The harmony of the foure evangelists among themselves, and with the Old Testament : the first part, from the beginning of the gospels to the baptisme of our saviour, with an explanation of the chiefest difficulties both in language and sense / by John Lightfoote ...

SS. That all the world should bee taxed.

To so••vast an extent was the Roman Empire now growne, from Parthia to England, and they two also included, that it was a world rather then one dominion: And so did their own Authours boast it in those times: as, Caesar Regit omnia terris: Divisum imperium cum Jove: Totum circumspicit orbem: Terrarum orbis imperium, and such like speeches usuall among them, both in Poesy and Prose. This huge and unweldy body, of so large and spacious a dominion, Augustus had now reduced to the healthfull temper of peace and quietnesse: which is the more remarkable, by how much the more warres had been more frequent, and more bloody but a little before. For never had that Empire felt so great distemper within it selfe, as it had done of latter times, in the civill warres betwixt Sylla and Marius, be∣twixt Julius and Pompey, betwixt Augustus and Antony: not to men∣tion the continuall warres that it had abroad. It had not been very long before this time that the Evangelist speaketh of, when both Rome it selfe, and the rest of the world was at that pitifull plight that Polybius speaketh of, That the Romans were forced to send to Pro∣lomy, King of Egypt, for a supply of corne, because there was a great scarcity and dearth among them. For in Italy all their corne was destrayed even to the gates of Rome, by the Souldiers, and abroad there was no helpe nor supply to bee had, there being warres in all parts of the world. But now is there an universall Peace, not onely in the Romane Empire [so that the Temple of Janus was shut up, which it never used to bee when any warres at all were stirring,] but if wee will beleeve Crantzius, even in those parts and Countries, where the Romane power had not yet set her foote; as Denmark, Norway, and those Northerne Climates, there was so great a peace, that in some pla∣ces there, Money and Jewels were hung up by the high way, and there was neither Theefe nor Enemy to take them away. Such times became the comming of Shilob the Peaceable one, Isa. 6. 9. And such a beginning was befitting the Gospel of Peace.

Augustus having brought the Empire under this quiet obedience, like a politicke Prince will have it all taxed, and brought into the Subsidie Book, that hee might know the extent of his command, of his strength and of his revenues.

And thus wee see and may observe Rome come to its intire and ab∣solute Monarchy but at this time, and the state and power that should persecute Christ in his Members to the end of the world, be∣ginning and borne as it were, at the very same time when Christ himselfe.

Augustus, asc Tacitus recordeth of him, did cause an account to be taken of all the Empire, and himself had a Book & Record of it writ∣ten out with his own hand. Opes publieae continebantur: quantum ci∣vium sociorumque in armis: quot classes, regna, Provinciae, tributa aut vectigalia, & necessitates ac largitiones, quae cuncta, suae manu perscripse∣rat Augustus: which contained the publick revenue, the number of Citizens or confederates in the Armies: what Shipping: Kingdoms: Provinces: Tributes or Subsidies: and reliefe money, and benefi∣cences. Dion also in the life of Augustus, and much also about this time, mentioneth a taxe laid by him upon those that dwelt in Italy, whose estates were not lesse then five thousand Sesterces: and poorer then these hee taxed not.

Notes

• Virgil, Ovid, Florus.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, cap. 2.
• c

  Annal. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1.