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. II. Of the infancie of our Sauiour Christ.

* 1.1WHen Christ Iesus was but eight dayes olde, he was cir∣cumcised, euen then beginning to spend his blood for the loue of man: for albeit he was the head of the church, yet was he subiect to the law, to deliuer man from the curse of the lawe.

* 1.2The 13. day after Christs natiuitie, certaine wise men came a long iourney out of the East, to adore the Sauiour of the world. And albeit Epiphanius affirmeth constantly that this comming was the second yere after Christs birth; yet S. Hie∣rome, S. Augustine, and other learned writers receiue the for∣mer opinion as most authenticall: and they haue great reason

so to do, because the scripture seemeth to say no lesse. For first, the wisemen or astronomers are said to come, when Christ was borne. Which phrase can not be fitly verified, but of a thing present or lately done. Againe, the wisemen found the babe in Bethlehem, and consequently they came before the day of the purification: for after that time, Christ is not knowne to haue bin in Bethlehem.* 1.3 And though the papists hold by a vain tradi∣tion, that these wise men were three kings of Cullen, Gaspar, Melchi••r, and Baltasar, yet is it neither certaine, that they were kings, neither yet that they were no more but three. And their owne reason thereof is very friuolous, because their bo∣dies are chalenged, to be as well at Millaine as at Colen. But here I must answer to some obiections, which seeme to fortifie Epiphanius his opinion.

The first doubt.

The parents of Christ were so poore at the day of purifica∣tion,* 1.4 that they were not able to offer a lambe according to the law for rich men,* 1.5 but were enforced to offer a paire of Turtle doues, or two yong pigeons: and therfore doubtlesse they had not receiued the rich treasures, which the wise men brought to Christ. I answer, that the blessed and humble virgin, as shee was free from all pride and ostentation, so was she not willing to change her poore state and condition, which she knew well pleased her sonne the sonne of God.

The second doubt.

King Herod slew all the male children in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from 2. yeeres old and vnder, according to the time which he had diligently learned of the wisemen. A∣mong the rest, he slew his owne sonne, as writeth Macrobius, who therefore wished rather to be Herodes hog, then his child: which certes he would neuer haue done, if there had bene but 13. daies betweene the apparition of the starre, and the com∣ming of the wisemen. I answer (which is the opinion of saint Austen, and saint Chrysostome) that the starre appeared so long before the natiuitie of Christ, as was sufficient for the wise men to dispatch their iourney, and to adore Christ shortelie

after he was borne. Neither is it of force to obiect (as some do) that the wise men could not come so farre in so short a space: for first, whether these wise men were of the posteritie of Balaam, and so came from Mesopotamia, as saint Chrysostome, saint Ie∣rome,* 1.6 and saint Ambrose thinke; or they came out of Arabia, which is the constant position of Iustinus;* 1.7 or they were Persi∣ans or Chaldeans, which the very name seemeth to prognosti∣cate;* 1.8 yet might they haue dispatched their iourney, in lesse then tenne dayes. For Hierusalem is distant from Aram (from whence Balak brought Balaam,) but 72. miles, from Vr of the Chaldees 212. miles. Againe, the starre appeared long before Christs birth, so that they might be there in time conue∣nient. Thirdly, in those countries they haue plentie of drome∣daries,* 1.9 one of which wil carie a man (as writeth Philostratur) 1000. furlongs in one day, that is, 125. English miles,

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luc. 2.21.
• * 1.2

  Epiphan. haer. 51
• * 1.3

  The Papists claime the wise∣mens bodies in diuers places.
• * 1.4

  Leuit. 12.6, ••▪
• * 1.5

  Luc. 2.••4.
• * 1.6

  Amb. in Luc.
• * 1.7

  Iustin. in tryph.
• * 1.8

  Num. 23. vers. 7.
• * 1.9

  A dromedaries iourney.