A sermon preached at the christening of a certain Jew at LondonA sermon preached at the christening of a certaine Iew at London

But that writing and title called by the name of a Nazarite doth encumber you perhaps:¹ because it behoved that Messiah should be borne in Bethlehem the city of David. If he were not borne in Bethlehem, I report me to the Chronicles & Records of the time of his birth, and the circumstances thereof. Let the testimonies of the angels, shepherds, wise men, his own mother, Joseph, and all the Evangelists be examined. Moreover, what imported that horrible slaughter of all the suckling Babes of Bethlehem, only by the cruel proclamation of Herod, without any molestation of the infants of Nazareth: unless Herod the king had been throughly persuaded, that above that instant of time, wherein Christ was borne, the same very king of the Jews was then borne in the city of Bethlehem? What else is it then that troubleth you? because he dyed the death?² What do I hear? what? Have you always awaited for a Messiah that could not be bereft of life? How then should this Messiah deliver Jacob his people from their iniquities, ⟨image 39⟩when as no remission of sins could be without slaughter & blood, according to the infallible testimonies, and continual sacrifices of your own law? Briefly, if it were not requisite that Messiah should dye the death, then did all the Prophets lye, Zechariah, Daniel, David, Isaiah, did lye: which have not only made mention of his death, but have most learnedly also set down the cause of his death. For this we read in Daniel,³ That wickedness (saith he) may finish, and sins be sealed up, iniquity reconciled, and everlasting righteousness may be brought in. And proceeding a little further in the same Chapter, doth expressly declare that Christ ought to be slain. In like manner the Prophet Isaiah:⁴ If he shall make his soul an offering for sin, saith he. The very same thing doeth Moses also prefigure unto us under certain ceremonies of sacrifices, types and figures not altogether obscure. What say you to Isaiah the Prophet: who doeth not only discover the cause, but the manner also of his death, his spittings, scourging, wounds, plagues, buffetings and reproaches? What say you to Zechariah, who mentioneth the piercing of his side with a spear? What say you to David,