore the captiuitie could not beginne in the 11. yere of Sedechias, as Iosephus, and the Hebrews reckon, neither at the birth of Ieconias, as S. Mathew writeth.

The answere.

For the manifestation of this difficultie, we must obserue that Ierusalem was thrise taken by the Babylonians; to wit, in the daies of Ioachim, Iechonias, and Sedechias. 4. King. ca. 24. & 25. By reason whereof some reckon the beginning of the captiuitie from Ioachim, some from Ieconias, & other some, as the Hebrewes doe generally, from the 11. yeare of king Sedechias. See the answere of the third doubt: heereof I haue spoken more at large in the second chapter in the hand∣ling of the fift age.

The second doubt.

The Prophet Ieremie writeth, that the Citie of Ierusalem was burnt, togither with the kinges pallace, and the temple, in the tenth day of the fift moneth in the 19. yeare of king Nebuchad-nezar. Iere. 52. verse 12. but as the booke of Kings saith, it was burnt in the seuenth day of the said moneth. 2. Kin. 25. verse 8.

The answere.

I answere, that the citie was three daies in burning; to wit, from the seuenth day vntill the tenth; Ieremie therefore spea∣king

of the end, is not contrarie to the booke of the kings; spea∣king of the originall thereof.

The third doubt.

The prophet Daniel saith, that the calamitie began in the third yeare of king Ioachim or Iehoiakim, Dan. 1 ver. 1. but the prophet Ieremie affirmeth, that it was in the fourth yeare of Iehoiachim, and in the first yeare of Nabuchad-nezar king of Babell. Ier. cap. 25. verse. 1.

The answere.

We must here obserue, that the captiuitie the first of the three was in the end of the third yeare of Ioachim as Daniel truely writeth in rigour of supputation; yet may it be well said, that it began in the fourth yeare, as we reade in Ieremie; because the remnant in the third yeare was in effect nothing at all.

The second Section. Of the time of the siege.

The citie of Ierusalem was besieged the space of two yeres, that is, from the ninth yeare, vntill the eleuenth of king Sede∣chias. 4. Kin. 25. ver. 1, 2. during the time of which siege, the famine was so sore and vrgent that the handes of pitifull mo∣thers sod their own children to be their meate. Lam. Ier. ca. 4. verse 10. which thing seemeth so repugnant to nature, as it were ineredible to be tolde, if holy writ had not first reported it. The like horror was among mothers in murthering their chil∣dren, when Titus in the second yeare of Vespatianus his father besieged it: and manie murthered themselues, because the fa∣mine was so great.

The 3. Section. Of Noe his floud.

The scripture recordeth that when God saw the wickednes of man to be great on earth, and all the thoughtes of his heart to be naught continually; it repented him that he had created man. Wherefore his holy will was this, to destroy from the face of the earth, the man whom hee hadde made; from man

to beast, to the creeping thinges and to the foules of the aire. And this God purposed to doe by drowning of the world with a generall floud of water. Yet Noah found fauour in Gods sight, so that himselfe, his wife, his sonnes and their wiues, eight persons in all, with cattell, foules, and all liuing things, two of euery sorte, were saued in the arke. Gen. 6.7. Noah was 600. yeares olde, when the floud was vpon the earth. Gen. chap. 7. ver. 6. the floud preuailed on the earth. 150. dayes. Gen. 7. ver. 24. The floud continued a whole yere. Gen. 8. ver. 13. It was in the yere of the world, 1656. For from Adam to the birth of Noah are 1056. Gen. 5. And from the birth of Noah till the floud are 600. yeares.

The fourth Section. Of the building of the temple.

King Salomon builded the temple in the fourth yeare of his raigne,* 1.3 which was in the 480. yeare after the children of Israel were come out of Egypt, 3. Kin. 6. ver. 1. And in the yeare of the world, after Iosephus, 3102. after others 3149. but after the exact supputation 2994. as is already prooued.

While the temple was a building, K. Salomon appointed seuentie thousand to beare burdens, foure score thousand to hew stones in the mountaines, and three thousand sixe hundreth o∣uerseers to cause the people to worke. Par. cap. 2. ver. 18.

The fift Section. Of the abode of the Israelites in Egypt.

There is a great controuersie and varietie not to be dissem∣bled,* 1.4 amongst Historiographers and learned writers, concerning the time that the Israelites were in Egypt. For Moses saith that the Israelites were in Egypt 430. yeares. In Genesis it is said, that they were there only 400. yeares. S. Stephen saith that Abrahams seed should be a soiourner 400. yeares in a strange land. And yet it is very certaine by authenticall sup∣putation of the Scriptures, that they were in Egypt only 215. yeares; so that we want two hundreth yeares and odde, of the

accompt made in Genesis, Exodus, and the Actes. S. Hie∣rome confessed freely, that he knew not howe to reconcile these places of the holy scripture. S. Chrysostome reconcileth the places thus: to wit, that God appointed the Israelites to a∣bide 400. yeares in Egypt: yet for the heynous sinnes of the Egyptians, he shortened the time, euen as he abridged the 120 yeares, which he graunted before the floud vnto men,* 1.5 that they might repent, and brought them to one hundreth. Neither was Niniuie destroied after 40. daies.* 1.6 Neither died Ezechias as God had said. I answere therefore with Saint Austen and o∣ther learned writers, that the 400. yeares mentioned in Gene∣sis, and in the Acts, must be reckoned from the birth of Isaach,* 1.7 vntill the departure out of Egypt: and the 430. from Abra∣hams going out of his countrie. For the seed of Abraham was so long afflicted in a land not their owne, as the scripture spea∣beth. Partly in Palestine, partly in Mesopotamia,* 1.8 and partly in Egypt. This answere is confirmed by the testimonie of S. Paul, in his Epistle to the Galathians, where he saith that the law was giuen 430. yeres, after y^• the promise was made to A∣braham.* 1.9 For the law was giuen when the Iewes came out of Egypt, as all writers agree with vniforme consent,* 1.10 and the promise was made to Abraham, in his sonne Isaac.

The sixt Section. Of the captiuitie of the ten Tribes.

About the yeare of the world,* 1.11 3292. the Israelites or the ten tribes that were in Samaria, were carried away captiues in the third yeare of the siege, vnto Ashur or Assyria, in the ninth yeare of Hoseah or Osee the sonne of Elah king of Israel, in the fourth yeare of Ezechias king of Iuda.* 1.12 At this time ended the race of the kings of Israel: for after this captiuitie, did the ten tribes neuer returne: see the 12. chapter,* 1.13 in the end of the first section.

The captiuitie of the tenne tribes (saith Iosephus) endured 240 yeares, seuen monethes, and seuen daies, after their re∣uolte from king Roboham their lawfull Soueraigne.* 1.14 For they would neither be subiect to law, nor obey their Prophets

of God that reprooued their sinnes, and therefore were worthi∣ly afflicted by the Assyrians: see the second chapter in the end thereof.

In the daies of king Osee, was the kingdome of Samaria, that is,* 1.15 of the ten tribes, ended. For then was Samaria vtter∣ly destroied, which afterward the Assyrians did inhabite, of whom came the Samaritans (those wicked heretiques.)

* 1.16Which subiection of the said ten tribes, may be a parpetuall document to all christian people; euer to exhibite loyall seruice to their Soueraignes, and due reuerence to Gods ecclesiastical messengers, the preachers of his sacred word: which thing not∣withstanding is little regarded in these daies, through the anti∣christian doctrine of seditious semenaries.

Notes

• * 1.1

  4. Reg. 25. Ier. 52.
• * 1.2

  Iosephus his ••••••putation 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be allowed. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 443. yeares 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my discours•••• well obserue••▪
• * 1.3

  ••••sephus antiq. 〈…〉〈…〉 8. cap. 2.
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 12. ve. 40. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 15. ver. 13. ••ctes. 7. verse. 6.
• * 1.5

  Gen. cap. 5.32. cap. 6.3. c. 7.6.
• * 1.6

  This appeareth to be so.
• * 1.7

  Ionas. 3.10. Is. 38.5.
• * 1.8

  Gen. 15. ver. 13.
• * 1.9

  Gal. 3. ve. 16.17.
• * 1.10

  Gen. 17. ver. 19.
• * 1.11

  A.m. 3292.
• * 1.12

  4. Reg. 17. v. 5.
• * 1.13

  4. Reg. 18. ver. 9.
• * 1.14

  Iosephus anti∣quit. lib 9. ca. 14.
• * 1.15

  Athanas. in sy∣nop.
• * 1.16

  The Israelites would neither obey their king nor Gods pro∣phets.