Antiquitates christianæ, or, The history of the life and death of the holy Jesus as also the lives acts and martyrdoms of his Apostles : in two parts.

About this Item

Title
Antiquitates christianæ, or, The history of the life and death of the holy Jesus as also the lives acts and martyrdoms of his Apostles : in two parts.
Author
Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.
Publication
London :: Printed by R. Norton for R. Royston ...,
1675.
Rights/Permissions

To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.

Subject terms
Jesus Christ -- Biography.
Bible. -- N.T. -- Biography.
Apostles -- Early works to 1800.
Fathers of the church -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A63641.0001.001
Cite this Item
"Antiquitates christianæ, or, The history of the life and death of the holy Jesus as also the lives acts and martyrdoms of his Apostles : in two parts." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A63641.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 3, 2024.

Pages

Page [unnumbered]

Page 181

SECT. XII. Of JESVS's departure into Galilee; his manner of Life, Mi∣racles, and Preaching; his calling of Disciples; and what happened until the Second Passeover.

[illustration]
Jesus and the Woman of Samaria

Joh. 4. 5, 6. 7. He cometh to a City of Samaria called Sychar: now Iacob's well was there. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Iesus saith etc. For his disciples were gone into the city to buy meat V. 27. His disciples came & marvelled yt he talked with the woman, yet no man said, what seekest thou? or, why talkest thou with her?

[illustration]
The Samaritans coming to Jesus

V. 28. The woman left her water pot & went her way into the city, & saith to the men, Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, & came unto him. V. 39. Many of the Samaritans beleived on him, for the saying of the woman; & when they were come to him, many more believed because of his own word.

1. WHen Jesus understood that John was cast into prison, and that the Pha∣risees* 1.1 were envious at him for the great multitudes of people that re∣sorted to his Baptism, which he ministred not in his own person, but by the deputation of his Disciples, they finishing the ministration which himself be∣gan, (who, as Euodins Bishop of Antioch reports, baptized the Blessed Virgin his Mo∣ther* 1.2 ther and Peter only, and Peter baptized Andrew, James and John, and they others) he left Judaea, and came into Galilee; and in his passage he must touch Sychar a City of Samaria, where in the heat of the day and the weariness of his journey he sate himself down upon the margent of Jacob's Well; whither, when his Disciples were gone to buy meat, a Samaritan woman cometh to draw water, of whom Jesus asked some to cool his thirst, and refresh his weariness.

2. Little knew the woman the excellency of the person that asked so small a charity; neither had she been taught, that a cup of cold water given to a Disciple should be rewarded, and much rather such a present to the Lord himself. But she prosecuted* 1.3 the spite of her Nation, and the interest and quarrel of the Schism; and in stead of washing Jesus's feet, and giving him drink, demanded, why he being a Jew should ask water of a Sama∣ritan: for the Jews have no intercourse with the Samaritans.

3. The ground of the quarrel was this. In the sixth year of Hezekiah Salmanasar* 1.4 King of Assyria sacked Samaria, transported the Israelites to Assyria, and planted an Assyrian Colony in the Town and Country, who by Divine vengeance were de∣stroyed

Page 182

by Lions, which no power of man could restrain or lessen. The King thought the cause was, their not serving the God of Israel according to the Rites of Moses; and therefore sent a Jewish captive Priest to instruct the remanent inhabitants in the Jewish Religion; who so learned and practised it, that they still retained the Superstition of the Gentile rites; till Manasses, the Brother of Jaddi the high Priest at Jerusalem, married the daughter of Sanballat, who was the Governour under King Darius. Ma∣nasses being reproved for marrying a stranger, the daughter of an uncircumcised Gen∣tile, and admonished to dismiss her, flies to Samaria, perswades his Father-in-law to build a Temple in Mount Gerizim, introduces the Rites of daily Sacrifice, and makes himself high Priest, and began to pretend to be the true successor of Aaron, and com∣mences a Schism in the time of Alexander the Great. From whence the Question of Religion grew so high, that it begat disassections, anger, animosities, quarrels, bloudshed and murthers, not only in Palestine, but where ever a Jew and Samaritan had the ill fortune to meet: Such being the nature of men, that they think it the great∣est injury in the world when other men are not of their minds; and that they please God most when they are most furiously zealous; and no zeal better to be expressed than by hating all those whom they are pleased to think God hates. This Schism was prosecuted with the greatest spite that ever any was, because both the people were much given to Superstition; and this was helped forward by the constitution of their Religion, consisting much in externals and Ceremonials, and which they cared not much to hal∣low and make moral by the intertexture of spiritual senses and Charity. And therefore* 1.5 the Jews called the Samaritans accursed; the Samaritans at the Paschal solemnity would at midnight, when the Jews Temple was open, scatter dead mens bones to* 1.6 profane and desecrate the place; and both would fight, and eternally dispute the Question: sometimes referring it to Arbitrators, and then the conquered party would decline the Arbitration after sentence; which they did at Alexandria before Ptolemaeus Philometor, when Andronicus had by a rare and exquisite Oration procured sentence against Theodosius and Sabbaeus, the Samaritan Advocates: The sentence was given for Jerusalem, and the Schism increased, and lasted till the time of our Saviour's conference with this woman.

4. And it was so implanted and woven in with every understanding, that when the woman perceived Jesus to be a Prophet, she undertook this Question with him: Our Fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus knew the Schism was great enough already, and was not willing to make the rent wider: and though he gave testimony to the truth by saying, Salvation is of the Jews; and we know what we worship, ye do not; yet because the subject of this Question was shortly to be taken away, Jesus takes occasion to preach the Gospel, to hasten an expedient, and by way of anticipation to reconcile the disagreeing interests, and settle a revelation to be verified for ever. Neither here nor there by way of confine∣ment, not in one Countrey more than another, but where-ever any man shall call up∣on God in spirit and truth, there he shall be heard.

5. But all this while the Holy Jesus was athirst, and therefore hastens at least to dis∣course of water, though as yet he got none. He tells her of living water, of eternal satisfactions, of never thirsting again, of her own personal condition, of matrimonial re∣lation, and professes himself to be the Messias: And then was interrupted by the com∣ing of his Disciples, who wondred to see him alone talking with a woman, besides his custom and usual reservation. But the Woman full of joy and wonder left her water∣pot, and ran to the City, to publish the Messias: and immediately all the City came out to see, and many believed on him upon the testimony of the Woman, and more when they heard his own discourses. They invited him to the Town, and received him with hospi∣table civilities for two days, after which he departed to his own Galilee.

6. Jesus therefore came into the Countrey, where he was received with respect and fair entertainment, because of the Miracles which the Galileans saw done by him at the Feast; and being at Cana, where he wrought the first Miracle, a Noble personage, a little King say some, a Palatine says S. Hierome, a Kingly person certainly, came to Jesus with much reverence, and desire that he would be pleased to come to his house, and cure his Son now ready to die; which he seconds with much importunity, fearing left his Son be dead before he get thither. Jesus, who did not do his Miracles by natu∣ral operations, cured the child at distance, and dismissed the Prince, telling him his Son lived; which by narration of his servants he found to be true, and that he recove∣red at the same time when Jesus spake these'salutary and healing words. Upon which accident he and all his house became Disciples.

Page 183

7. And now Jesus left Nazareth, and came to Capernaum, a maritime Town, and of great resort, chusing that for his scene of Preaching, and his place of dwelling. For now the time was fulfilled, the office of the Baptist was expired, and the Kingdom of God was at hand. He therefore preached the summ of the Gospel, Faith and Repen∣tance, Repent ye, and believe the Gospel. And what that Gospel was, the summ and series of all his Sermons afterwards did declare.

8. The work was now grown high and pregnant, and Jesus saw it convenient to chuse Disciples to his ministery and service in the work of Preaching, and to be wit∣nesses of all that he should say, do or teach, for ends which were afterwards made publick and excellent. Jesus therefore, as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, called Simon and An∣drew, who knew him before by the preaching of John, and now left all, their ship and their net, and followed him. And when he was gone a little farther, he calls the two sons of Zebedee, James and John; and they went after him. And with this family he goes up and down the whole Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, healing all man∣ner of diseases, curing Demoniacks, cleansing Lepers, and giving strength to Paraly∣ticks and lame people.

9. But when the people pressed on him to hear the word of God; he stood by the Lake of Genesareth, and presently entring into Simon's ship, commanded him to lanch into the deep, and from thence he taught the people, and there wrought a Miracle; for, being Lord of the Creatures, he commanded the fishes of the sea, and they obeyed. For when Simon, who had fished all night in vain, let down his net at the command of Jesus, he inclosed so great a multitude of fishes, that the Net brake, and the fishermen were ama∣zed and fearful at so prodigious a draught. But beyond the Miracle it was intended, that a representation should be made of the plenitude of the Catholick Church, and multitudes of Believers who should be taken by Simon and the rest of the Disciples, whom by that Miracle he consign'd to become fishers of men; who by their artifices of prudence and holy Doctrine might gain Souls to God, that when the Net should be drawn to shore, and separation made by the Angels, they and their Disciples might be differenced from the reprobate portion.

10. But the light of the Sun uses not to be confined to a Province or a Kingdom; so great a Prophet, and so divine a Physician, and so great Miracles created a same loud as thunder, but not so full of sadness and presage. Immediately the fame of Jesus went into all Syria, and there came to him multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem and Ju∣daea. And all that had any sick with divers deseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And when he cured the Lunaticks and persons possessed with evil spirits, the Devils cried out and confessed him to be CHRIST the Son of God; but he suffered them not, chusing rather to work Faith in the perswasi∣ons of his Disciples by moral arguments and the placid demonstrations of the Spirit, that there might in Faith be an excellency in proportion to the choice, and that it might not be made violent by the conviction and forced testimonies of accursed and unwilling spirits.

11. But when Jesus saw his assembly was grown full, and his audience numerous, he went up into a mountain, and when his Disciples came unto him, he made that admirable Sermon, called the Sermon upon the Mount; which is a Divine repository of such excellent Truths and mysterious Dictates of secret Theology, that contains a Breviary of all those Precepts which integrate the Morality of Christian Religion; pressing the Moral Precepts given by Moses, and enlarging their obligation by a strict∣er sence and more severe exposition, that their righteousness might exceed the righteous∣ness of the Scribes and Pharisees;

preaches Perfection, and the doctrines of Meekness, Poverty of spirit, Christian mourning, desire of holy things, Mercy and Purity, Peace and toleration of injuries; affixing a special promise of blessing to be the guer∣don and inheritance of those Graces and spiritual excellencies. He explicates some parts of the Decalogue, and adds appendices and precepts of his own. He teaches his Disciples to Pray, how to Fast, how to give Alms, contempt of the world, not to judge others, forgiving injuries, an indifferency and incuriousness of tempo∣ral provisions, and a seeking of the Kingdom of God and its appendent righteous∣ness.

12. When Jesus had finished his Sermon, and descended from the mountain, a poor leprous person came and worshipped, and begged to be cleansed; which Jesus soon granted, engaging him not to publish it where he should go abroad, but sending him to the Priest to offer an oblation according to the Rites of Moses's Law; and then came di∣rectly to Capernaum, and taught in their Synagogues upon the Sabbath-days: where in

Page 184

his Sermons he expressed the dignity of a Prophet, and the authority of a person sent from God, not inviting the people by the soft arguments and insinuations of Scribes and Pharisees, but by demonstrations and issues of Divinity. There he cures a Demoni∣ack in one of their Synagogues, and by and by after going abroad he heals Peter's wives 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of a Fever; insomuch that he grew the talk of all men and their wonder, till they flocked so to him to see him, to hear him, to satisfie their curiosity and their needs, that after he had healed those multitudes which beset the house of Simon, where he cu∣red his Mother of the Fever, he retired himself into a desert place very early in the morning, that he might have an opportunity to pray, free from the oppressions and noises of the multitude.

13. But neither so could he be hid, but, like a light shining by the fringes of a cur∣tain, he was soon discovered in his solitude; for the multitude found him out, impri∣soning him in their circuits and undeniable attendances. But Jesus told them plainly, he must preach the Gospel to other Cities also, and therefore resolved to pass to the other side of the Lake of Genesareth, so to quit the throng. Whither as he was going, a Scribe offered himself a Disciple to his Institution; till Jesus told him his condition to be worse than foxes and birds, for whom an habitation is provided, but none for him, no not a place where to bow his head and find rest. And what became of this forward Professor afterward we find not. Others that were Probationers of this fellowship Je∣sus bound to a speedy profession, not suffering one to go home to bid his Friends fare∣well, nor another so much as to bury his dead.

14. By the time Jesus got to the Ship it was late, and he, heavy to sleep, rested on a pillow, and slept soundly, as weariness, meekness, and innocence could make him; insomuch that a violent storm, the chiding of the winds and waters, which then hap∣pened, could not awake him; till the ship being almost covered with broken billows and the impetuous dashings of the waters, the men already sunk in their spirits, and the ship like enough to sink too, the Disciples awaked him, and called for help: Ma∣ster, carest thou not that we perish? Jesus arising reproved their infidelity, commanded the wind to be still and the seas peaceable, and immediately there was a great calm; and they presently arrived in the land of the Gergesenes or Gerasenes.

15. In the land of Gergesites or Gergesenes, which was the remaining name of an extinct people, being one of the Nations whom the sons of Jacob drave from their in∣heritance, there were two Cities; Gadara from the tribe of Gad, to whom it fell by lot in the Division of the Land, (which, having been destroyed by the Jews, was re∣built by Pompey at the request of Demetrius Gadarensis, Pompey's freed man) and near* 1.7 to it was Gerasa, as Josephus reports: which diversity of Towns and names is the cause of the various recitation of this story by the Evangelists. Near the City of Gadara there were many sepulchres in the hollownesses of rocks, where the dead were buried,* 1.8 and where many superstitious persons used Memphitick and Thessalick rites, invocating evil spirits; insomuch that at the instant of our Saviour's arrival in the Countrey there met him two possessed with Devils from these tombs, exceeding fierce, and so had been long, insomuch that no man durst pass that way.

16. Jesus commanded the Devils out of the possessed persons: but there were cer∣tain men feeding swine, which though extremely abominated by the Jewish Religion, yet for the use of the Roman armies and quarterings of souldiers they were permitted, and divers priviledges * 1.9 granted to the Masters of such herds: and because Gadara was a Greek City, and the company mingled of Greeks, Syrians and Jews, these last in all likelihood not making the greatest number; the Devils therefore besought Jesus, he would not send them into the abysse, but permit them to enter into the Swine. He gave them leave; and the swine ran violently down a steep place into the hot baths, which were at the foot of the hill on which Gadara was built, (which smaller congregation of wa∣ters* 1.10 the Jews used to call [Sea;]) or else, as others think, into the Lake of Genesa∣reth, and perished in the waters. But this accident so troubled the inhabitants, that they came and intreated Jesus to depart out of their coasts. And he did so; leaving Galilee of the Gentiles, he came to the lesser Galilee, and so again to the City of Capernaum.

17. But when he was come thither, he was met by divers Scribes and Pharisees, who came from Jerusalem, and Doctors of the Law from Galilee; and while they were sitting in a house, which was encompassed with multitudes, that no business or neces∣sity could be admitted to the door, a poor Paralytick was brought to be cured, and they were fain to uncover the tiles of the house, and let him down in his bed with cords in the midst before Jesus sitting in conference with the Doctors. When Jesus saw their Faith, he said, Man, thy sins be forgiven thee. At which saying the Pharisees being

Page 185

troubled, thinking it to be blasphemy, and that none but God could forgive sins; Jesus was put to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his absolution, which he did in a just satisfaction and proportion to their understandings. For the Jews did believe that all afflictions were punishments 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sin; (Who sinned, this man or his Father, that he was born blind?) and that remo∣ving of the punishment was forgiving of the sin. And therefore Jesus, to prove that his sins were forgiven, removed that which they supposed to be the effect of his sin, and by curing the Palsie prevented their farther murmur about the Pardon; That ye might know the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the Palsie,) Arise, take up thy bed, and walk. And the man arose, was healed, and glorified God.

18. A while after Jesus went again toward the Sea, and on his way, seeing Matthew the Publican sitting at the receit of custom, he bad him follow him. Matthew first feasted Jesus, and then became his Disciple. But the Pharisees that were with him began to be troubled that he ate with Publicans and sinners. For the office of Publican, though amongst the Romans it was honest and of great account, and * 1.11 the flower of the Roman Knights, the ornament of the City, the security of the Commonwealth, was accounted to con∣sist in the society of Publicans; yet amongst both the (a) 1.12 Jews and Greeks the name was odious, and the persons were accursed: not only because they were strangers that were the chief of them, who took in to them some of the Nation where they were imployed; but because the Jews especially stood upon the Charter of their Nation and the privi∣ledge of their Religion, that none of them should pay tribute; and also because they exercised great injustices and (b) 1.13 oppressions, having a pow∣er unlimited, and a covetousness wide as hell, and greedy as the fire or the grave. But Jesus gave so fair an account con∣cerning his converse with these persons, that the Objection* 1.14 turned to be his Apology: for therefore he conversed with them because they were sinners; and it was as if a Physician should be reproved for having so much to do with sick persons; for therefore was he sent, not to call the righteous, but sinners, to Repentance, to advance the reputation of Mercy above the rites of Sacrifice.

19. But as the little bubbling and gentle murmurs of the water are presages of a Storm, and are more troublesome in their prediction than their violence: so were the arguings of the Pharisees symptoms of a secret displeasure and an ensuing war; though at first represented in the civilities of Question and scholastical 〈◊〉〈◊〉, yet they did but fore-run vigorous objections and bold calumnies, which were the fruits of the next Summer. But as yet they discoursed fairly, asking him why John's Disciples fasted of∣ten, but the Disciples of Jesus did not fast. Jesus told them, it was because these were the days in which the Bridëgroom was come in person to espouse the Church unto him∣self; and therefore for the children of the bride-chamber to fast then, was like the bring∣ing of a dead corps to the joys of a Bride or the pomps of Coronation; the days should come, that the Bridegroom should retire into his chamber and draw the curtains, and then they should fast in those days.

20. While Jesus was discoursing with the Pharisees, Jairus, a Ruler of the Syna∣gogue, came to him, desiring he would help his Daughter, who lay in the confines of death ready to depart. Whither as he was going, a woman met him who had been dis∣eased with an issue of bloud twelve years, without hope of remedy from art or nature; and therefore she runs to Jesus, thinking, without precedent, upon the confident per∣swasions of a holy Faith, that if she did but touch the hem of his garment, she should be whole. She came trembling, and full of hope and reverence, and touched his garment, and immediately the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of her unnatural emanation was stopped, and reverted to its natural course and offices. S. Ambrose says that this woman was Martha. But it is not likely that she was a Jewess, but a Gentile, because of that return which she made in memory of her cure and honour of Jesus according to the Gentile rites. For (a) 1.15 Eusebius reports that himself saw at Caesarea Philippi a Statue of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 representing a woman kneel∣ing at the feet of a goodly personage, who held his hand out to her in a posture of granting her request, and doing favour to her; and the inhabitants said it was erected by the care and cost of this woman, adding (whether out of truth or easiness is not certain) that at the pedestal of this Statue an usual plant did grow, which when it was come up to that maturity and height as to arrive at the fringes of the brass mo∣nument, it was medicinal in many dangerous diseases: So far Eusebius. Concerning which story I shall make no censure but this, that since S. Mark and S. Luke affirm that

Page 186

this woman before her cure had spent all her substance upon Physicians, it is not easily ima∣ginable* 1.16 * 1.17 how she should become able to dispend so great a summ of money as would pur∣chase two so great Statues of brass: and if she could, yet it is still more unlikely that the Gentile Princes and Proconsuls, who searched all places publick and private, and were curiously diligent to destroy all honorary monuments of Christianity, should let this alone; and that this should escape not only the diligence of the Persecutors, but the fury of such Wars and changes as happened in Palestine, and that for three hun∣dred years together it should stand up in defiance of all violences and changeable fate of all things. However it be, it is certain that the Book against Images, published by the command of Charles the Great 850 years ago, gave no credit to the story: and if it had been true, it it more than probable that Justin Martyr, who was born and bred* 1.18 in Palestine, and Origen, who lived many years in Tyre, in the neighbourhood of the place where the Statue is said to stand, and were highly diligent to heap together all things of advantage and reputation to the Christian cause, would not have omitted so notable an instance. It is therefore likely that the Statues which Eusebius saw, and concerning which he heard such stories, were first placed there upon the stock of a hea∣then story or Ceremony, and in process of time, for the likeness of the figures, and its capacity to be translated to the Christian story, was by the Christians in after-Ages at∣tributed by a fiction of fancy, and afterwards by credulity confidently applied, to the present Narrative.

21. When Jesus was come to the Ruler's house, he found the minstrels making their fu∣neral noises for the death of Jairus's daughter, and his servants had met him, and ac∣quainted him of the death of the child; yet Jesus turned out the minstrels, and entred with the parents of the child into her chamber, and taking her by the hand called her, and awa∣kened her from her sleep of death, and commanded them to give her to eat, and enjoyned them not to publish the Miracle. But as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 suppressed by violent detentions break out and rage with a more impetuous and rapid motion: so it happened to Jesus, who endeavouring to make the noises and reports of him less popular, made them to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉; for not only we do that most greedily from which we are most restrained, but a great merit enamell'd with humility, and restrained with modesty, grows more beautious and florid, up to the heights of wonder and glories.

22. As he came from Jairus's house, he cured two blind men upon their petition, and confession that they did believe in him, and cast out a dumb Devil, so much to the wonder and amazement of the people, that the Pharisees could hold no longer, being ready to burst with envy, but said, he cast out Devils by help of the Devils: Their ma∣lice being, as usually it is, contradictory to its own design, by its being unreasonable; nothing being more sottish than for the Devil to divide his kingdom upon a plot; to ruine his certainties upon hopes future and contingent. But this was but the first erup∣tion of their malice; all the year last past, which was the first year of Jesus's Preach∣ing,* 1.19 all was quiet, neither the Jews nor the Samaritans nor the Galileans did malign his Doctrine or Person, but he preached with much peace on all hands; for this was the year which the Prophet Isaiah called in his prediction the acceptable year of the Lord.

Notes

Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.