The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§. 1. The state of the City hitherto.

THE City Rome was built by Romulus in the year of the World 3175. in the fifteenth year of Amaziah King of Judah, and in the first year of Jero∣boam the second, the King of Israel. It had stood from the time of its first foundation, to this year in which it put the Lord of life to death, seven hundred fourscore and five years; And had undergone and passed thorough two different and diverse kinds of government, and was now but lately entred up∣on a third.

The first was under Kings, for 243 years, and the foundation of this government as of the City it self was laid in the blood of Remus, shed by his brother Romulus, who was the founder of the City.

The second was under Consuls, 467 years from the expulsion of Tarquin the last King, to the Consulship of Hirtius and Pansa, which was the year that Augustus began to rule, with Antony and Lepidus. This change of the government, was likewise founded in blood as the former had been, namely of Lucrece, Aruns, and Brutus, and in the extir∣pation of Tarquins house.

A third manner of government, had the City and Empire now begun upon, and had been under it threescore and two years; namely, a monarchy again, but the name only changed from a King to an Emperor. And the foundation of this change was al∣so laid in blood as the other had been, namely in the death of Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra.

The carriage of Tarquin the last of the Kings had brought the City into an opini∣on that Monarchy was an enemy to Liberty: And the growth and flourishing of that State under another manner of government had so confirmed this opinion, that they were sooner put out of their Liberty, than out of belief of that Position. Brutus and Collatinus, who were the expellers of Tarquin and of Monarchy with him, had found out a government likely enough in all humane judgment to heal all these mis∣chiefs and miscarriages, that Monarchical Tyranny did bring upon them, when they appointed two supreme Governors in stead of one, and their Power and Rule to be but annual in stead of, for life. The success was agreeable to the policy, and so hap∣pily and prosperously did the State grow under these rulers, [and some others mixt as occasion urged], that to offer to reduce it to Monarchy again, was infallibly held to be, to reduce it to slavery; and Julius Caesar found how deeply grounded this opi∣nion was in the heart of a Roman, by the loss of his life: they supposing his affecting the Empire single, aimed at the loss of their Liberties.

Augustus his Nephew and adopted son, though he had before his eyes in Julius his death a clear and convincing Lecture, how dangerous and desperate an attempt it was, to affect the monarchy, yet did he dare it; but managing his desires and designs with so much discretion and noislesness, that the government was gotten into his hands alone, and the Empire slipt into a monarchical subjection even before it was aware.

Tacitus hath described this strange transition to this purpose,

After that Brutus and Cassius being slain, there was now no publick hostility; Pom∣pey was crushed at Sicily, and Lepidus being stripped of his power, and Antony slain, there remained now no commander on Julius his party, but only Caesar, he laying down the name of Triumvir, and bearing himself as Consul, and as content with the Tribu∣nate, for the defense of the Commons: when he had won the Souldiers with gifts, the people with provision, and all men with the sweetness of peace, he began to get up by degrees, and to draw to himself the power of the Senate, Magistrates and Law, no man gainsaying him: For the fiercest persons were either dispatcht in the armies or by banishment, the rest of the Nobles, by how much the more they were the readier for vassallage, by so much the more they were preferred with wealth and honours: and be∣ing thus inriched by these innovations, they desired rather the safe and present conditi∣on, than the ancient and dangerous. Nor did the Provinces refuse this state of things, they having the rule of the Senate and people in suspition, because of the quarrellings of the great ones, and the avarice of the Magistrates, the Laws affording no relief, but themselves destroyed, by power, prowling or money.

Thus did the very posture of things as it were conspire with the desires of Augustus, to bring the Roman state into a Monarchy, and himself to be the Monarch; the decrees and determination of Heaven having so ordered, that here should begin a fifth Monarchy af∣ter the destruction of the four, Dan. 2. & 7. which should equal all the four in power, pomp and cruelty, and should be the continual persecutor of the Church of the Christi∣ans, as they had been of the Church of the Jews: And thus doth the Gospel and the State that should persecute it in a manner arise at once, and Christ and Antichrist after a sort are born together.