St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

The Iewes wanted Prophets euer after the repayring of the Temple, and were afflicted euen from thence vntill Christ came: to shew the Prophets spake of the building of the other Temple. CHAP. 45.

AFter the Iewes were left destitute of Prophets, they grew dayly worse and worse: namely from the end of their captiuity, when they hoped to growe into better state vpon the repaying of the Temple. For so that carnall nation vnderstood Agees Prophecie, saying; The glory of this last house shall bee greater then the first: which hee sheweth that hee meant of the New Testa∣ment * 1.1 in the words before, where hee promiseth CHRIST expressely, saying: I will mooue all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come. Where the LXX. vsed a sence rather applyable to the members then the head, say∣ing: And they that are GODS elect shall come▪ out of all Nations, to witte, the

men of whom Christ said in the Gospell. Many are called, but fewe are chosen. For those chosen, is the house of GOD built by the New Testament, of liuing stones, farre more glorious then that which was built by Salomon, and repaired after the captiuity. Therefore from thence had this nation no more Prophets, but were sore afflicted by aliens, euen by the Romaines them-selues, to teach them that Agge meant not of that house which they had repayred. For (b) * 1.2 Alexander came soone after that, and subdued them: who although hee made no massacre of them (for they durst doe no other but yeeld at his first booke) yet there was the glory of that Temple prooued inferiour to what it had beene in their owne free Kings times. For in the Temple did Alexander sacrifice, not in any true worship vnto GOD, but giuing him a place in the adoration of his false deities. (c) Then came the fore-named Ptolomey sonne to Lagus, after Alexa•…•…ders death, and h•…•…e lead many of them captiue into Egipt, yet his sonne Philadelphus did courteouslie free them afterwards, and had the seauentie to translate the Old Testament for him, as I sayde before: from whence it came to our hands.

After all this, the warres mentioned in the Machabees, lay vpon them. And in (d) processe of time, Ptolomy King of Alexandria sudbued them, (hee that was called Epiphanes) and then were they extreamly plagued, forced to offer to Idols, and their Temple filled with sacriligious pollution by Antiochus King of Syria, whose powers not-with-standing Iudas Machabeus vtterly subue•…•…ted, and restored the Temple to the ancient dignity.

Within a while after. did Alchimus (a man borne out of the Priests bloud) by ambition aspire to the Priest-hood: and then about fifty yeares after, all which were passed vnder the variable chance of warre, did Aristobulus assume a dia∣deme, and became both King and Priest. For all the time before, euer since the captiuitie, they had no Kings but Captaines and Generalls, or Pri•…•…ces (though a King may bee called a Prince, because of his preheminence, but all that are Captaines and Princes, (f) are not Kings, as Aristobulus was). To him (g) did Alexander succeed both in the kingdome and the Priesthood, and is recorded for a tyrant ouer his people. Hee left the regality to his wife Alexandra, and from * 1.3 thence began the Iewes extremities of affliction. For (h) her two sonnes Ari∣stobulus and Hircanus contending for the Principalitie, called the Romaine for∣ces to come against Israell, by the meanes of Hircanus demanding their ayde against his brother. Then had the Romaine▪ conquered all Affrick and Greece, and hauing commanded ouer a multitude of other nations, (i) the state see∣med too heauie for it selfe, and brake it selfe downe with the owne burden. For now had sedition gotten strong hold amongst them, breaking out into confede∣racies, and ciuill warres, where-with it was so maimed, that now all declined vn∣to a Monarchike forme of gouernment. But Pompey the great generall of Romes forces, brought his powers into Iudaea, tooke Hierusalem, opened the Temple * 1.4 doores (not to goe in to pray vnto God, but to prey vpon God rather) and not as a worshipper, but as a prophaner, entred the (k) sanctum sanctorum, a place onely lawfull for the high Priest to bee seene in. (l) And hauing seated Hircanus in the priest-hood, and made Antipater prouost of the prouince, hee departed carrying Aristobulus away with him, prisoner. Here began the Iewes to bee the Romaines * 1.5 tributaries. Afterwards came Cassius and spoiled the Temple. (m) And within a few yeares after, Herod an Alien was made their gouernour, and in his time was our Sauiour CHRIST borne.

For now was the fulnesse of time come which the Patriarch prophetically im∣plyed, saying, The Scepter shall not depart from Iuda, nor the law-giuer from be∣tweene * 1.6 his feete, vntill Shilo come, and hee shall gather the nations vnto him. For the Iewes had neuer beene with-out a Prince of their bloud, vntill Herods time, who was their first Alien King. Now then was the time of Shiloh come, now was the New Testament to bee promulgate, and the nations to bee reconciled to the truth. For it were vnpossible that the nations should desire him to come in his glorious power to iudge, (as wee see they doe) vnlesse they had first beene vnited in their true beleefe vppon him, when hee came in his humility to suffer.

L. VIVES.

THey that (a) are Gods elect] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. (b) Alexander came] In the time of Dariu•…•…, * 1.7 sonne to Arsamus, Olymp. 112. which is a little more then two hundred yeares after. F•…•…r Alexander besieging Tyre: and sending for helpe to Iaddus the Priest, commanding him as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were Lord of Asia, seeing he had now chased Darius thence, the Priest answered, that he ought him no seruice as long as Darius liued, with whome hee was in league. A wise answer, and be∣fitting an Israelites faith: it enflamed the valarous young King, who hauing taken Tyre, made straight to Galilee through Palestina, tooke Gaza, and set forward to Hierusalem, where the Priests mette him in all their ceremoniall robes, and saluted him: so hee was pac•…•…fied and ado∣red the Priest, saying that hee was the Priest of the God of Nature, who had appeared vnto him in his sleepe at Macedon, and tolde him hee should attaine this Empire. So tooke hee Iudaea into his protection. Ioseph. lib. 11. Antiq. (c) Ptolomy sonne to Lagus] Vnder colour * 1.8 of desiring to sacrifice in the Temple vpon a Sabboth, hee tooke the towne. Ioseph. (d) Epi∣phanes] That is, Illustrious. Hee succeeded his Father Philopater, and warred with Antiochus * 1.9 Epiphanes, vntill they bo•…•… were wearied, and then hee marryed Cleopat•…•…, Antiochus his daughter, and had Iudaea for his dowrie, &c. (e) Antiochus] Of him read the Machabees 2. 7, and 8. and Ioseph. lib. 13. (f) Are not Kings] For King is a greater name then Prince, or Captaine, bringing larger licence to the ruler, and stricter bondage to the s•…•…biect. (〈◊〉〈◊〉) A∣lexander] Aristobulus kept his brothers prisoners during his life, but beeing dead, his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Saloni (whome the Greekes call Alexandra) set them at liberty, and made Alexander (one of them) King, whome Ptolomy, Demetrius, and Antiochus foyled in many fights. At length beeing sickly by often surfetting, hee dyed. Hee was a forward spirit•…•…d and a valorous tyrant, but euer vnfortunate, and vnwise. Hee left the kingdome to▪ Alexan∣dra his wife, who held it nine yeares, letting the Pharisees rule all as befitted a woman, to doe.

(h) Her two sonnes] Their warre was worse then ciuill, and befell (saith Ioseph) in the * 1.10 Consulship of Q, Hortensius, and Q. Metellus Creticus, Olymp. a hundred eighty three. Alexander and his wife had left Antipas (afterwards called Antipater the •…•…ch) an •…•…∣maean * 1.11 prefect of Idumaea, who was factious and stirring, and fauoured Hircanus aboue Aristobulus, and set Aretes King of Arabia against Aristobolus, and for Hircanus. Hee soone assented, and besieged Aristobulus in Hierusalem. Then warred Pompey the great in Affrica, and his Legate Aemil. Scaurus lead part of his forces into Syria, and him did Ari∣stobolus * 1.12 implore in his ayde: Scaurus raysed the siege, and afterward the bretheren conten∣ding for the kingdome before Pompey at Damascus, were both dismissed. Afterwards, Ari∣stobolus offending him, hee marched into Iudaea, tooke him prisoner, and turned Iuda a into a Prouince of Rome, Tully and C. Antonius being Consuls. Ioseph. lib. 15. (i) The state seemed too heauie] So sayd Liuie of it indeed. (k) The sanctum sanctorum] The Romaines 〈◊〉〈◊〉 * 1.13 earnestly to see what God the Hebrewes worshipped, thinking they had some statue of him in the Temple. So Pompey, and a few with him, entred euen to this place (which the Iewes he•…•…

a sacriledge for any man but the priest to doe,) where he found nothing but a golden table, a many tasters, a great deale of spices, and 2000. talents in the holy treasury: of this enuy of his Tacitus speaketh, Annal. 21. and saith that vpon this it was giuen out that the Iewes had no Images of their gods but worshipped in voide roomes and empty sanctuaries. (l) And ha∣uing seated] By the sending of Aulus Gabinius, who diuided also all the land into fiue parts, * 1.14 and set rulers ouer them all. Iosephus saith that in Caesars warre agai•…•…st Ptolomy, Hircanus and Antipater sent him ayde, wherevpon hauing ended the warre hee made Hircanus high priest, and Antipater (according to his choice) prouost of the whole land. De bello Iu•…•…. lib. 1. & in Antiq. lib. (m) And within a few] Antipater dying, made his sonne Hircanus, (a dull and * 1.15 sloathfull youth) gouernor of Ierusalem, and Herode (beeing as then scarcely fi•…•…teene yeare old) ruler of Galilee, who by his vertues, surmounting his age, quickly got the hearts of all the Syrians, and so by a brib•…•… (paide by them) got the gouernment of Syria from Sextus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as then held it: and afterwardes helping Octauius and Antony greatly, in the warre o•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Cassius, got the stile of King of Iudaea, giuen him by the S•…•…nate, hee beeing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 borne. So was Iacobs prophecy at his death, fulfilled, which alone might bee of power •…•…uffi∣cient to shew the Messias to the Iewes, but that their eyes by Gods secret iudgements are so wholy sealed vp, and enclowded.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Agge. 2.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to Go•…•…, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉 should
• * 1.3

  Alexandr•…•….
• * 1.4

  Pompey pro∣phaneth t•…•…e temple.
• * 1.5

  Cassius spoiles the temple.
• * 1.6

  Gen. 49. 10
• * 1.7

  Alexander.
• * 1.8

  Ptolomy.
• * 1.9

  Epiphanes.
• * 1.10

  Aristobolus. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & Hircanus
• * 1.11

  Antipater.
• * 1.12

  Pompey.
• * 1.13

  The sanct•…•… sanctorum.
• * 1.14

  Hircants.
• * 1.15

  Herod.