Sect. I. The Preface

RIght Honourable, Seeing we all agree in the substance, and differ onely three months in the circumstance of time, (premising that of Tullies, Loquendum ut vulgus, sentiendum tamen ut sapien­tes,) for that I am carefull that the least schisme should be made in Christs Tunica, which is seam­lesse and unica: I have sent your Honour this resolution, not out of Beroaldus, Bucholcerus, and Broughton, but out of the sacred Scriptures, which we are commanded to search, especially in difficult points.

Sect. II. The true Time of Christs Nativity Evidenced.

THe Conception of John Baptist was in the month of June as the Hebrews reckon their months; Therefore Christs con­ception must needs be in the sixth month following June, which is December, where we ignorantly make his Birth.

1. The Consequent of the major is proved, for that John Baptist was six months elder then Christ, as appears Luke l. 36. And be­hold thy cousen Elizabeth she hath also conceived a son in her old age, [Page 4]and this is her sixth month which was called barren. Now compare the 26. v. with the precedent 36. v. and it will appear that this sixth month of Johns age in his mothers womb, was the same sixth month in which the Angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, and in which she conceived Christ, as the words shew, v. 26. And in the sixth month, (viz. in which John was six months old) the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a City of Galile na­med Nazareth to the Virgin Mary, &c. And v. 31. his message is declared to be this; For lo thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and beare a sonne, and shalt call his name Jesus. The Virgin then con­ceived Iesus in the same sixth month of Iohns age, Iohn was then six months old at Christs conception; Therefore Christ was con­sequently conceived in December after, and not borne then as the calculation is [groundlessely] made.

2. Secondly, Now that Johns conception was in Iune (& not his birth as we make it) is proved by the course of Abbia, being the eighth course of the 24 courses of the Priests as is proved 1 Chro. 24.10. The seventh lot fell to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abbia. Now Zacharias the father of Iohn Baptist was of this eighth course or lot of Abbia, Luke 1.5. In the time of Herod King of Judea there was a certaine Priest named Zacharias of the course of Abbia and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Eliza­beth, and they had no child, v. 6. and vers. 13. The Angell Gabriel vers. 19, told him; Thy wife Elizabeth shall beare thee a sonne, and thou shalt call his name Iohn. And v. 23. And when the dayes of his Office was fulfilled, he departed to his own house. And v. 24. And after those dayes his wife Elizabeth conceived, after the end of his Eighth course in the beginning of Iuly, after our accompt; for their Iune containes part of our Iuly. And she hid her selfe five moneths, saying. And v. 25. in the sixth moneth after Elizabeths conception the Angel was sent to Mary to tell her of her con­ception of Christ. Now for as much as the Jewes did begin to reckon their years from the month of Nisan or Abib, part of our March and April, which was the first of the months of the sa­cred year since their going out of Aegypt, as appears, Exod. 12.2. This month shall be unto you the beginning of months, it shall be un­to you the first month of the year. Now chapt. 13.4. Moses tels you what month he means (by this month) This day came ye out [Page 5]in the month of Abib, the month corne began to eare, containing part of our March and part of our April. Now begin thou thy reckoning from Abib or March, giving and allowing to e­very lot or course of the 24 courses of the Priests one Fortnight, (for there were 24 courses of Priests and but 12 months, there­fore every Priest must needs serve a fortnight for his course for 24 fortnights makes 12 months;) And so the eighth fortnight or course shall fall to Abbia, of which Zachary was, which was in Iune, after the Hebrews accompt.

For two courses in March, and two courses more in April fol­lowing make foure courses, two more in May make six, and two more in June make eight. The eighth Abbia's course, of which Zacharias was. I conclude then Johns Conception to be in June, where we make his Birth, which in truth was in March follow­ing. And so consequently Christs Conception was in Decem­ber, six moneths after Johns Conception, in which December we make Christs Birth, which Birth of Christ was in truth in September following in the Feast of Tabernacles, beginning at the 15. of Septem. and lasting 8. days, till the end of the 22. day, in which feast time of 8. dayes Christ pitched in the Tabernacle of his flesh amongst us, as appears, John 1.14. And the word was made flesh, [ [...]] and pitched his Taber­nacle amongst us. He became a Scaenite. Thus behold the sweet Harmony between the Type and the thing typified, for Christ came not to break the Law, but to fulfill it.

And thus desiring your Honour to vindicate my credit from the unjust imputation that some, peradventure seeing this, may lay upon me as a Brocher of Novelties, in that I endeavour to wade further in the Originals, and paralleling of Scriptures then the vulgar do, having written this to satisfie your Honours re­quest only, I rest now and ever.

Sect. III. Of the Occasion of this error, the invalidity where­of is manifested.

SAint Chrysostome, Postscript. mistaking the story of Zachary, Johns fa­ther; was the occasion of this error in circumstance of time. For he supposed that Zachary ministred in the Priests office in the seventh moneth, which is September, and fourteenth course of the Priests, and not in the fourth moneth June, and eighth course, which is the truth; thus we following his cal­culation, Christs Conception was in March, and his birth in De­cember, as we commonly reckon. Now that which deceived the golden mouth'd father, (though all is not gold that glisters) was this. Chrysostome supposed, (as Arias Montanus the Popish Spa­niard doth,) that Zachary was the High Priest, and therefore the course of his ministry must needs be on the 10. of Septem. the seventh moneth, because on that day, only called (Iom Haccip­purim) the day of expiation of sinnes, [...] and reconciliation, the High-Priest must go into the Debyr, the Oracle, or Sanctum San­ctorum once a yeare only. Now I will shew you Chrysostomes ground for these two things that moved him to thinke. 1. That Zachary was High Priest. And 2. That therefore consequently he must on the 10. of Septem. go into the Sanctum Sanctorum.

Drusius on Luke 1.5. saith thus, In Historia Hebraica Johan­nes Baptistes vocatur, [...] (Cohen Gadol,) hoc est magnus, sacerdos: quae vox aequè significat Pontificem maximum & Principem sacer­dotum. Therefore its probable that Zachary was Princeps Sacer­dotum, which he might be, and yet not Sacerdos maximus. For though these two words Sacerdos maximus, and Princeps Sacerdo­tum be often promiscuously used one for the other, yet the di­stinction is plaine in Scripture that Princeps sacerdotum [...] (Sar Haccohanim,) was the chiefe Priest only of eve­ry one of the 24. Classes or Courses of Priests, and so its likely that Zachary was the Prince of the Priests, of his eighth course of Abbia. But Sacerdos maximus or Pontifex, is he that is Head of all the 24. Classes and Orders of Priests, which Za­chary was not. For these reasons.

First, because he is called, Luke 1.5. [ [...]] a cer­taine Priest, therefore not Pontifex maximus; for had it been [Page 7]certaine that Zachary had been High Priest, Buke would have so stiled him, and not have spoken uncertainly of a certaine and known dignity in the Pronoune indefinite, [ [...] quidam] which indefinite Pronoune, [ [...]] he presently defines, saying Of the course of Abbia, so v. 8. Its said of Zachary, that while he executed the Priests office before God. And St. Luke doth not stile him with the High-Priests office; which title of dignity to omit, had been an indignity offered by St. Luke to Za­chary.

Secondly, for that it is said, v. 8. that his Lot was to burne incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord. And v. 11. that there appeared an Angel to Zachary, standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense. For these two reasons Chrysostom & Arias think Zachary to be an High-Priest, whereas all Jews know, that the Candlestick, Table and Altar of Incense were without the Sanctum Sanctorum, (not within as they suppose,) and ther­fore being placed without, they were daily gone unto by Zachary, and other sacrificers in their courses. And thus much of Chrysostome's and Arias Montanus grounds, no solider then an Irish Quagmire to trust to.

Thirdly, Mr. Broughton saith that there was an Old Record in Greek found at Rome, (as the Romanists say but it is not now extant to be shewed,) that mentioneth Zachary to have ministred in the seventh moneth. And thus all error cometh from Rome, that bitter Starre, Worme-wood, cast into the fountains of the Scri­ptures and Vniversities, to corrupt and bitter them, not to better them, as Moses tree did the waters of bitter Marah. Now I will adde after Confutation of the error, a probable Confirma­tion of the truth.

The Rabbines in Midrash Rabba conclude, that the Messias must be born in the moneth Aethanim or Tisri, that is in Septem. the month of strengths, full of feasts, to teach of the Messias. And so agreeably we find in Moses that the three chiefe Anniver­sary Feasts do foretell and typifie out Christ's times.

• 1. Their Passeover, and our Easter prefiguring his death, fals out fitly in the first moneth for redemption from Egypt, and of our redemption by Christ,
• 2. Their Feast of weeks, or harvest, fifty dayes after the Passe­over, [Page 8]or joy of the [...]aw, when the fire of the Law was given Israel; jumps with our Pentecost or Whitsontide, when the fiery law of the spirit was given by Jesus in cloven tongues, Acts 2.
• 3, The feast of dwelling in Tabernacles on the 15. of Septem­ber, for eight dayes; Is suitable to our Lords pitching in the Ta­bernacle of his flesh amongst us, or his Nativity in Septem. the first moneth after the Creation. The feast of joyfull meditation of Gods dwelling in the cloud amongst Israel, is a memoriall of Christ dwelling in the flesh with us, Iohn 1.14. And the Word was made flesh, and he pitched his Tabernacle amongst us. So in 1 Kings 8.2. this is plainly typified. Solomon brings the Arke and Tabernacle into the Temple, in the se­venth moneth called Aethanim or September, moneth of strength and fruits, and the Cherubims spread their wings over the Ark. This Arke and Tabernacle was the type of the Ark and Taber­nacle of Christs body: The bringing in of this Tabernacle into the Temple, the coming of Christ into the world, in the Temple of Zarobabel, under which he was borne, preached, and wrought miracles. And the Cherubims are the Angels, spread­ing their wings of Protection over him, proclayming him sing­ing at his birth. And this was in the moneth Aethanim or Sep­tember, (the moneth of strengths, or fruits and feasts,) wherein Christ was borne, bringing strength, and fruits of righteousnesse into the world.

And thus having shewed your Honour the sweet Harmony between the type and the thing typified: the feast of Taberacles in September, and Christ in the same time pitching in this Taber­nacle of his flesh, amongst us; The Concent between the history and the mystery, I conclude with that of the Apostle, Great is the mystery of Godlinesse, God-manifest in the flesh. For the true Cal­culation of the monthes Consult with Munsters Calendarium Hebraicum.