years of his Empire, commanded sacrifices to be offered up unto God, out of his own tribute. The like did _Nero_, till the unadvised rashnesse of _Eleazar_ in refusing his sacrifice, alienated the mind of the Emperour, that he became the cause of a bloudy persecution. And by all this, we may the better interpret that 11 verse of the 1. chap. of _Malachy_ (who flourisht in the second temple,) The words are, _From the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts_. For besides that the heathens termed the temple _the house of the great God_, (_Ezra_ 5.8.) they and their Monarchs, and Emperours, both of _Persia_, _Grece_, and _Rome_, desired, as we have heard, to have sacrifices, and incense, offered for them in Gods name. 9. And let the reader be pleased further to observe, that the _Iewes_ were accustomed, not onely to offer up sacrifices, and prayers to God, for the Emperours, their friends, confederates, and allyes, but also generally for the whole world. It is the custome (saith _Agrippa_ to _Caius_ according to _Philo_ p. 1035.) for the High-priest, at the day of attonement, to make a prayer unto God, for all mankind; beseeching him to adde unto them another year, with blessing and peace. The same _Philo Iudæus_ in his second book of _Monarchy_ saith, _The priests of other nations pray unto God onely for the welfare of their own particular nations, but our High-priest prayes for the happinesse and prosperity of the whole world_. And in his book of sacrifices, p. 836. he saith, _Some sacrifices are offered up for our nation, and some for all mankind. For the daily sacrifices, twice a day, viz. at morning, and evening, are for the obtaining of those good things, which God the chief good, grants unto them, at those two times of the day._ And in like manner, _Iosephus_ in his second book against _Apion_ saith, _We sacrifice, and pray unto the Lord, in the first place, for the whole world, for their prosperity, and peace, and afterwards more particularly for our selves, forasmuch (as we conceive) that prayer which is first extended universally, and is afterwards put up more particularly, is very much acceptable unto God_. Which words are also related by _Eusebius Cæsareensis_, in his _Præparatio Evangelica_, lib. 8. cap. 2.