WHen the Jews had made the full measure of Anno Dom. their sinnes runne over by putting to death the Lord of life , 34. Gods judgements ( as they deserved , and our Saviour foretold ) quickly overtook them : for a mighty army of the Romanes besieged and 〈◊〉 the city of Jerusalem , wherein by fire , famine , sword , civil discord , 72. and forreign force * * Iosephus , lib. 7. belli Iud. Gr. c. 45. Lat. c. 17. eleven hundred thousand were put to death . An incredible number it seemeth : yet it cometh within the compasse of our belief , if we consider that the siege began at the time of the Passeover , when in a manner all Judea was inclosed in Jerusalem , all private synagogues doing then their duties to the mother-temple ; so that the city then had more guests then inhabitants . Thus the Passeover first * * Exod. 12. 13. instituted by God in mercy to save the Israelites from death , was now used by him in justice to hasten their destruction , and to gather the nation into a bundle to be cast into the fire of his anger . Besides those who were slain , ninety seven thousand were taken captives ; and they who had bought our Saviour for thirty pence , * * Adricom . in Actis Apost. fol. 28 2. credo , ex Hegesippo . were themselves sold thirty for a pennie . The Generall of the Romanes in this action was Titus , sonne to Vespasian the Emperour . A Prince so good , that he was styled the * * Suctonius , in Tito . Darling of mankind for his sweet and loving nature , ( and pity it was so good a stock had not been better grafted ! ) so virtuously disposed , that he may justly be counted the glory of all Pagans , and shame of most Christians . He laboured what lay in his power to have saved the temple , and many therein ; but the Jews by their obstinacy and desperateness made themselves uncapable of any mercy . Then was the temple it self made a sacrifice , and burnt to ashes ; and of that stately structure which drew the Apostles admiration , not a stone left upon a stone . The walls of the city ( more shaken with the sinnes of the Jews defending them , then with the battering rammes of the Romanes assaulting them ) were levelled to the ground ; onely three towres left standing to witnesse the great strength of the place , Euseb. E●cl . hist. l. 3. c. 5. and greater valour of the Romanes who conquered it . But whilest this storme fell on the unbelieving Jews , it was calm amongst the Christians ; who warned by Christs predictions , and many other prodigies , fled betimes out of the city to Pella ( a private place beyond Jordan ) which served them in stead of a little Zoar to save them from the imminent destruction .

THreescore years after , 132. Adrian the Emperour rebuilt the city of Jerusalem , changing the situation somewhat westward , and the name thereof to Aelia . To despite the Christians , he built a * * Hieron . ●om . 1. pag. 104. temple over our Saviours grave , with the images of Jupiter and Venus , another at B●thl●h●m , to Adonis her minion : and to enrage the Jews , did engrave swine over the gates of the city : Who storming at the profanation of their land , brake into open rebellion , but were subdued by Julius Severus the Emperours lieutenant , an experienced captain , and many thousands slain , with Bencochab their counterfeit Messias ( for so he termed himself ) that is , the sonne of a star , usurping that prophesie , * * Num. 24. 17. Out of Iacob shall a star arise ; though he proved but a fading comet , whose blazing portended the ruine of that nation . The captives , by order from Adrian , were transported into Spain ; the countrey laid waste , which parted with her people and fruitfulnesse both together . Indeed pilgrims to this day here and there light on parcels of rich ground in Palestine : which God may seem to have left , that men may tast the former sweetnesse of the land , before it was sowred for the peoples sinnes ; and that they may guesse the goodnesse of the cloth by the finenesse of the shreds . But it is barren for the generality : the streams of milk and hony wherewith once it flowed , are now drained dry ; and the * * Sand. Trav. fol. 145. whole face of the land looketh sad , not so much for want of dressing , as because God hath frowned on it . Yet great was the oversight of Adrian , thus totally to unpeople a province , and to bequeath it to foxes and leopards . Though his memory was excellent , yet here he forgot the old Romanes rule , who to prevent desolations , where they rooted out the natives , planted in colonies of their own people . And surely the countrey recovered not a competency of inhabitants for some hundred years after . For though many pilgrimes came thither in after-ages , yet they came rather to visit then to dwell : and such as remained there , most embracing single lives , were no breeders for posterity . If any say that Adrian did wilfully neglect this land , and prostitute it to ruine for the rebellion of the people ; yet all account it small policy in him , in punishing the Jews to hurt his own Empire , and by this vastation to leave fair and clear footing for forrein enemies to fasten on this countrey , and from thence to invade the neighbouring dominions : as after the Persians and Saracens easily overran and dispeopled Palestine ; and no wonder if a thin medow were quickly mown . But to return to the Jews ; Such straglers of them , not considerable in number , as escaped this banishment into Spain ( for few hands reap so clean as to leave no gleanings ) were forbidden to enter into Jerusalem , or so much as to behold it from any rise or advantage of ground . * * Hieron . tom. 6. pag. 256. Yet they obtained of the after-Emperours , once a year ( namely on the tenth of August , whereon their citie was taken ) to go in and bewail the destruction of their temple and people , bargaining with the souldiers who waited on them , to give so much for so long abiding there ; and if they exceeded the time they conditioned for , they must stretch their purses to a higher rate : So that ( as S. Hierome noteth ) they who bought Christs bloud , were then glad to buy their own tears .

THus the main body of the Jews was brought into Spain , and yet they stretched their out-limbs into every countrey : so that it was as hard to find a populous city without a common sink , as without a company of Jews . They grew fat on the barest pasture , by usury and brokage ; though often squeezed by those Christians amongst whom they lived , counting them dogs , and therefore easily finding a stick to beat them . And alwayes in any tumult , when the fence of order was broken , the Jews lay next harms : as at the coronation of Richard the first , when the English made great feasts , but the pillaged Jews paid the shot . Munster Cosmogr . p. 457. At last , for their many villanies ( as falsifying of coin , poysoning of springs , crucifying of Christian children ) they were slain in some places , Polyd. Virg. p. 327. and finally banished out of others : Out of England anno 1291 , by Edward the first ; France 1307 , by Philip the fair ; Spain 1492 , by Ferdinand ; Portugall 1497 , by Emmanuel . But had these two latter Kings banished all Jewish bloud out of their countreys , they must have emptied the veins of their best subjects , as descended from them . Still they are found in great numbers in Turkie ; Sandys Trav. pag. 146. chiefly in Salonichi , where they enjoy the freest slavery : and they who in our Saviours time so scorned Publicanes , are now most employed in that office , to be the Turks toll-gatherers : Likewise in the Popish parts of Germany ; in Poland ; the Pantheon of all religions : and Amsterdam may be forfeited to the King of Spain , when she cannot shew a pattern of this as of all other sects . Lastly , they are thick in the Popes ▪ dominions , where they are kept as a testimony of the truth of the Scriptures , and foyl to Christianity , but chiefly in pretence to convert them . But his Holinesse his converting faculty worketh the strongest at the greatest distance : for the Indians he turneth to his religion , and these Jews he converteth to his profit . Some are of opinion of the generall calling of the Jews : and no doubt those who dissent from them in their judgements , concur in their wishes and desires . Yet are there three grand hinderances of their conversion : First , the offence taken and given by the Papists among whom they live , by their worshipping of images , the Jews being zelots in the second commandment : Secondly , because on their conversion they must * * P. Heylin , Microcos . in Palestine , pag. 570. renounce all their goods as ill gotten ; and they will scarce enter in at the door of our Church , when first they must climbe over so high a threshold : Lastly , they are debarred from the use of the new Testament , * * Sir E. Sandys Survey of the West . the means of their salvation . And thus we leave them in a state most pitifull , and little pitied .

ADrian his profanation of Jerusalem lasted * * Epist. ad Paulinum ; tom . 1. p. 104. 180 years , as S. Hierome counteth it : during which time , the Christians under the ten persecutions had scarce a leap-year of peace and quiet , and yet bare all with invincible patience ; yea , some were too ambitious of martyrdome , and rather wooed then waited for their own deaths . At last , Constantine ( a Britan by birth , as * * Camden , Brit. pag. 51. all authours agree , save one or two late wrangling Grecians , who deserve to be arrained for felony , for robbing our land of that due honour ) stanched the issue of bloud wherewith the Church had long been troubled , and brought her into acquaintance with peace and prosperity . 326. Then Helen his mother ( no lesse famous amongst the Christians for her piety , then the ancient Helen amongst Pagans for her beauty ) travelled to Jerusalem ; zeal made her scarce sensible of her age , being 80 years old : and there she purged mount Calvary & Bethlehem of idolatry ; then built in the places of Christs birth , and buriall , and elsewhere in Palestine , many most stately and sumptuous churches . And because she visited the stable and manger of our Saviours nativity , Jews and Pagans slander her to have been * * Ambros. cont. in Theodosium . stabularia , an Ostleresse or a she-stable-groom : The same nickname which since impudent Papists ( not for the same reason , but with as little truth ) put on reverend * * Fox , Martyrol . p. 1860. Cranmer , Archbishop of Canterbury . But these dead flies were not able to corrupt the sweet ointment of her name , fragrant to posterity ; and as a * * Ambros. ibid. Father writeth of her , Bona stabularia , quae maluit aestimari stercoraria ut Christum lucrifaceret . To her is ascribed the finding out of the Crosse , the memory whereof is celebrated the third of May. And from that time the Church flourished in Palestine , being as well provided of able Bishops , as they of liberall maintenance .

Afterwards Julian going about to confute God , 363. befooled himself , and many Jews . This Apostate studied to invent engines to beat down Christianity : yet all the vapours of his brain could not cloud so bright a sunne . He gave the Jews liberty ( not so much out of love to them , as hatred to Christians ) with money and materials to build again their temple , hoping by raising it to ruine the truth of Christs prophesie . * * Ammianus Ma●cel . lib. 23. sub initio . Hither flocked the Jews with spades and mattocks of silver to clear the foundation ; the women carried away the rubbish in their laps , and contributed all their jewels and ornaments to advance the work . But a sudden * * Socrat. Hist. Eccl. lib. 3. cap. 20. Theodoret , lib. 3. cap. 20. tempest made them desist , which carried away their tools and materials , with balls of fire which scorched the most adventurous of the builders . Thus they who sought to put out the truth of Christs words , Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 22. by snuffing it made it burn the brighter . But the wonder of this wonder was , that the hearts of the Jews , and of him who set them on work , were hardened by obstinacy , to be so miracle proof that all this made no impression in them . Yet * * Adricom . Descript. t●rrae sanctae ▪ pag. 158. afterwards , the Christians in the place where Solomons temple was , built a stately church : but not in opposition to God , or with intent to reestablish Jewish rites , but in humility , and for the exercise of Christian religion : which Church was long after the seat of the Patriarch . But for fear to exceed the commission of an Historian , ( who with the outward senses may onely bring in the species , and barely relate facts , not with the common sense passe verdict or censure on them ) I would say , they had better have built in some other place , ( especially having room enough besides ) and left this floore where the temple stood , alone to her desolations . Yea , God seemeth not so well contented with this their act , the Christians being often beaten out of that church ; and at this day * * Sand. Trav. p. 192. whosoever ( though casually ) entreth therein , must either forfeit his life , or renounce his religion .

THe next remarkable alteration happened under Phocas the Emperour , who ( saith * * Belli sacri l. b. 23. cap. 21 Tyrius ) had a nature answering his name , which signifieth a Seil , or Sea-calf : for as that fish ( little better then a monster ) useth lazily to lie sleeping and sunning it self on the shore ; so this carelesse usurper minded nothing but his own ease and pleasure , 610. till at last he was slain by Heraclius his successour : as seldome tyrants corpses have any other balm at their buriall , then their own bloud . Phoeas his negligence betrayed the Empire to forrein foes , and invited Chosroes the Persian to invade it , 615. who with a great army subdued Syria and Jerusalem . A conquest little honourable , as made against small resistance , Theophanes in Annal. and used with lesse moderation : for besides many other cruelties , he sold many thousands of Christians to the Jews their old enemies , who in revenge of their former grudg , put them not onely to drudgery , but to torture . Chosroes to grace his triumph carried the Crosse away with him , forced all the Christians in Persia to turn * * Paulus D●aconus , Miscel. lib. 18. Nestorians , and demanded of Heraclius the Grecian Emperour , that he should renounce his religion , and worship the * * Cedrenus . Sun . Thus we see how light-headed this Pagan did talk , being stark drunk with pride . But the Christian Emperour entring Persia with great forces , quelled at last this vaunting Sennacherib : for to him might he well be compared , 628. for pride , cruelty , blasphemous demands , and the manner of his death , being also slain by Siroes one of his sons . Heraclius returning took Jerusalem in his way , and there restored * * Tyrius , bell . sac . lib. 23. cap. 20. the Crosse ( counted a precious jewel ) to the temple of the Sepulchre , the cabinet whence it had been violently taken away ; and in memoriall thereof instituted on the 14. of Sept. the feast of the Exaltation of the Crosse. Yet * * Baronius , in Martyrolog. 14. Sep. some make the celebration thereof of greater antiquity : and the Grecians write , that Chrysostome ( an hundred years before ) died on the day called the Exaltation of the Crosse. This if it be true , and not antedated by a Prolepsis , then Heraclius gave the lustre ( not first originall ) to this festivall , and scoured bright an old holy-day with a new solemnitie .

BUt the sinnes of the Eastern countreys , and chiefly their damnable heresies , hastened Gods judgements upon them . In these Western parts , heresies like an angle caught single persons ; which in Asia , like a drag-net , took whole provinces . The stayed and settled wits of Europe were not easily removed out of the old rode and tract of religion , whiles the active and nimble heads of the East were more desirous of novelties , more cunning to invent distinctions to cozen themselves with , more fluent in language to expresse their conceits , as alwayes errours grow the fastest in hot brains . Hence it came to passe , that Melchites , Maronites , Nestorians , Eutycheans , Jacobites , overspread these parts , maintaining their pestilent tenents with all obstinacy , which is that dead flesh which maketh the green wound of an errour fester by degrees into the old sore of an heresie . Then was it just with God to suffer them who would not be convinced with Christian Councels , to be subdued by the Pagans sword : For though Chosroes had not long a settled government in Palestine , but as a land-floud came and went away quickly ; yet the Saracens who shortly followed , as standing water drowned all for a long continuance . * * Tyrius . bell . sacr. l. 1. pag. 2. These under Haumer Prince of Arabia , 636. took Jerusalem , conquered Syria , and propagated the doctrine of Mahomet round about .