SVndry opinions hath Epiphanius of Melchisedek, Epiphanius, book 2. her. 55 what, or who that per­son shoulde be. But time hath vanqui­shed part of them, frō defence of y^e lear­ned by writing, though in phantasies of men they be quicke. Part, haue yet their defenders of sundry sortes vntyll this day. Of suche as are vanquished, a short speeche may suffise: of the others, more shalbe spoken: to settle one, true.

1 The Melchisedekians framing a deadly heresie, as Epi­phanius doth recorde,The first Opi­nion▪ helde Melchisedek to be a certaine wight dwelling in some place, which none can tell of, being a wight greater then CHRIST. Forsooth they woulde stablishe that opinion from (Psal. 110. 4.) Thou art a Sacri­ficer for euer, after the order of Melchisedek: as though Christe must therefore be inferiour, and needing the order of the other. And of Melcisedek they holde it to be proper­ly spoken, that he is without father, without mother, without kinred: going about to proue that, from the Epi­stle to the Hebrewes. Now from the same wordes they may be confuted. As Dauid prophecying of the LORD, sayd, that he shoulde be a Sacrifi [...]er after the order of M [...]lchi­sedek: by the very same Scripture sheweth the Apostle, [Page] That euen Christ should be that Sacrificer, who is Lord in Dauid. Psal 110. and aboue all to be praysed for euer. Rom. 9. Of Melchisedek speaketh the Apostle in the same place, that he likened to the Sonne of God, continueth a Sacrifi­cer for euer. Now if he be but likened to the sonne of God, he is not equall to the sonne of God: For how can the ser­uant be equal to y^e maister? Now Melchisedek was a man. That Epiphanius proueth afterwardes. And that, VVith­out father, without mother: is not sayd, as though he had not father and mother: but because they are not in most manifest sort ( [...].) named in the Scripture. How many others haue not their kinred in y^e most manifest sort, as Daniel, Sidrac, Misac, and Elias?

This much for the Melchesedekians, out of the Greeke Father Epiphanius: wherein I coulde wyshe some to marke how grauely and truely, the learned father expoundeth the wordes. without father, without mother. For whereas he In saying [...] ▪ that is: in the most manifest sort. maketh the relation to be only to Gen. 14. they do not wel that stretch it further: as though the holy Ghost had sayde, in all the Scripture, a father or mother for him can not be founde. So they might as wel say, that by al the Scripture it coulde not be proued, that he had beginning of dayes, and ende of lyfe. Whereas the Apostle expresly teacheth, That it is ordeyned, that all men once shall die. Now of Mel­chisedek it is as welHeb. 7. Gene. 3. affyrmed, that he lyueth: as that he is without father and mother. But by the Scripture we may gather, that he dyed: therefore as well, that he had fa­ther and mother. Wherefore it is not properly spoken.

Let none thinke, that the spirite of God is controlled, by seeking his name and parentage. Iob woulde tell vs, that it is not good to defend Gods cause with an errour,Iob. 13. 7. (preten­ding a religion.) Neyther is the Figure hereby destroyed. For it is not spoken simply, but in relation. And euery By S. Au­gustnes leaue. wyse man wyl graunt, that he had both father and mother. And why shoulde the Figure be more defaced, by a certayne [Page] father taught vs, by sundry argumentes, by Moses when he wrote, then by obscure fathers? The Apostle disputeth of Melchisedekes case, as in Abrahams tyme he was knowen, when he was alyue, and actually a figure of Christ, not med­lyng with that certayntie, whiche is euident since Moses wrote a Comment vpon that case, shewyng what man was then alyue, at Salem greater then Abraham. And without the story of Sem, I thinke we shall hardly performe this charge:Heb. 7. Consider how great this man is: or vnderstande this:Heb. 6. Of him we haue many thinges to be spoken, hard to be vttered: because ye are dull of hearing. Folow then the Apostle, and marke his wordes: and know both the rea­son of Moses silence, Gen. 14. and his vndoubted proper meaning from Gen. 9.Gen. 14. 18. what man he must needes be, who then was king of Salem. It is a frowarde modestie, which wyll not search when God biddeth: and the stopping of the eares, is Serpentlike: when God blameth for dulnes of hearing.

The Apostle (in deede) from the silence of Moses testifi­eth, that he was a figure of the Messias. But how large may we expounde his silence, to be ouer his whole lawe, or in the phrase touching Melchisedek? Doubtles touch­ing the open and present story of Melchisedek. For to whom doth he testifie that? but to the Hebrwees: which so holde it vnto this day, as the Apostles speach doth handle it: who both consider the Figure representing one more then a man, & also can playnely proue, in historical kinde, by Moses from other places, who helde Salem then: and who then alyue might be holden greater then Abraham: whereby it might well be knowen, what perticular person, both the Apostle meant, and the Hebrewes knewe to be spoken of. And why then shoulde men draw the matter otherwyse then euer the Hebrewes woulde suffer it to be drawen? Sickerles the Apostle woulde reason, as the Iewes might vnderstand▪ and neuer woulde his argument, which must be playne, [Page] bring more entanglementes then all religion had. But the Iewes shoulde haue been more entangled by a doctrine ma­king any then alyue greater then Abraham, but such as had the promise of Christ before. Therefore the Apostle would neuer go about, to thrust an opinion vpon them: for one greater then Abraham, but woulde talke accordyng to their meanyng. Let none thereon frame a godlyer modesty vnto him selfe, then the whole sway of Hebrewes, touching an Hebrew poynt, wil suffer: and the Apostle writing to them: expounded by their continuall iudgement. Neyther let any euer thinke, that God would forbid searching of the Scrip­ture for a matter of storie: as the kinred of a man is: but rather charge vs to marke al poyntes, the first and the later: that in all, Gods playne constancie of blessing myght ap­peare in a man: whom wicked Canaan knew to be glorious, but no more regarded his state, or knew his kinred, byrth, or death: then yf he had them not at all: Yet might haue knowen, yf their Fathers had delyuered the memorie of Noes blessing from age to age vntyll theyr tyme: and had taught them who dwelt at Salem, borne before the worlde now,2. Pet. 3, 7. not of their kinred: nor lyke to ende his lyfe in theyr dayes, by reason of lusty strength. An higher poynt Mel­chisedek resembled,Conferre Gen. 9. & 11. & 14. to which the proper* storie woulde bring by degrees: whiche to knowe we are bounde. The ignorance of that bred the Melchisedekians: The con­futing of them, I trust, shall not be needefull in this age, but so farre as men somewhat touch them, in mistaking the spech: without father, without mother. &c.

2 There sprang another opinion that was somwhat hol­den of some olde Latines,The seconde opinion. otherwyse the best learned: But Epiphanius fathereth it vpon Hierax, which taught earnestly that Melchisedek was the holy Ghost, because he was tear­med to be lykened to the Sonne of God: and applyeth these wordes, Abydeth a Sacrificer continually, to that which [Page] the Apostle sayd:Rom.▪ The spirite maketh intercession with groninges vnspeakable. But Hierax hath mist extreamely. For the Holy spirite neuer tooke flesh: Wherefore he coulde not be a king of Salem, and a sacrificer of one certaine place: For, euery (high) Sacrificer is taken from men. Heb. 5. 1. Some pardon must be geuen to them that helde this errour, more then to the former: by reason that of two other opinions, which haue had some stroke: neyther coulde greatly please the Grekes Vntyll this day, as shal appeare by the discourse. Also amongst the Latines S. Augustine was a mighty wrest­ler for y^e defence of Hierax minde, styrred Vp by y^e fondnes of that one opinion, which Greekes somwhat liked of,That Melchi­sedeck was a Cananite by kinred. Epiph. in Here. 55. oecum. vpon Heb. 7. either not knowing, or not considering cleerely the Chronicle and storie fortifiyng the other. These two opinions agree in one poynt, that Melchisedek was a king of a smal kingdome in Chanaan: Or as one translateth Tremelius, (a lytleThat he was no farther a Chananite then by place. Chana­anite King:) for as the Iewes language is called in Esay. 19 The speech of Chanaan: so any one dwelling there, might as well be of Tremelius called Chananeus. Now by both sides, who holde this opinion, Melchisedek cannot be any spirite: but one that hath Adam and Noe to his father, and doubteles to his mother Eue namely: and had both be­ginning of dayes, and ende of lyfe in proprietie: and lyueth not continually on the earth: nor can abyde a Sacrificer for euer, otherwyse then by the description of Melchise­dek. Gen. 14. Vnto which onely the Apostle woulde haue vs to referre those speaches: seeing the rest of Scriptnre, woulde teach otherwyse of the very man, which we must marke, vnlesse we be dull of hearyng: to know who by many degrees, shoulde be greater then Abraham. From this one stocke of this king in Chanaan, growe two branches: one beareth vp them, who make him to be of Chanaans seede: an other holde they, who say that he is Sem the sonne of Noe. The first the Greekes brought in, who helde that Sem could not then be alyue: The other helde the Hebrewes.

And thus much touching the alteration made by the Septuagint▪ to which I must adde one Narration touching Terahs age of 130. yeeres, when he begate Abram: which inequalitie with the former, might be a speciall cause why the Septuagint, did adde hundreds to many, least the strange­nes of Terahs case shoulde make Heathen amazed. Thus Moses ioyneth to Terahs death Abrams callyng, promyse, and age, saying▪ And the Lord sayd vnto Abram. Get thee [Page] out of thy Land of dwelling, not of byrth. land, and from thy Nachor and his house. kinred, and from thy Seeing he is dead. Fathers house, vnto the Where Melchisedek dwelleth, to pro­nounce the bles­sing receyued from Noah, vpon thee. lande that I wyll shew thee. And I wyl blesse them that Then faythles Nachor went not with him af­ter this spech. blesse thee, and curse them that curse thee, and in thee all the families of the earth shal be blessed. And Abram If Abraham toke Lot when he went vppon Gods comman­dement, and not Nachor, this must needes be an other speeche, then that which remooued from frō Vr, him selfe, Terah, and Nachor. went as the Lord commaun­ded him, and was seuentie fiue yeeres olde, and Lot went with him, as partaker of the same blessing. Zoar vpon Gen. and that appeareth in Ruthes commendation. Ruth. 2. 3. Where Booz sayth: Thou hast forsaken thy father and thy mother, and thy countrey, and thou art come to a people which thou didst not know before. The Lorde wyll recompence thee: and thy rewarde shalbe perfect from the Lord. It is manifest by this Text, that after his fathers death, God remooued his dwelling from Charan, as S. Stephen expoundeth it. And Philo the Greeke writer in Abrahams Peregrination expressely noteth that to be the common iudgement of the Iewes of this tyme. This he writeth. It is lyke that none is ignorant that haue read the Lawes, how Abraham first remouing his dwelling frō Chaldea dwelt in Charan. And after that his father dyed there, he remooueth also from it. And in the same worke also he sayth, that Abraham left Charan, being seuentie and fiue yeeres olde. I am perswaded, that of olde time the Greekes were of Philoes iudgement. Yet of later times two opinions haue been much holden: which I cannot allow off. The one, that Abraham shoulde be borne when Terah was seuentie yeeres olde, as he is fyrst in or­der: the other, that the Promise vpon the former wordes was geuen in Vr of Chaldea. The later Iewes holde both. And also aBecause saint Stephen for A­brahams calling from Vr, vsed these wordes. Get thee from thy countrey, & from thy kinse­folke: which wordes ate vsed also Gen. 12. (though after mention of his fathers death, w^t many other, that coulde not agree with his first callyng) many thought that the wordes Gen. 12. were spoken in Chaldea though he affirme the appearance of the God of glory, and wordes to that effect, from other the like scriptures, & not from an expresse testimony. speche of S. Stephens, caused many to holde the later. Bucholcherus sufficiently answereth that. Yet agaynst S Stephen, the former, the Iewes holde for some rancor, be­cause [Page] he sayth, that after Terahs death, God remooued Abrahams to Charan. Nothing but rancor coulde thrust them into that opinion, agaynst expressed wordes, and their owne knowledge. They knewe well enough that the or­der of their names no more made Abraham eldest, then it coulde make Sem eldest: whom the Septuagint, and most Rabbines holde to be younger then Iapheth. Moreouer, they holde Sarah, who was but ten yeeres younger then Abraham, to be Harans daughter. Genebardus lyketh well of this, that Haran at eight yeeres of age shoulde beget her. But the Iewes rather woulde thinke that he vnderstoode not their dalliance: then holde that. An other reason a­gaynst the Iewes is this: that they obserue how Moses spea­keth of Terah onely, in that Chapter that he died:R. Bochai vpon Gen. 11. least men shoulde thinke that Abraham would leaue his Father aliue behinde him. But he must be left sixtie yeres behinde him, yf Abraham were borne when Terah was seuentie: there­fore Moses by their grant would not haue men to thinke so. An other reason agaynst them is this: of the present case. If Sem delyuered the blessing to Abraham, Abraham did out liue him: for it coulde not be a propheticall worke to de­liuer the inheritaunce to one that shoulde not suruiue: and he should out lyue Abraham many yeeres, yf he were borne in Terahs seuentith yeere. But they graunt that Sem deli­uered the blessing to Abraham: for they holde him to be Melchisedek: as witnesseth Aruch in the worde Ierusalem, and whole troupes, whom I elswhere cited. Therefore Abraham out lyuing Sem, must be borne as Philo casteth his age: whereupon doubtles the Translatours were most mooued to alter the Text for yeeres. Now I wyll returne to my disputation for the other two opinions touchyng Melchisedek.

The Greekes helde, that Melchisedek was a man of Ca­naans race:The thirde opinion. Epiphanius and Oecumerius are playne in that. Haer. 55. Chrysostome vpon Ebr. 7. speaketh more circumspectly, that [Page] they knewe not who he shoulde be,The Iewes dal­lying, fayne them who were reckened for Gods in time of Hea­then, to be Mel­chisedeks pa­rentes, carying him aboue the age of Abra­hams tyme. but deemeth not that he might be a Chanaanite. Epiphanius woulde seeme to lyke somewhat of this opinion, That Melchisedeks father was called Heraclas: a man of that countrey, dwelling at Salem: and his mother Astaroth. These tales, some belyke faig­ned, somewhat to stay the Melchisedekians folly: But they droue S. Augustine to an other grosse errour, while they dispute agaynst Samaritans onely, as though some Iewes had thought otherwyse. In deede Epiphanius dealing is strange. He being a Christian from Palastina, and a Iew, as Iohn byshop of Nicea recordeth,In an Ho­mely not yet printed, but to be seene in Emmanuell colldege in Cambridge: with Planudes, who condem­neth Purgatory playnly, yet wrote about the yere▪ 1100. durst not openly deny the Septuagint: both for the Iewes vow, that bounde their nation vnder payne of curse, not to alter it: and for heathen Christi­ans, who had conceyued a better opinion of it, then of the Hebrew. Yet he disgraceth the 70. muche, as touching varietie of Copies: and so disputeth, as willing to yeelde, that Sem must needes he Melchisedek: though he were loth to seeme a destroyer of the 70. aucthoritie, which Iewes fa­bles aduaunced, & Grekes vnskilfulnes too much embraced. Thus he would seeme to confute Sems defenders, saying.

And these shalbe found to be rediculous. For the Scrip­ture making al sure, hath fortified the trueth in al poyntes, hauing ordered the tymes and yeeres not in vayne. For when Abraham was eightie yeeres olde, or ninetie, more or lesse: then Melchisedek met him. Now Terah the fa­ther of Abraham begate Abraham beingThat he spea­keth, but as the phrase at the first woulde seme to meane, we may knowe by the like, in the Iewes ma­ner yet quicke in Talmud. Saned. Cha. 9. pag. 69. where Sarah should so be within eight yeeres of her fathers age▪ seuentie yeeres olde: so yeeres arise an hundreth and sixtie, more or lesse. And Nachor begate Terah at seuentie and nine yeeres olde: so arise two hundreth thirtie and nine yeres. Sarug be­gate Nachor at an hundreth and thirtie yeres of age: so arise yeres three hundreth sixtie and nine. Regu begate Sarug being an hundreth thirtie and two yeeres olde: so aryse yeeres fiue hundreth and one. Peleg begate Regu at an hun­dreth and thirtie yeeres of age: so aryse yeeres sixe hun­dreth thirtie and one. Eber begate Peleg an hundreth thir­tie [Page] and foure yeeres of his lyfe: so aryse seuen hundreth sixtie and fiue yeeres. Selah begate Eber being in the yeere an hundreth and thirtie of his age: so arise eight hundreth nintie and fiue yeeres. Arphaxad being an hundreth thir­tie and fiue yeres olde begate Selah: Here he is so bold as to leaue out Kenan, but in three other places he doth name him: and yet as a cypher, holding styll Iacob to be the two and twen­tith from Adam. so are yeeres one thou­sande and thirtie. Now the foresayd Sem. whom Sama­ritanes phantasies woulde haue to be Melchisedek, begate Arphaxad being an hundreth yeeres olde: all maketh yeres one thousande an hundreth and thirtie, vnto the tyme of Abraham when he returned from the slaughter of the kinges. But Sem lyued not so many yeeres, accordyng to these mens doting phantasie: but being an hundreth yere olde, he begate Arphaxad two yeeres after the Flood, and lyued after that, fiue hundreth yeres, and he died: There­fore he lyuing sixe hundreth yeeres, and dying, howe coulde he reach to one thousande an hundreth and thir­tie yeeres, that Sem the sonne of Noah, being ten ages be­fore called of them Melchisedek, shoulde be thought aliue after ten ages?He shoulde seeme to be in earnest: but that in the wordes folo­wyng, he com­meth as neare the Hebrew as he durst, well in that age. O great wandringes of men. Now by the accompt of other Copies, from Sems age since first he was Sem, vnto the foresayd tyme of Abrahams meetyng Melchisedek when he was eightie, or ninetie yeeres olde, are yeeres sixe hundreth twentie and nine, more or lesse: so that in no case can Sem reach to the foresayde tyme of Abraham, that he shoulde be counted Melchisedek. Therefore on euery side, this tale of the Samaritanes fal­leth to nothyng. Anone I wyll try further his meaning: Now thus I haue layde downe the force of his supposed opinion agaynst: That Sem shoulde be Melchisedek. Tedi­ous to mee was this speech, standing vpon a false grounde: which yf it myght be receiued, it woulde shake the certainty of Scripture: yet needefull at this day is the confuting of him. The Hebrew falleth. yf [...] For I haue heard Learned men, more then one, ob­iect earnestly this aucttoritie of Epiphanius, litle considering how thereby the authoritie of the scripture copies should pe­rish [Page] wholly. He, & they, shalbe answered both at once: if they wyll start to no further skapes then Ep [...]phanius him selfe would like off: that is, yf they ioyne not with Melchisede­kians, and Hierax, in the exposition of the wordes, without father, without mother. I wyll graunt Epiphanius, that the tymes make sure the cause: and agree with his dealyng, that he coulde bring no other reason agaynst it, that Sem shoulde be Melchisedek: but from the Greeke accompt of tyme. Yet I must needes tell him: that he (as other natiue Greekes) hath hindered y^e trueth exceedingly, and wrought great annoyance to Religion, in vrging the Greeke trans­lation for proprietie, where it dallieth: for a ground against the grounde: for trueth where touching sadde meanyng, it is further of then any HeathenHauyng a written story before them. woulde or coulde lightly misse. The Hebrew text hath Gods aucthoritie, and sad propriety: it standeth sure styll, and of the wysest was al­wayes holden true. Of it most sensible reasons may be rendred, amongst them whose senses by vse are made fit to iudge: though it seeme strange at the first. Variety hath not been founde in the Hebrew text, nor Hebrew com­mentaries since Ezras time: whereas nothing is more vn­constant then the sundry copies of the Greekes, and theyr citations in the Greeke Doctors. Now in the Hebrew text it appeareth that Sem, who lyued sixe hundreth yeeres, was but about fiue hundreth and thirtie, when Abraham met Melchisedek: and therefore Epiphanius hath nothyng for his defence. And the more is he to be blamed, in that by some copies he found from Sems birth to Abrahams warres but sixe hundreth twentie and nine yeres: which va­rietie might haue hardened him to haue sought for y^e origi­nal, in true plainnes. I thinke he might haue found in some Greeke translations, or commentaries, the letter phi, which standeth for fiue hundreth, in stead of chi: that he citeth, and woulde make sixe hundreth yeeres, and so the Hebrew aye was. But to conclude, all Europe, where Vniuersities [Page] haue had Hebrew: and all our Bibles in these west partes, (that I haue seene) Englysh, Latine, Italian, Spanishe, French, Duch. &c.In worke they condemne him, in that they follow the Hebrew. condemne Epiphanius for this poynt, as going about to shake the Hebrew text, the strongest post of Diuine buylding. In the same blame must they be wrap­ped, that vse for their defence the authoritie and testimony of his conclusion. And thus much for turnyng agaynst hym, that which he chiefly leaned vpon, in his outward shew.

Now that Melchisedek is not a Chanaanite, two poynts are handled therein by S. Augustine. The one, that no Cha­naanite coulde be greater then Abraham: An other, that Abraham coulde not be the father of many nations, to re­uiue fayth decayed, yf a Chanaanite helde it styll: of these two, neyther wyll suffer other to fall: but eyther wilbe sure.

And for their obiection that make the superioritie to stand in the blessing,August. in qq. ex vtro (que) mix­tim (que) c. 109. * that is alwayes doubtles, that the rule of blessing is aboue them which are blest. But here the worthynes of the person is considered, whereby the blessing from his mouth was regarded. Yea and Abraham him selfe was a sacrificer, and therein coulde not be inferiour to any Cananite for office. Moreouer, what warrant should Abra­ham haue to acknowledge a Chananite, of a nation cursed, his superiour? They whose tongues were confounded, also lost religion, by the wrath of God. But the Chananites had seuerall Dialectes, therefore they all had lost religion: ney­ther was the name of the One true God, knowen to them. In deede Eusebius recordeth. 1. Praep, their religion, as some­what sounding towardes a voyce of good, but in trueth bad to them selues. For, whereas God is called in Sems house, [...]l. Elion, the Chananites had seuerall Gods, one called El: an other called Elion: as often hearing somewhat of Mel­chisedek, who was sacrificer to God, knowne by the termes El, and Elion. But they not holding the trueth, and be­ing rather scattered from the face of the presence of God, went on eche one after their owne goddes: wherefore I [Page] can not see how agaynst a generall rule, one of a cursed Nation and strange language in the lyfe of Sem, shoulde excell Abraham and Sem. And thus much for the thirde opinion: wherein also I was constrayned, beside the natu­rall methode to answere the obiections agaynst the fourth.

Now the fourth is that of the Hebrewes, which holde it doubtles (the learned of them,Cha. 49. who cast Sem to be yet then alyue) that Melchisedek can be no other but Sem. For the better satisfiyng of all, I wyll name here some of the chiefe Authours, with their testimonies. Syracides sayth, that Seth and Accordingly Talmud in Such [...], pag. 52. b bringeth the Sacrificer of Iustice. Gen. 14 in catalogue with Adam, Seth, Christ, Elias. &c. and there Masso­reth Hashem, handleth it, namely of Sem, who was Car­pender of the Arke with Noah: whereby we may gather that the olde opinion conti­nued styll. Sem were most glorious amongst men. For Set [...], it is manifest, in that all men are. Num. 24. called the sonnes of Seth: But for Sem, I see not how he shoulde be manifest in such glory, but in the person of Melchisedek. And vnlesse he were a Prophet, I see not howe he shoulde excell: nor yet how he may be counted a Prophet, but in the blessing of Abraham. So Seder Olam Rabba Cha. 21. reckoning Sem in the catalog of olde Prophetes, vsed Melchisedeks story for a profe. Such Hebrewes as I haue, that handle that case, recorde not onely their owne iudgement, but also the iudge­ment of others agreeing thereunto, that Sem was thought to be Melchisedek. R. Bochai is peremtorie in that. Fol. 23. col. 2. line. 42. and there in a kinde of Rabbinical descantyng vpon the phrase, sheweth how Abraham was named by him So S. Paul calling Abra­ham heyre of the worlde. Rom. 4. should take his speche from his coun­trey Doctors, as are th'other speches touch­ing Melchise­dek. heyre of the worlde, from the attributes spoken of God: in the wordes, Blessed be Abraham to El. Elion, (the Mightie, the Hygh) possessor of heauen and earth. There also he handleth Thamars case, that sentence was geuen by Iudah vpon her to be brent: because she was (so they the Rabbines talke) Melchisedeks or Sems daughter: and burning was the punishment of the sacrificers daughters, in suche faultes. Marten Luther in sadnes confuteth that: reckonyng howe long before, Melchisedek was dead, and shewyng that the tyme wyll not agree. As I thinke, they noorished that tale, to teach their babes to weigh Melchisedekes case: and no [Page] further thought that Sem shoulde be her father in deede. For we shoulde not soone imagine them to be senselesse, from whoseThough all our Rabbines be later then the Apostles: yet seeing they onely of foren writers haue some hundrth of speches vsed in the new Te­stament, we may well con­clude that the olde Hebrewes before vsed them: whom the Apostles folowed. kind of study & learning, the new Testament bring­eth many speches, in them yet to be founde commonly, and in no other writers: though touching their fables, we haue a warning. Salomoh Iarchi handleth the cause of this bles­sing, whose wordes be these, vpon Melchisedek: Gen. 14. He in Midras Hagadah is Sem the sonne of Noah: and he brought forth bread and wine, as vnto men wearie in bat­tell: and he shewed the other, that his hart was not styrred agaynst him, for killing his Children: For Cedarlaomers people of Elam, must needes be of Sem. This Iarchi and Epiphanius in Ancorato, are of one iudgement: that many of Sems posteritie (such as had not their tongues altered) kept about Ierusalem: though in tyme Chanaans families wea­ried them out. For that I wyll not striue, as Ramban doth agaynst Iarchi: but both he (citing the Fathers) and I also, wyll graunt that Sem met Abraham.

I omit their short speaches in this poynt, that onely cite other mens iudgementes: as Dauid Kinchi vpon Psal. 110. Rabbi Nathan in the recorde of the Fathers. Aben Ezra vpon Gen. 14. and Baal Hatturim, in his nootes of memorie from the letters of Melec Salem, whereby S. and M. in the wordes turned, make Sem. Though such toying can be no proofe in sounde argument, yet it argueth that to haue beene alwayes the common opinion: otherwyse that dallying shoulde ne­uer haue been admitted, whereas yet mostAs that Mi­chael (who is Christ) is the Angel that should goe be­fore Moses, in whom was the name (that is) the nature of God. Exod. 23. 22. whom S. Iarchi calleth Shaddai, God Almightie. weightie things are founde in that worke, from the letters in appearaunce: but in trueth from the matter strong and cleere of antiquity, and for memorie wittely contriued, to some note vpon the letters, for better preseruation also of the Text. Ralbag con­firmeth the Rabbines consent, by the great matters which are in Melchisedek, and must also be in Sem. Midras, Psal. 76. maketh a lyuely discourse vpon the name Salem: which the very same is in Bereshith Rabba [...]; also in Sepher Aruch: The [Page] name of that place was Iehouah Iireh. Abraham called it Iireh: Sem called it Salem, as hence appeareth, Melchisedek king of Salem, the holy blessed God sayd: If I call it Iireh, Sem a iust man wyll be greeued: yf I call it (still but) Salem, Abraham a iust man wyll be greeued: for his monument forgotten. Beholde, I call it as they both call it, Ierusalem: Iireh Salem: That is, The sight or reuerence, or religion of peace. I woulde Ierusalem had as sadly looked to those thinges, which were her peace, as Midras doth pleasantly open the name. The same Midras hath also a strong argu­ment from the place: For that was the place of Sems dwel­ling, whence in time Iapheths sonnes should learne to dwel in the tabernacle of God.Esai. 2.But from Sion came foorth the Law,Mich. 4.and the worde of the Lord from Ierusalem:Actes. 1 [...]whereby God had his Tabernacle amongst vs of Iapheths house: therefore Sion and Salem was the place of Sems dwellyng. Thus reasoneth Midras: that being so, doubtles Salem and Sem were despised by the buylders of Babel, whereupon many tongues sprang: and contrariwise, by clouen tongues vnderstoode at Salem, that Ierusalem was founded, in which Iapheth and Sem might both dwell togeather.

The Iewes at Wormes, beingBy my selfe 1590. demaunded, When they thought Iapheth and Sem ioyned? sayd, at the ouerthrowe which they gaue to Babel, and ioyned paynes to buylde Ie­rusalem. And in deede, it is somewhat that they say: but a small deale to the whole meanyng. Then Darius, of Ma­dai and Iapheth: and Cyrus, of Elam and Sem, both pulde downe Babel, and set vp Ierusalem. But the fulnes of their dwelling is in that Ierusalem, named Heb. 10 Apo. 3. & 21. Now that we cast no stumbling blocke before those blinde, we shoulde furnyshe our selues to agree skilfully with them for the writ, and take heede least we vrge the Apostle as a new teacher of an olde story: in which kind Apostles would not be conuicted, disputing with their enimies, to teache that which Moses and the Prophetes taught not. I will passe [Page] ouerTanchumah & Elias folow R. Sal. Iarchies wordes. Tanchuma, Elias, Abrabaneel, Iuchasim, pag. 5. & pag. 134. b. where the Rabbines say, that he buylt Ierusa­lem. Zakuto, to hasten to those Hebrewes, which by type mystery or callyng of the matter to an high vnderstanding, deale in Melchisedek as doth the Apostle, considering how CHRIST in him is re­presented: that thereby the Apostles wordes may lesse amaze vs, when we see that y^e Iewes of them selues bryng Melchi­sedek, to represent the eternall name of God: and distinct­ly the Messias: agaynst their present religion, at this day.

Let vs marke R. Symeon ben Iochai a Rabbin, of which a man may speake, asOdyss. Delta. vers. 230. Homer speaketh of Egypt: that therein been receites many good and many euyll. I am to regarde him as a recorder, and not a iudge: as citing other mens wordes, and of small aucthoritie for his owne. He is thought of Genebrard, to be a very olde writer: as of Galatinus: and I finde R. Symeon Ben Iochi, cited in Talmud Sanadrin. pag 70. b. But doubtles many rare thinges for a Rabbin he hath yeel­ded to many Christians, very agreeable to the Apostles doctrine. Thus he sayth: Melchisedek king of Salem, Salem properly: VVhen is he king of Salem? In the daye of re­conciliation, when all faces are made lyghtened. What can be better spoken, or more fitly for the party resembled by Melchisedek? For when our Lord Iesus ware the crowne of Thornes, then the daughters of Ierusalem were to be­holde the true Salomon, and king of Salem: euen in that day, when the most Holy was killed, not for him selfe, but to make expiation, or reconciliation for sinne: Therefore the Angel doth vse Daniel 9. the verbe capper, for to aunswere Moses worde cippur: expiation, and reconciliation. The same Rabbin Col. 83. speaketh, that the spirite of God. Gen. 1, 2. is the spirite of the Messias, who is also Shiloh: Zoar vpon Shiloh. Gen. 49 in which name is The aduersa­ries confession, for the matter in controuersie. Iah, the Eternall. And there he speaketh of the Serpent desirous to shed blood: so that Christ shoulde be kilde, and many of Israel with him. This may well be ad­mitted in the Cabalist, who yet properly helde Melchisedek to be Sem, as S. Iarchi & theNedarim. cha. 3. pag. 32. b. Talmud doth. This olde Cabalist [Page] shoulde be the more esteemed, for that out of him many cite from these wordes, Iehouah, our God, Iehouah: In Zoar I can not finde that sentence: Se­bast. Lepuscu­lus citeth not Zoar, but Ve­zoar for it. the persons of Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost: Yet I may for his skill speake as of one, that of late wrote a Booke vnperfect and vnpermitted, and forbyd to be printed: of the Lyues of the Fathers: A discourse framed by a rude Seruing man, who had scraped notes from sundry men: and stayned all, eyther with argumentes vnapt, or with blasphemous errours: He citing Zoar, (a booke whereof he can not read one worde) caused his booke to be fathered vpon such as woulde loath it: and by such meanes many were dispersed, and the simple much intangled. The same is the case of these Rabbines: who haue much from olde writers, agreeable to the Apostles doctrine: but stayned with dogged blasphemies: notwith­standing their readines in the text, and recordes in peeces of ancient trueth must be regarded. And who so dealeth with them, and is founde erronious in story, as they who woulde make the rare type of Melchisedek to be of a nation cursed: he shall geue them great occasion to disdayne the trueth: as was geuen to Hierax and S. Augustine, to runne to a specu­lation vnprofitable.

I may well ioyne R. Menachem to the authour of Zoar: for his wordes Menachem most commonly foloweth. Thus he writeth vpon Sedek, part of the name, and signifieth Ius­tice: The meaning is, that the terme Sedek hath a close be­tokening of S [...]cinah: that is, the Diuine nature. More plaine is Rabbi Isaac ben Arama vpon Genesis: whose wordes Se­bastianus Munster, & Augustinus Nebiensis vse vpon Psal. 110. where Melchisedek is a figure of Christ. Thus he writeth: VVe haue not founde any man, not any Prophet, whose natiuitie was prophecied before natiuitie of father or mo­ther, but onely that of Messias, our iustice: to that, this is spoken: And before the wombe, before the mornyng hadst thou the dew of thy byrth, before the wombe of thy mother was created, thy byrth was prophecied: And a [Page] close signification to the same matter is this: (Before the mornyng, his name was Sonne.) The meaning is, That be­fore the Sunne was created, subsisting and firme was the name of our Christ, and he sate on the right hand of God. And according to this, spoken is that: Sit on my right hand: and agayne: The throne shalbe established with mercy, and he shall sit vpon it in trueth. This much doth this Rabbin confesse. Marke R. Moses Hadarsan vpon Gen. 14. And Melchisedek king of Salem▪ He was Sem the sonne of Noah. An other exposition. Melchisedek. &c. as it is written, The Lord sware, and wyll not repent: Thou art a Sacrifi­cer for euer, after the order of Melchisedek king of Salem: And who is he? This is the iust king: and the sauiour Christ the King: as it is sayd: Beholde thy King, a sauiour also, that shall come to the iust. This noteth Galatinus from Hebrewes: Rabbi Phinees the sonne of Iair sayd: Melchisedek, that is, Christ the king. Now he is tearmed Melchi, that is king: because he is king of the whole worlde: and Sedek, that is iustice, because he shall sende his iustice and his grace vpon the whole worlde: as it is sayd. Psal. 83. Trueth shall budde from the earth, and iustice shall be seene from heauen. King of Salem: that is of the high Ierusalem. Consider now, whether the Apostle doth not speake to the same effect, styring them vp which are dull of hearyng, to weigh many thinges from Melchisedek vnto Christe: many and hard to be made playne: thinges fit for men which haue their senses confirmed by vse. This Malchisedek king of Salem, the Sacrificer of the mighty most high, who met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kinges, and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gaue tythe of all thinges: who first is by interpretation, king of righteous­nes: after that he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace: without father, without mother, without kinred: hauing neyther beginning of dayes nor ende of lyfe, but lykoned to the sonne of God, continueth a Sacrificer for euer. Con­sider [Page] how great he is vnto whom, euen the Patriarke Abra­bam gaue the tyth of the spoyles: without all gainesaying, The lesser is blessed of the greater. Who can not see this spoken fitte for the opinion of the Hebrewes, which hath continued vnto this day: as may appeare by their wordes, whom I brought foorth to speake.

A litle more from them, touching the heauenly Ierusalem, or Salem: much as the Apostles do speake of it. Thus wryteth Aben Ezra, vpon Cant. 1. in Praes. Know that in this spech, O Daughters of Ierusalem, many haue stag­gered (seeing the Sinagoge of Israel speaketh it) what that, O Daughter of Ierusalem shoulde meane. Some say there be two: one in Heauen, an other on the Earth beneath it, answereable vnto it. And Midras Psal. 180. he sayth, that it shall haue one hundreth fourtie and foure Gates, for the twelue Tribes: vsyng a phrase lyke that in Apo. 7. where one hundreth fourtie and foure thousande, are sea­led: And Apo. 14 One hundreth fourtie and foure thou­sand, are on Mount Sion. Aben Ez. affirmeth, that Salomons name in the ende of the Song signifieth Christ. And Iarchi vpon the same Booke, sayth: that the families of the Gen­tiles, are called the Daughters of Ierusalem. Then by the best of their wordes the families of the Gentiles vnder Christ, make that heauenly Ierusalem. Midras vpon Psal. 122. where Ierusalem is excedingly praysed, expressedly na­meth The high Ierusalem, and the low. But most plen­tifully in that is Zoar, of the former R. Symeon Ben Iochaj, who lyuing withIn S. Paules tyme. So by Zachuto in Se­pher [...]uchasim I finde his times to be: that antiquiti [...] is elder then the great Tal­mud. R. Akiba esquire to Bar Chosha the pseudo Christ, though he mist to holde the true Christ: yet he is plentifull of good phrases, such as the Apostles haue, and speaketh better then he knew in the Apostles kinde.

Consider an other poynt what y^• Apostle meaneth, when he saith of Melchisedek strangely: he is by testimony faid to liue styl. Although Learned men expounde it so, that the not mentioning of his death, is the testimony of his lyuing styl, [Page] I dare not therein folow them, to call silence a testimony: neyther can I thinke that the Apostle writing to men, pro­fessing deepe skill in learnyng, and skant his fauourers, woulde vse any worde that might not abide tryall of the aduersaries. Now I holde that the Hebrewe wordes, VE HV COHEN, that is, And he the same styll was sacrificer, are vrged euen after Ben Iochais manner, who was aliue when that the Apostles wrote, and amongst that nation. So in Zoar he the Rabbine expoundeth: AND HE shall bruise the Serpentes head, to import the nature euerlyuing. So properly Psal 102. The worde HV, im­porteth GOD, who still is the same: though the Heauens change. Whose yeeres fayle not, though the heauens waxe olde as doth a garment. In that sort had I rather ex­pounde the Apostle, by the Hebrew maner, then drawe him to be a coyner of new phrases. Whereas the new Testa­ment in 4640. wordes, and some more, hath not skant any worde or phrase but vsuall in that age: specially it regarded the Iewes maner of speeches, and in euery booke floweth with such: which when we neglect, we wander. Now for the Sacrificer in Heauen, whom Aaron on the earth resem­bled. The godly in that age made the spech so vsuall, that the wicked graunt Michael (who is Christ the eternall An­gell of the couenaunt) to be Sacrificer in the Heauens. So R. Symeon etteth from Exodus, Thou shalt make all Page. 19. col. 75. And againe vpon Num. 6. Hebr. 8. thynges according to the forme shewed on the Mountayne, to teach men of a Sacrificer in Heauen: who is Michael. Which very same text the Apostle citeth, disputing of y^e Sa­crificer entred into the Heauens. Moreouer in wordes they confesse that Christ should be kilde: andKinchi and S. Iarchi vpon Zach. 12. 10. Christ (supposed) the sonne of Ioseph, though presently they start aside and wrangle, the later of them, that there should be two Christes: one of Ioseph Rachels sonne, who shoulde be killed: But their wordes may be cited as reason and art sheweth, they were to vnderstand their fyrst aucthours. Them selues con­fesse [Page] Christ, that was killed, to speake as Iehouah. Zach. 12. And they haue no whit of glaunce, to their other way in Scripture: For it is expressedly tolde by Gabriel, of the most holy Christ, the gouernour or King, that he shoulde be killed, and ceasse Sacrifices: who is Michael, Dan 10. 13. 21. and 12, 1. Apo. 12, 7 and Iud. 9. who doth the worke of Iehouah, that buried Moses. Deut. 34. and speaketh the wordes of Iehouah: The Lord rebuke thee Satan. Now as S. Iude and S. Iohn do folowe their kinde of phrase and maner, here and in other places: So I assure my selfe, that the Apostle doth, in the description of Melchisedek.

The testimonie of Iosephus touching Christ, a iust and holy man, or rather more then a man, who taught the people truely, is cited by Eusebius. So to good purpose in Mid. Psal. 10. one R. Iochanan, who might well be of the Apostles age: for one of that name was scholler to Hillel, of Gama­liels tyme, he speaketh thus: Three yeeres and a halfe was the Maiesty standing vpon mount Oliuet, and preachyng: Seeke the Lord, whyle he may be founde: but they re­garded not. And that Christe was holden the sonne of God (by the olde Rabbines) it is manifest in Cayphas, speaking of God,Math. 26. 63. in their tearme Baruc HV, The blessed: saying, I adiure thee by God, tell me whether thou be Christe the sonne of the blessed (GOD).

And of later tymes, Aben Ezra sayth vpon Psal. 2. Kisse the Sonne: that Christ is that sonne. Now yf the man is cursed, that maketh fleshe his arme: and yet happy is he that trusteth in that Sonne: that sonne must needes be not a bare man, but also God, after the spirite of sanctification: seeing they are not cursed, but happy, that trust in him. Wherefore seeing the Iewes speake the same thinges that the Apostles do, reason woulde that the Apostles spech lyke theirs, and to them, and differing from all others, shoulde be expounded according to their dialect and peculiaritie of spech. Esay reporteth this of them, that their eyes be ope­ned, [Page] but they wyll not marke for to see. And our Lord tolde them, that yf they were blinde, they had no (such great) sinne: but now their sinne abideth, seeing after so great knowledge of the trueth, they fall quite away, againe crucifiyng Christ, and prophaning the holy blood of the Couenant. But as touching their sayinges,Heb. 7. &. 10. fighting for vs against them selues. I thinke them profitable,For want of skyll in the Rabbines, they are folowed by our selues be­side trueth in sundry poynts. when they are cited with skill, what they do meane, or ought to meane: otherwyse they wyll trouble much, men litle acquainted with them. And thus much for the iudgement of the Hebrewes touchyng Melchisedek. Next them, let vs beholde the Latines what they taught: and after that, we wyll examine Epiphanius better, and conclude by examinyng the text of Moses by it selfe.

And first S. Ierom must come foorth from his Epistle to Euagrius: who knowing how he was sure to be blamed of captious people (as he telleth) what soeuer he sayd. yet proceedeth couragiously. He myght meane S. Au­gustine. And first taunteth a writer, that affyrmed Melchisedek to be the holy Ghost. Next Origen. and Didymus, commyng much in the same kinde: who by the same reasons make him an Angel.This opinion I passed ouer: for that with the other it should also fall, and needed not new argu­mentes.Thence he toucheth Hippolytus, Eusebius Caesariensis, and Eusebius Emisenus, Apol­linarius, and Eustathius: which thought him to be a Cana­anite. Lastly, he bryngeth the Hebrewes, saying, thus to Euagrius: Because you gently demaunde, and all that I haue learned, shoulde be commended to faythfull eares: I wyll lay downe also the Hebrewes opinion: and that no curiositie be wanting, the very Hebrew wordes wyll I hereto ioyne: Vmalchizedec melec [...] Salem hozi Lehem vaiain vehu Cohen leel elion vai [...]barchehu Vaiomar baruch Abraham lee [...] Elion kone samaim vaarez Vbaruch El Elion escher migen Zarecho beiadecho naijten lo maaser michol. And Melchisedek king of Salem brought foorth bread and wine: and he was Sacri­ficer to the hygh God: and he blessed him, and sayd: Bles­sed be Abraham, to the hygh God, which hath made hea­uen [Page] and earth: and blessed be the hygh God, which hath deliuered thine enimies into thine handes: and he gaue him tenth of all. Also they teach, that he is Sem the sonne of Noah, and was aged when Abraham was borne 390. yeeres: which thus are reckoned. Sem, the seconde yeere after the Flood, when he was an hundreth yeeres olde, be­gate Arphaxad: after whose byrth he lyued fiue hundreth yeeres, that is altogeather sixe hundreth yeeres. Arphaxad being thirtie fiue begate Salem, who him selfe at thirtie procreated Heber: who, as we read, at thirtie foure yeeres begate Phaleg. Agayne Phaleg when thirtie yeeres were come begate Rehu, who at thirtie and two since his byrth is father to Serug: of whom when he came to thyrtie yeres Nachor is borne: who being twentie and nine begate Tbare, of whom we reade that he being seuentie, begate Abraham, and Nachor, and Haran: Now Abraham dyed be­ing an hundreth seuentie and fiue yeeres olde. The summe being cast, Sem is founde to outlyue Abraham his nephew in the tenth degree thirtie and fiue yeeres. And soone after. Also they teach, that it is no maruel that Melchisedek went to meete Abraham, and brought foorth for his repast bread and wine, and blessed him: seeing he owed this a duetie to his grande Childe. (And agayne.) This haue I learned of the best learned, of this opinion: who are so farre from thinking Melchisedek to be an Angel, or the holy Ghost, that they asscribe the most certayne name of a man. And in good sooth it is foolysh, that, vpon a speech in type, one shoulde concernyng Christes sacrificehood, not ha­uing ende, how he being king and Sacrificer, geueth vs both, to become a kinred Regall and Leuiticall: and being as the Corner stone, ioyneth both walles: and of two flockes, being a good Shepheard, maketh one flocke: this shoulde so be referred to [...] or fit answereablenes as to take away the trueth of the story: and say, that he was no kyng, but an Angell shewed in a mans Image: [Page] whereas the Hebrewes so vehemently endeuour, to shewe openly that Melchisedek was Sem the sonne of Noah. Thus the fadde Father, loth to striue with the Greeke, she­weth what he best lyked vnder the Iewes aucthoritie: which Epiphanius in Greekes to Greekes durst not so well do. In the times of blindnes,When Satan was loosed. Apo. 20. yet in this tory men were not blind. For Gulielmus Tyrius when Satan was loosed, made Byshop of Ierusalem, wrote, that Sem, called Melchisedek, there dwelt. Also many others of Romistes are content to folowe lerom, as Petrus Somestor in Scholastica historia, Aquinas, Lyra, Iohan­nes benedictus vpon Gen. 14. Cassaneus, Nauclerus, and whole troupes of others. And euen to this day Romistes holde that most commonly. Genebrardus hauing therein the helpe of Hebricians, and considering many circumstances, by trueth herein, somewhat beautifieth his Chronicle, otherwyse pestered with lyes: and often returneth to the same asserti­on, as mynding to disgraee some that there in seeme to stag­ger or striue: yet good Melanthon before him, was no lesse sensibly and certaynely perswaded herein. Also Iohn Luci­dus was plentifull in this matter in his Chronicle:In Iohn Lu­ridus. Isidorus lykewyse, who maketh Salem buylt by Melchisedek, treadeth in the same steppes with the Hebrewes.

But Romistes, I neede not to name many: for the simple of that sect, Genebrardus him selfe is of two great credite with them. Men of better religion, and more of Ieromes di­uinitie, are fitter for the cataloge of his folowers. The three folde thred of Carion Melanthon, and Peucerus, wyll not sone be broken. Melanthons wordes bring a great light to Moses. narration. Isuppose (Noah) came from Armenia, into the olde Countrey: that is, the places neare Damascus, where he had Iyued before, and where he knewe that the first Fa­thers were made. For it is certayne, that Sem the sonne of Noah, lyued agayne in that Region, seeing that he was king of Salem, which was afterwardes called Ierusalem. For Sem is the very same man that was called Melchisedek. [Page] Therefore the Church of God was in that place, where was Noah, Sem, and Sems sonnes, so long as they kept the true doctrine. Doubtles Sem kept the lyght of doctrine: But whereas his posterite were in Babylon, there by a lytle and lytle true doctrine was extinguished, and wicked re­ligion receiued and established. Therfore God brought Abraham from Babylon to Sem, the father of his ancestours, to ioyne agayne a notable company of the Church, soone after the death of Noah. Now when Abraham with his Cosen came to Sem, what a goodly Colledge had Sem? who had seene the Flood, and such descent of posteritie. Let vs consider the sweete company of Sem, Abrabam, and their Arphaxad, Selah, Heber, Lot, & Isaak. kinsmen: when Sem saw the eight of his Ne­phewes in descent, called to the societie of the Church, and the promyse of the Messias renued: for whom, death being destroyed, eternall lyfe shoulde be restored. These good meditations, good Melanthon yeeldeth.

Victorinus Strigellius in his notes vpon Genesis. 14. and vpo Melanthons Chronicle, is no lesse plentifull to the same effect. And Chytreus a long student in story, yet alyue, but very aged, N^c a reuerencer of Melanthon, deserueth that reuerence, to haue his wordes set downe: and fyrst for the name what it meaneth. SEM, a name, in whose poste­rite the name of God sholde alwayes remayne, vntyll that name which is aboue euery name, should come downe from heauen: and in Sems posteritie take fleshe. And Melchisedek it is a nowne appellatiue, the epithet of Sem the sonne of Noab which dwelt in the citie Salem, which was called afterwardes Ierusalem, and was distaunt fiue myles from Hebron, where Abrabam dwelt. Therefore those firstlyghtes of the Church myght, often meete, and conferre of great matters, and teach and strengthen theyr hearers.

Seln [...]rus, an other Witenberge man shall conclude my Latine testimonies: who for his reuerence to Melanthone [Page] opinion touching the Sacrament, shall not for the ouer­sight of his owne iudgement therein, be neglected for his great paynes and large comment vpon Genesis.. Take his wordes. Melchisedek signifieth a king of Iustice. And it is the vsuall iudgemt of the godly Doctors of the Church, that this Melchisedek was Sem the sonne of Noah, The common iudgement. who was the greatest Patriarch of that tyme: for he lyued before the Flood nintie eight yeeres, and outlyued Abraham The errour of 60. yeeres. In that errour many be, which mistake Ge­nesis. 11, 27. which place of late, Codoman [...] Witenb. man, & many more, haue rightly expounded by vers. 32. and chap. 12, 5. thirty & sixe yeres, and was a keeper of true doctrine, & saw great calamities, change of Tongues, a new Empire, Idoles of Babylon, horrible lust, the destruction of Sodom. The name Melchisedek he had by his office, which he bore: because he alone (though poore in respect of other kinges, specially his neighboures) was a iust king, looking to his Churches and callyng, and gouerning them well. And also, because he bare the type of the Eternall king, I meane Christ.

Now that the simple may knowe that our NationVer. 1. aeneid. bea­reth no blunter beastes then others, nor the Sunne dryueth his Chariot so farre from Englande: I wyll lay downe their testimonies of our countrey, who neuer thought that the Apostles woulde forbyd to search a Story: nor thynke that a greater then Abraham coulde be out of the ryght lyne of the Fathers. Thus sayth an olde Chronicle. Sem the sonne of Noah other why le is called Melchisedek, the which first after the Flood made the citie of Salem: and now it is called Ierusalem. An other olde Englysh Chroni­cle specially deserueth accompt: his letters speake thus. Mee redeth, that Abraham yaf first tithinges: but Abel yaf rather the first that God sent him of all maner kinde. The Hebrewes tell, that this Melchisedek was Sem. Noahs son, & telleth, that he lyued vnto So Terah at 130. yeeres be­getteth Abra­ham, yf Sem saw not lacob. Ysac. Those Hebrewes agree with S. Stephen and Philo: And they who differ from them about Abrahams byrth tyme, to make Sem see Iacob, greatly entangle the narration. Wherfore this olde Chr [...] ­nicle [Page] of our countrey, shoulde not be disdayned, for some lyes: but embraced in some woorthynes. Maister Bale de­serueth well, for his true detecting of the Popes antichristi­anity. If we folow him therein, we shoulde not thinke him worse aduised, where y^• very Romistes with their greatest ad­uersarixs, N^l our best learned, agree with him. In his Pre­face of the Englyshe Votaries: Melchisedek a iust and a peaceable king, is Noahs sonne: As many read his workes, and that to very good vse: so they shoulde take all before them, and holde that, not the weakest where he hath most consent with him. Ioyne to him Lanquets Chronicle: wherein also the iudgement of the reuerent father Thomas Cooper B. of Winchester, is to beSo it may be gessed by that to Lanquet he p'utteth additi­ons. weighed. This is Lanquets voyce. Pag. 5. b. Sem the Prince of Asia, called also Melchi­sedeck, a iust and peaceable king, and Priest of Almighty God, from whom Christ lynially descended, possessed all Asia with his chyldren. And agayne, Pag. 11. a. openeth the Apostles meanyng, saying. Abraham receyued with blessing of Melchisedek king of Salem, and high Priest of Almighty God (called also Sem the sonne of Noah) Bread and VVine: to whom Abraham gaue the tenth of his pray. The Apostle sayth, that this Melchisedek was with­out Genealogie,That in this Parenthesis is put for exposi­tion of Lan­quets meaning▪because his progenie (vnder the name Melchisedek) is not rehearsed in the Scripture. Some I passe ouer for brcuitte sake: but here I wyll not omit the speche of a learned man, a friende of myne, M. D. Peny, a D. of Phisicke, a man of great iudgement, and gyftes in Diuinitie: who now is with the Lorde, and re [...]eth from his labours. Of him I take occasion to speake, partly to leaue some token behinde of our Christian friendshyp, and agreement in Scripture: partly to shew his experience how the teaching of this matter obscurely, caused some to blame the most part. He tolde of a Gentewoman that said thus to him: VVhy do the Preachers now teach, that Melchisedek had neyther father nor mother? Of olde [Page] time they taught otherwise: for I haue seene an Englysh booke, founde in Douer Castle. 400. yeeres olde, that affyrmeth Melchisedek to be Sem the sonne of Noah. He marked offence geuen to the Matron in the chiefest story of our Lordes Grandfathers after the fleshe: in that the phrases for a type & figure, taken from the description of Melchisedek are not cleerely distinguished, from that which in story from other Scriptures must be gathered. To her he gaue a right erposition, in what sense the Prea­chers, of his iudgement so spake: and how by the type, they did not ouerthrow the trueth of the story: but in proper spech helde him to be Sem. With the learned Doctor, I wyll ioyne their commendation, who in Tables ioyned to the Bible, or explaning the names vsed in Scrip­ture in the worde Melchisedek, shewe the simplest, that he is commonly thought to be Sem: that they should not mis­take the Apostles wordes. Thus for the weakenes of our simple soules, I cite our Countreymen: agaynst Iewes▪ I bring Rabbines: to Antiquaries in Latine fathers, I bring Ierome: by Romistes, I perswade Remistes: by Melan­thon and Luther, with others of their opinion, I deale for the best religious. For the Greekes, I must take some more paynes, who to this day mistaking their Translations mea­ning, make lesse accompt of the constant Hebrew trueth, holden certayne of all other sydes: but that a few leaue all Learnyng to folow them. For them now wyll I returne to the Grecians, that such as folowed Epiphanius, may be knowne to haue missed of his meanyng.

First I wyll proue, that Epiphanius did but dally, be­ing content to shake off Melchisedekians, Epiphanius hidyng his iudgement. and Hierax. &c. Secondly, I wyll shew great reasons that mooued Epi­phanius to dispute agaynst his meanyng: but so, that one skilfull in the cause, myght vnderstande what he woulde haue to stade. For the first, thus I reason: Yf Epiphanius leaneth in appearance vpon that which custome helde, and [Page] he knew to be most vntrue, he folowed custome, and would not simply be thought of that iudgement: but he is euident in sundry places to folow for custome, that which was not true: therfore he might also here be expounded to meane no otherwyse, then as a bearer with custome, agaynst propri etie of trueth. One place prouing this kinde of dealyng, and dallying, he hath. Page. 8. where from Adam to the Floodde, he counteth yeres. 2226. folowyng the Greeke translation: whereas he knewe the Hebrew to haue lesse, euen. 1656. and knewe also that the Hebrew was most true, and neuer blamed. For being so cunning in Hebrew affayres, as his workes shew, he coulde not be ignoraunt of the Massorites miraculous diligence, for preseruation of euery letter in the Prophetes, how many they were in all: which was the middle letter of all Moses: which wordes were written with other Characters then their felowes: What wordes had prickes ouer their heades, and such other things, which being handled in Zoar, and some by S. Zoar & S. le­rom vpon Gen. 19, 33. touch­ing a pricke o­uer Van in the Hebrew. Ierom, were doubtles well knowen in his age, and coulde not be hid from him. Wherefore, I may well conclude, that for the Greekes weakenes, he bare with the Greeke translation, and in trueth thought as Ierome did: that not it, but the Hebrew had the trueth: euen as well for them betwixt Sem and Abraham, as for the former ages. Now yf you maruayle not at1. Antiquit. 4. yeeres. 2656. Iosephus, hiding his minde for the same ages, folowyng the Greekes: and inReckoning from Adam, Floodde, Pro­mise, Lambe, to the buylding of the Temple: wherin for the Iudges tymes repeating twise (after y^• phrase) 111. yeeres, he maketh the Temple to be founded, in the yeere of the world 3102. It was 3000. se­uen yeeres af­ter, when it was finished. Salomons age, com­myng to the Hebrew accompt, striuing with hym selfe, marueyle neyther at Epiphanius.

Moreouer in bringing a Kenan betweene Arphaxad and Selah (whō some times he leaueth out) it is manifest that he regarded custome. S. Luke was his warrant in this poynt: who amongst our Lord his fathers, bringeth in the same Kenan, least the Grecians that vnderstode not y^• minde of the 70. Translatoures, should take offence, if he had left it out. Also, in that Epiphanius maketh Iacob the two & twentith [Page] from Adam, where he nameth the foresaid Kenan, he recko­neth him not for one of that number: yf he had, Iacob should haue been the three and twentith. Moreouer, he so handling the ages of Noahs sonnes, as to make Sem the* eldest,Page. 5. 15. Cham the next, and Iapheth the youngest, as the phrase at the first woulde seeme to teach: therein declareth that he had a mynde to folowe custome for quictnes, agaynst the trueth, amongst such as woulde not soone vnderstande the depth of the matter. Notwithstanding he knewe that Ia­pheth was the eldest: and in the Greeke, Gen. 10. 21. com­pared with Sem, is called (the elder:) and Gen. 9. 24. Cham in comparison with both, is said to be (the younger.) Moreouer, seeing Noah at. 500. yeers was a father, and Sem was not. 100. yeeres olde at the Flood, when Noah was. 600. yeres, but two yeres after: Epiphanius could not be ignorant that Sem must be younger by two yeeres, then some of his brethren. Yet he folowed common custome: though Iapheth was holden eldest by the custome of exact trueth, amongst the Rabbines: as D. Kimchi recordeth in the Roote Gadal: and many Hebrewes that comment vpon Ge­nesis,Two, Aben [...]zra, and Rab­baneel: none [...]ls, that I haue read, and re­member.thought some take the spech as it lyeth, at the fyrst syght. Of both Abraham & Sem the Rabbines of Epiphanius age (from whom came the Talmud) in Masse. Sanad in, page 69. b. write many thinges, wherein the Iewes sharped their Schollers: which should fall to great obsurdities, yf they tooke not good heede to the Scripture phrases, by the matter to examine them. Marke the Hebrewes well and you shall better vnderstande this matter. Terah begat [...] Abraham, Nachor, and Haran: So Abrabam is elder then nachor an yeere, and Nachor elder then Haran an yeere, Abraham is founde two yeeres elder then Haran. Also it is written: Abraham and Nachor toke the wyues. &c. R. Isaak sayd, Ischa, she is Sarah. Now how much was Abraham elder then Sarah? tenne yeeres, and elder then her father two yeeres. So it is founde that Haran be­gate [Page] Sarah at eyght yeeres. In deede Abraham is younger then the brother. But by a mystery ofA Rabbine speaketh of o­ther Rabbines.theyr art, thus they reckoned. Know that this their reckonyng, they call a mystery of their art, by this: And Noah was fiue hundreth yeeres when he begate Sem, Cham, and Iapheth: Sem being elder then Cham by one yeere, and Cham elder then Iapheth by one yeere: Sem shoulde be founde elder then Iapheth two yeeres. But now agayne: Noah was sixe hundreth yeeres olde when the deluge of waters was vp­pon the earth. And agayne: Sem was a hundreth yeeres olde, two yeeres after the deluge, and begate Arphaxad. So he is at once an hundreth yeres, an hundreth and one, and an hundreth and two. Nay it is a mysterie of art, as they reckon heere. VVhat is that mysterie of art that so it is reckoned heere? Rab Cehuneb spake of a tradition be­fore Rab Zebed of Nahardea, he sayth; Ye are taught from that place. Gen. 5. we are taught from an other Gen. 10. Sem also had issue, he was father to all the sonnes of Heber, and brother to Iapheth the eldest, the eldest of the brethren. Thus farre the Talmud in this kinde spea­eth: the igno­ra [...]nce whereof bred a false translation in Latin, to make Sem eldest: whereas Moses wordes should styrre the Iewes to an other consideration, how they were chosen of the younger house, through fauour. Also that they shoulde not despise the Greekes, and Iapheths sonnes, who commyng of a good father, the eldest brother, in tyme (when the Iewes shoulde kill and deny Christ) they shoulde obteyne theyr dignitie in the High Ierusalem, and doctrine of the king­dome: beginning from their Ierusalem, and tentes of Sem.

By not marking the Rabbines, here we norysh vntruethes in two speciall stories: Sems fyrst, and Abrahams lyke­wise: by not discirnyng in what kinde of spech Hebrewes make Sem and Abraham eldest: where they helde it in trueth, for both to be otherwyse Lykewyse. Epiphanius not being marked droue some to expositions, which him selfe [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] had blamed in Melchisedekians. But boubtles he must nedes be holden to hide his minde, bringing but one reason, & that from a false grounde. And for reasons agaynst that in him he is strongly resolued, that Sem helde the place, after geuen to Abrahams seede. This dissemblyng in wryters should not seeme strange, seeing that euen Poetes in kinges persons set it foorth, and Rhetoritians thence gather pre­ceptes for that kinde. [...]liad Beta. Homers Agamemnon, preparyng a set fielde, maketh an oration of going home, to try his Souldiers myndes and courage: but his reasons are strong agaynst returnyng. He vrgeth a goyng home, be­cause the warres were long, and it was shame to leaue all vnperfect: and their shyppe tymber was rotten, and their sayles were ragged: which poy [...]Tres, all were contrary to returnyng: notwithstanding the multitude tooke holde on his spech quickly, and so preparde homewarde, that skantly coulde all the wysedome of Nestor perswade them, that the King meant otherwyse: or the witte of Vlysses stay them from returnyng.Hermog. Pag. 425. Hermogenes helde this dealyng to be so common, that he thought good to teach from Homer, how to do it artistcially. But most common was hiding of the minde amongst the Iewes nation, touching the Septuagint. Eusebius Praep. 8. pag. 208. recordeth out of Aristeas, that they bound their na­tion by paine of a cursse, that none of them should alter the Greeks Translation. Aquilas, Symmac [...]us, and Theodotion, were hated, not onely for their heresies, but also for theyR TraINslations, though they were not of their nation. Wherefore Epiphanius had two thinges to bridle him: the one, that he might not drawe in the same yoke with Here­tiques: the other, that he myght not run into the cursse, for altering the Greke. I thinke that the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes was also to regard that, & wyshed not to offend the nation, where no neede required. And we see that S. Paule was loth to differ from the common maner in rec­konyng of the Iudges tyme, after a sort 450. yeeres, as Io­sephus [Page] in effect doth: which tyme was nothing neare that in proprietie, and yet in a dobble reckoning by Oppres­sours and Reuengers, most exactly so much. Also S. Luke reckonyng Iacobes familie to be seuentie and fiue soules, accordyng to the Sep [...]uagint, was loth to breake the agree­ment or custome of their nation. So I thinke that Epipha­nius to Greekes durst not disclose the secretes of the Elders.

And thus much for testimonies of Hebrewes, Greekes, and Latines, touching Melchisedek: where for Latines I broughe many of Witenberge: becaluse that to an abridge­ment of Codomans Chronicle there set forth, an opinion vnlyke theirs is fastened by one, which woulde not haue it searched who the person shoulde be: and in a seconde edi­tion is agaynst him selfe, drawing men not to mislyke, that he should be a litle Cananite king. That the simple might knowe this opinion not to come from Witenberge, I [...] authours thence otherwise minded. Vnder the testimonies, and vpon some discourses, many reasons were brought: which by the matter without mans countenaunce, seeme to stande, each one. But least by them selues, and seuerall, they shew not all their strength: or beyng scatttred, cannot be so well vewed, nor make so good a shew: To conclude this cause, I thinke it good to bring them togyther, and to strengthen them, yf neede be. And fyrst to take away that, which most seemeth to hinder, the mistaking of the Apo­stles wordes, of being without Father, without Mother, that I confidently affyrme to be spoken onely by relation to Gen. 14. without any condemning of such, as from o­ther places affyrme who in trueth Melchisedek was. Now that Moses meant that Sem shoulde be knowen to be that King, and the Apostle lykewyse: the matter it selfe cryeth out aloude. For Moses speaking of Sem blessed front Noah, by these wordes: Blessed be the God of SEM: and of Chanaan cursed, vpon Chams badnes, and to be his seruaunt: also of Iapheth to fetch religion from SEMS [Page] house: First sheweth how the cursse came,Moses narratiō obserued from where Sem re­ce [...]eth the blessing, how it is continued vntyll the iust king deliuereth it in the tenth generation, when Sem is yet aliue, that narration she­weth who he must needes be that hath right to deliuer the blessing to Abraham. in that Babel was buylt: rebellious Nemrod of Chams race, and the youngest brother, erecting a tyranny, and setting forwarde a worke, for men to make them selues a Shem, that is, a Name. He reckoneth the Languages that came vpon that worke, wherewith they that were punished, were scat­tered from the presence of God: of which we shoulde not fayne any to holde Religion, nor by their owne abilitie to recouer Grace, nor without hearyng of the worde, to be made faythfull, nor to affyrme of special preaching to them, without warrant from Scripture. Now as for blessed Sem, Moses returneth to his strory, telleth of his lyne to Abraham, reckoneth how long they all lyued, omitteth mention of death, Gen. 11. far otherwyse then he dealt Gen. 5. casteth Sem to be aliue very long after Abrahams calling, and lykewyse for a good whyle Arphaxad and Selah, men borne before the confusion of Tongues. Heber also, that forwarned it longest of all: but none borne after Babel, as Peleg, Regu, Sarug, Nachor, Terah: and expressely men­tioneth Terahs death, that fell to Idolatrie, that we should consider him dead, before the Promyse, as the wrath vpon the Towre-buylding: yea and vpon the Fathers borne af­ter, vntyll Abraham, that none of them lyued to see the Blessing continued. Then sheweth how Abraham called, to l [...]aue his Countrey, going to Chanaan, going to Egypt, returnyng to Chanaan, recoueryng his Lot partaker of the blessing, killing of the king of Elam, was after this blessed of Melchisedek representyng CHRIST: and saying, Blessed be Abraham to El Elion, and blessed be the God of Abraham. Doth not the golden chayne of the story thus setled, and of the phrase alyke continued, drawe Sem hither? who as he receyued the Blessing from Noah, deliuereth it vnto Abraham. Shoulde we thinke that in so great a matter, Sem shoulde haue a blessing, and lyue obscurely all his lyfe: and some vpstart of Families cur­sed, [Page] shoulde pronounce it vpon Abraham? Whyle Libanus beareth Snow, and Iordans waters flowe, that wyll not stande, I trow. Such a stately matter falleth not out with­out a prophecie. If Adams fall beyng so speedy,A prophe [...]y should be sear­ched for, tou­ching the au­thority of hy [...] which coulde blesse the Pa­triarch as supe­rior. yet had with a warnyng a kinde of foretellyng: If the Floodde at Noahs byrth was closely foretolde: and also the Langua­ges confounded vpon Cham chursed through his families: I woulde also thinke that the blessing of Abraham should not be a late tolde thing: but depende vpon auncient spe­ches. As the Lordes workes are knowen to him of eterni­tie:Act. 15. so it is vsuall in his worde, that he sheweth thinges be­fore they aryse:Esa. 42. and doth nothyng but that he telleth his seruauntes the Prophetes. In this kinde I assure my selfe, that Moses purposedly continueth the blessing of Sem to Abraham. The matter wyll better appeare by considering other attributes of the man that blesseth Abra­ham. He is a King,Melchi, a king [...] Sedek, Iustice▪ Heb. 7. and iust in such high degree of com­mendation, that those tearmes turne in him to be as a pro­per name. And doth not this honour driue vs to search for some man specially blessed, to be this King? Also in that Noah called his sonne by a generall tearme, in our lan­guage (Name:) this falleth out fitte for him, who is in story set foorth by a generall name, without a proper. Moreouer, the office of a King is fitte to haue a beginning from such a man as Sem was: for a Kingdome is a Di­uine policie. Religion doth require exact properties of a King: and Heathen by naturall lyght, speake to the same purpose: both by diuinitie & humanitie,All the notes of a king De [...]. 17 are [...]ounde in Sem. the office is of an heauenly force. These properties God requireth to be in a King. A king commendable to the faythfull Deut. 17, 15. shoulde be of their brethren, not seeking the fauour of Chams land, not a louer of many horfes, nor many wyues, nor much golde, nor proude harted among his breathren: but a keeper of the [...]w, to prolong his dayes. Of this, Sem before the Law was a pattern: beyng not of Leuy Heb. 7. [Page] but ancestor to Leuy, as to all the sonnes of Heber, Gen. 10. and the stocke of Israels branches: and for kinred in Abra­ham, agaynst his kiured in blam, he woulde be glad of a victorie. He knew that Cham was cursed: and being a Prophet, myght foresee through Gods spirite Pharaohs dealyng, and woulde hate cursed Cham, with his race. As touching many Horses, that age yet was not much in that kinde: neyther is there the name of an Horse spoken of before Iosephs tyme. Gen. 46, 17. But for the same in force, I meane for the quietnes of the mynde resting in God, who then shoulde be so setled as Sem, whom so great experience of deliuerances had taught? How for the other poynt, of Wiues, he had but one, Gen. 6. and knowyng best how the best byued from the beginnyng, would so continue. Now for Golde, yf he had loued it, he myght haue chosen the lande of Chauilah: Gen. 1. but that he did not chose, as the name sheweth: tearmed not from him, but from the sonne of Chush and Chams house. That he was a keeper of the Law there is no doubt. For this is the worke of God, to beleeue in him whom the Father woulde sende: who was promised to come of him. Gen. 9. And God was not asha­med to be called his God: for he had prepared him a sonne after the fleshe, who after the spirite of holynes, is the sonne of God: and God to be blessed for euer. Rom. 9. and the fayth in this sonne, was the very ende of the Law: wherein doubt­les Sem was a notable ringleader. As touching long lyfe, none euer was comparable to him for sight of posteritie: he onely same an eleuenth descent in the faythfull lyne: whereas of all others in the faythfull lyne, n [...]e sawe ten: though Arphaxad saw faythles Ismael, in the tenth. Thus for the holy description of a King before the Law, his state myght be some forme to a Law. The Heathen, that had no more written Lawe then Sem had, by the Lawe written in their ha [...]tes agree in the worthynes of a Kinges office. Xenophon sayth well, that a good Ruler differeth no­thyng [Page] from a good Father. Now Sem, Semis father­ly gouernment best deserued the name of a King: & might be some great restraint to his neare posterity a great tyme, from working in Babylon. who was not to be ruled, but to rule amongst his ofspring, he acquainted with the fatherly gouernement that was before the Flood, woulde best practise that. And we see. Gen. 10. where the Families be counted that bad tongues skattered, by the re­bellious pride for buyldyng the Towre: that his families in that cursse were not halfe so many, before the sixt age in Ioktanes Ioktanes house despising Hebers fore­warnyng was punished with more tongues then any fami­lie, and discea­uered farthest from Salem [...]by despising Sems blessing. thirteene sonnes: as Chams sonnes were in the th [...]rde posteritie punished with parted & diuers languages. He that wyll may there marke, and count the houses of spe [...]che altered, and he shall finde it so. Whereb we may gather, that sundry families of Arphaxad, Selah, and Pe­leg continued in Adams or Hebers tongue. And doubtles hereto the fatherly gouernement of Sem was a great helpe. And as Ioktanes sonnes dwellinges are farthest now from Ierusalem, as by Heathen writers we may see, by such as geue testimony to Moses, whom they knewe not: But Arams chyldren neare Ierusalem had better successe: So this in myne opinion, may very well be attributed vnto the happy neighbourhood of the good and fatherly Emperour Sem. And as Grandfathers are most tender, so he the greatest Grandfather must needes excell in fatherly aflecti­on and ancientie, to cary away the generall name of a King, as proper to him selfe: more worthyly then Greekes As to Greekes the Poet is Ho­mer, and the Oratour De­mosthenes: so to Diuines, the iust King should be Sem. by the common name of Poet, meane Homer particulerly: or meane Demosthenes, by the tearme of Oratour. More­ouer yf a king be wel defined,Plato in de­finit. to be One ruling according to Lawes vncontrollable: and agayne distinguished from a Tyrant,Plato in Po­litico. by rulyng men willingly subiect, where a Ty­rant ruleth men agaynst theyr wyll: Sem must needes be supreame in these properties. We see by his obedience in Noahs house, procuring an eternall blessing, that he would be fittest to rule when tyme shoulde come. For as none can well rule, but he that can wel obey: so he that best can obey, can best rule. But Sems obedience in willing care for his [Page] Father was the best, amongst his breathren: wherefore lykewise Sem shoulde be the fittest ruler, to care as a father for his subiectes. Also most willingly woulde men suffer such an one (yf any) to be vncontrolled, that same so many yeeres.Pla [...]. 1. Pol. Tull. de senect. As men learne the way of one that hath gon it be­fore: so they that will learne, most willingly learne of the aged, how quietly to tread the way of their lyfe, to come to olde age: and soonest suffer experience to be farre from checke. It was not so in Nemrod: For he starting vp from the youngest house, to be so great a Tyrant, as God from heauen should ope [...]ly looke to, did not long thriue nor liue. For in Sems lyfe Cedarlaomer being the king of Elam, had Amraphel the king of Synear as his Vassal: yea whyle Sem was yet alyue, and deubtles of continuance in king­dome. Wherefore by the generall name of a King, whom then but Sem coulde he meane? One ornament of Kinges may not here be omitted, which Sems story doth shew, that is,A kingdome ancienter then Tyranny. The antiquitie of a Kingdome: that before tyranny sprang, it was. Now by expressed wordes ofBy Sems story Scripture, (that a political cause must chiefly bePolicy should for open de­crees seeke ra­ther warrantes from expresse tearmes, then farre fetched collections. Rom. 13. looked vnto) vnlesse we make Sem to be Melchisedek, we can not playnely proue, that a King reigned before Nemrod. Wherefore the honour of Kinges for the antiquitie of them, shoulde with great delyght embrace him to be the first King, who had iustice as a proprietie, and represented the first and last, the sonne of God. As the perswading to obedience is goodly before God, and profitable for men, so Sems kingdome is the fittest for that: being shewed how ancient it is, contra­ry to Nemrods confusion: of which most properly the Gyantes wordes for their common weale may be spoken:Silenus in Eurip. Cyel. Sems story a study for kings. This lyfe [...]s cal­led a way of Gods iudge­ment [...]s, Es. 26. Not any in any thing heareth any. Verily it is a seemely thyng for the Kinges of the earth to know the antiquity of their owne state: as an healthy thing to kisse the Sonne, least he be angry: to seeke in gouernement a vertuous and quiet iudgement in this life or way of Gods iudgement, [Page] Nemrods dealyng was so hatefull in procuryng the buyl­dyng of Babel, that not onely Moses schollers, but also H [...]athen, coulde speake of the Gyantes warres, fighting agaynst Heauen. It was to be wyshed that the lyke care had been to know the trueth, for the recorde of the first king. Doubtles Homer diuinely touched the marke, and clam hygh to the gyft of a Kingdome from God. For Il. Beta, thus speaketh Vlysses appeasing the tumultes of the Greeke state:

This Homers saying is a diuine saying: the prophanesse of one tearme in his language being taken to a better sense: as S. Paul citeth Aratus, turnyng his Iupiter from a pro­phane religion, to the authour of those workes in trueth, which Aratus spake of: who warranteth me to do the lyke, with this Poets wordes. Now the Heathen Poet not be­ing able to ascende aboue Iapheths tymes, nor the Flood: and yet making a King the most ancient state, maketh Kinges ancienter then Tyrantes, and to receiue the go­uernement from God. Which opinion woulde soonest agree with Sems case: pronounced such an one, as from whose tentes Iapheth should fetch his comfort of religion. If Homer by playne wit myght see so much, and yf Fables condemne Gyantes vnloyalty: Christians helped by story, shoulde not pleade vncertainty, specially hauing so many Diuines of all sortes to warrant them, Plat [...] in his soph [...] ­ster, called Sophesters fightSo [...]ome a­mongst vs, otherwise lear­ned and profi­table men, haue in Pulpit con­demned such as folowe herein the ancient o­pinion, & most common. gigantomachian Gyantes­warre. Pitiful it is, that by mistaking the Apostles wordes, such fightes haue been by Melchisedekians, Hierax, and such: yea and by men otherwyse of rare commendation, by ob­scuring the story of a man, made such a stay in the first dis­corde after the Flood: to whom styll there myght be an open recourse, for such as woulde repent of fallyng away [Page] from Christ. And thus much touching the terme King in royaltie, appropriated vnto Sem.

For the next attribute of IVSTICE, it is a nayle fa­stened in a sure place, and a certaine witnes. That in Iustice euery vertue is conteyned, euen by the Heathen language, Theoginis the Poet cited of Aristotle teacheth vs. Doubtles by Iustice the holy worde, conteyneth all partes and par­cels of vertue: For, that which geueth life, hath perfection of vertue. And it is written in great letters, that one run­nyng by may it reade, That IVST SHAL LIVE. Ab. 2. Rom. 1. Notwithstanding we must with all the Lawe, Prophetes, and Apostles, vnderstande that this iustice is not found by workes, but moueth vs to fayth from God: and fayth aryseth by hearyng the worde. Also the same Iustice beareth fruite before men: So that in Melchisedek we must consider fayth gotten by hearyng: and a lyfe commendable, euen to the tongues of Chanaan. Now yf we affyrme no more then the open spech hath in any Scripture for that tyme, none but Sem can be founde then alyue, of whom the Scripture pronounceth particu­lerly that he is blessed of his God: andPsalm 32. Rom. 4. therefore hath his sinne forgeuen, his iniquity couered, and his mouth made without guyle. Doubtles there were many good men: but as the Apostle speaketh to the bare description for his beginnyng of dayes, or ende of lyfe, that he had none: so we in lyke sort may say, that he onely in recorde was iust: and iust not onely in humane iudgement, but iust in fayth before God, resembling in office the Sonne of God: who after the fleshe, shoulde come of him. Of those which had their tongues confounded, the wordes of the diuine king may doubtles in most exact proprietie be spoken: As Siluer purified in an earthen vessell, and purged seuen tymes. Conferre with Moses Gen. 12, 1. These wordes: Nabal (the [...]oole) sayth in his hart, there is no God: they worke cor­ruption and lothsomnes: there is not one that doth good. [Page] The Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of Adam: euery one turned away. Rom. 3. This is spoken to them that were vnder the Law: but as there be degrees in sinnes, so most fi [...]ly in manifest story it falleth vpon the buylders of confusion in Sinear: whom the earth shoke into sundry quarters. And in all the Scripture we reade not of any since Babel bredde bablyng languages, called to the fayth, but men acquainted with Abrahams house, with him selfe, or Isaaks lyne, or the Chyldren of the East, the sonnes of Keturah. And whereas S. Paul Act. 17. sayth,S. Paul would not holde one of a faythles family to be­come Melchi­sedek. that God passed ouer the times of ignorance: and in his time biddeth euery man euery where repent: He closeth in ignorance all Families once fallen away, but such as were blessed in the blessing of Abraham. So the learned Hebrewes vnder­stande Moses: and I doubt not but so S. Paul meant. To Moses he looked. Yf we holde any Family vncalled in the Scripture, to recouer fayth, S. Paul wyll not commende vs:Rom. 11. in whom fayth commeth by hearyng: Rom. 11. and we may not minde any thyng, 1. Cor. 4. aboue a warrant written: 1. Cor. 4. And as he bade men iudge what he sayd,1. Cor. 10. and would not be a lorde ouer their fayth: so all that he teacheth,2. Cor. 1. may be prooued by the Olde testament:Act. 26. neyther may we drawe hym into any other meanyng.The Apostles bring not new reuelations for olde stories, but diuinely ex­pound the sto­ryes agreed vpon. Chana­anites are farre from Melchi­sedeks iustice. As for the iustice of Cha­nanites, and their behauiour, the lawes in Moses are fayth­full witnesses. For where decrees are made agaynst most loathsome fylthinesse, this conclusion doth shut vp all: Ye shall not do any of these abominations: For all these abominations do the men of the lande which is before you: and it is defiled, and it vomiteth out the nation which is before you Leui. 18▪ 27. Though their sinnes were not in all so ripe in Abrahams tyme, yet they were so rife, that their Lande was geuen to Abraham from them: and in some so rife and ripe were they, that they serued Elam for twelue yeeres chastisement: and vnpenitent, at the last were by fyre from heauen, made an ensample of fyre in hell. [Page] And this story in Chanaan, fell not out without a prophecy.Prophecies & stories shoulde be tryed togea­ther. For by Noahs mouth Cham was cursed vnto Chanaan. Now yf Chanaans history of cursse fell not out without a prophecy, why shoulde we agaynst a prophecy of Chanaan cursed, beleeue that a King came of him goodlyer then Abraham, or any King in all the Scripture, with a story without blemyshe?Gen. 23, 10. Abraham was a ‡ Prince of God, yet Hagarenes to this day are his stayne. Moses was aMoses a king King, and faythful with God: yet so sinned, as to come short of the Land.Gen. 36. 30. Num 20. The Kinges properly tearmed kinges,Deut. 33. 5. soone eyther altered houses, or needed new annoyntyng, vpon troubles in their state.What kinges in Iudah were annoynted. Saul of Bemamin annoynted, within two yeeres lost Gods fauour. Dauid annoynted of Iudah, in his life time, and by his life, saw his sonnes striue: and Salomon was fayne to be annoynted, because of Ado­niahs contention. Likewyse Ioas for Athaliah, and Ioachas for Ioakim: so was the house shaken: and Iosias who excel­led al, and is called the annoynted of Iehouah, (though vi­sibly he was not annoynted:) yet mist once to losse of life,Lam. 4. in Resh. & his sonnes ouerthrew all.2. Chr. 35. 22. To be short, Dauid tolde that his house woulde not be vpryght with God:2. Sam. 23. 5. And yf Dauides house coulde not be, which had Moses to direct them, and Prophetes to warne them: shoulde we thinke that Chanaan coulde yeelde such a King? let Esay iudge. Thus he spea­keth vpon Abrahams victory:Chanaanite kinges by the terrour vpon Abrahams victory, fel fur­ther to Idola­trie. Esa. 41. There againe S. Ierom ma­keth Sem Mel­chisedek, by Hebrewes. VVhom God raysed from the east, callyng him in iustice after his foote, he gaue na­tions before him, and made him ouercome kinges: He made them like dust by his sworde, lyke tossed stubble by his bow. He pursued them: he passed in peace, by a way which with his feete he neuer had gone. Now the countreis sawe and were afrayde: Carpenders, Smythes, Founders, wrought for them goddes to helpe them. So farre were those countreys from hauing any King of true religion. And shoulde we deeme any of their broode greater then Abraham, the friende of God: the high father, [Page] the heyre of the worlde? Yf Chanaan had had a iust King of their race, his subiectes woulde some of them haue folowed him. But no such goodnes may be affyrmed of them: there­fore neither of a King in their line. Sickerly they had ben the happiest in the worlde then, yf they had such a King: but they were openly cursed: that farre from their fathers or mothers, must that Kinges lineage be holden. Long af­ter the death of Melchisedek, his fame of Justice was great with men that had denyed the power of it. For the King of Ierusalem was called Adom-Sedek: but we may be sure that he was not of Melchisedeks posteritie. For some me­morie & monument woulde haue continued of his fayth, in him or in his neighbours somewhere:Neyther Ado­nisedek, nor his neighboures any whit, but in part of his name remem­bred Melchise­dek: as stran­gers to his line▪ Ios. 10. As in Hoham king of Hebron, or in Piream king of Iarmuth, or in Iaphia king of Lachis, or in Debir king of Eglon: who ioyned with him to fight against Gibeon for making peace with Iosue. But as Hoham king of Hebron was no kinne to Abra­ham, no more was Adoni-Sedek to Melchisedek: and as they were vtterly estranged from the policie of the faythful, and godles in the worlde, so their punishment is more from God then from men. For the Lorde did cast vpon them great stones from heauen: and more dyed by the Hayle stones, then Israel slew with the sworde. If they had come of a famous King that vnderstoode the blessing of Abra­ham, some sparkles must needes haue remayned of the an­cient story, and true religion. But as Moses in Melchise­deks story sheweth of no familiaritie betwixt him and Cha­naanites, but in his office doth most certaynely distinguysh him from all of their cursed religion: so the Apostle doth sharpen vs to vnderstande. Moses aright. For in that he tearmeth Melchisedek to be without kinred, he doth warne vs to gather by Moses, that he is not a Chanaanite. Els as Adonisedek is to be holden a Chanaanite, by the place, and all the other kinges of Chanaan: so shoulde Melchisedek be counted, yf sure argumentes did not exempt him from [Page] their nation. But by the attribute vnfallible the terme of IVSTICE mentioned in the Name, whereof here much might be wel spoken, the Apostle boldly affirmeth to He­brewes, & as he knew that they held, that he was not of Cha­naans nation, no more then of their religion. Now Iob was not further from the minde of Eliphaz, Sophar, and Bildad, in any poynt, then I am from theirs, who woulde not haue vs to searche who the man is. Therein (I trow) the Apostle woulde summon vs for sleepers, when he expressely biddeth vs to consider how great he is: which his greatnesse cannot be fully knowen by the bare action of blessing Abraham. And yf the Apostle had been thought so to meane, and by such a type for blessing onely, or yet for sacrificehood, to re­quire Iewes to leaue off circumsicion, and all ceremonyes peculiar to Abrahams seede, and to yeelde to the greatnes of Christ by a figure of a knowne Chanaanite: which Cha­naanites case shoulde represent a worthyer case then that of Abraham y^e Patriarch: they would sone haue stopped their eares at such a collectiō, seeing they did at S. Stephen, hauing Gabriels countenance in his face, and Gabriels wordes in his spech. For yf expressed wordes woulde not moue them to al­ter Moses, much lesse would a bare collection. The Scrip­ture foreseeyng their weakenes, woulde auoyde all argu­mentes weake amongst them. We should take y^e like heede. The families that are in the booke of Iob, Melchisedeks kinred was al­so Abrahams, and they onely kept in diuers places true re­ligion, or some memory of it. and in the lande of Arabia, as Eliphas of Esau, Bildad of Suach of Ketura, wyfe to Abraham, Iob their brother, doubtles of Abraham, (though the olde Greekes bring him rather of Esau, then as more certayne it is of Ketura, and the sonnes of the east:) these with Elihu the sonne of Baracheel the Buzite of Na­chor, all kept religion in hygh degree of knowledge: and name God El, and Elohim: once Iob doth name Iehouah not in disputation:Iob. Ch. 1. 21. thrise. as doth he that wrote the booke, in the preface and in the conclusion. As all these kept Religion vntyll Moses tyme, so woulde some haue done in Melchi­sedeks [Page] house in Chanaan, yf he had not been ancestor to Abraham and to these men, but some fresh Chanaanite ex­celling all kinges that euer were in glory of religion and iustice in gouernement. Now whereas Elihu is called a Buzite but of Aram: of whether family he be, or be of both,Buz commeth of Nachor. Also one Aram Gen. 22, 21. Elihu may take part of the first Aram the son of Sem. Gen. 10. Seth named a­mongst Madi­anites. it maketh nothing agaynst me, but rather with me, that Arams house shoulde keepe monumentes of Religion. Balaam a false Prophet, yet a Prophet, confirmeth that. His example is very fit for this my purpose, to shewe how religion once kindled in the myddest of blindnes, wyl leaue some lyght, who speaking to Madianites nameth olde Seth as famous with them. So yf such a iust king had been of Chanaans seede, some remnant would haue cōtinued of the house. But when olde Melchisedek or Sem vnknowne, was dead, then the good men of his housholde dissoluing family, went away to some family, as of Aram, Buz, Vz, &c. when Chanaanites had mightely encreased and preuayled in the lande: who in Abrahams tyme so went on that with the Chanaanite, also Kenite, Kenezite, Kadmonite, Peri­zite, and Rephaim, grewe on so, that Abraham and Lot coulde not haue in one place lande enough for both theyr Flockes. By seuenty yeeres more, & Melchisedeks death, they woulde more multiply: and more vsing the soyle for them selues, lesse woulde they suffer Melchisedeks house-holde to lyue amongst them. And thus much for the terme Iustice, conteyned in Sedek, part of the Name Melchi-Se­dek, whereunto also I drew Religion as a chiefe spice vn­der Justice. Now for the place SALEM: that helpeth not a lytle to know who the person is.

The worde SALEM betokeneth Peace,Of the place Salem. and so the holy Ghost noteth the power of the worde. Heb. 7. Now it was not a short continuance of peace that could make a famous name of peace: wherefore long before Abrahams tyme it shoulde seeme to haue had quietnes. But it wyll not soone agree with likelyhood, that cursed Chanaans brood shoulde [Page] excell all in that blessing.Phil. 4, 7. For the knowledge and loue of Christ onely gardeth men in a continuall peace: which the buylders of Babel hauing once despised, coulde neuer finde in their families, vntyll Christ came: Onely some fewe Proselytes yeelded vnto Abrahams religion. As for the wicked,Esa. 57, 20. Esay maketh them as a Sea tossed, which casteth vp myre and clay.Dan. 7. And most liuely doth Daniel describe the enemies of the Iewes (while they were the high Sainctes) being as foure beastes commyng out of a Sea tossed with foure wyndes. Also, agaynst the Heathen Christians,Apo. 13. Rome damned from out of the Sea ariseth Romes power: as both Greekes and olde Romistes confidently expound it. So for a long time, more then the thyrde part of time since timeMore then 2000. yeeres of 5520. was, we haue a determination for prophane kingdomes, how farre they are from such a state as God woulde call peace. In all ages we see the state of peace and warre to be alyke. The olde Serpent from Adam Gen. 3. to Iohn Apo. 12. executeth the same hatred: that Salem properly can be no place but where God geueth a speciall blessing. Expounders at Sichem buylt a Salem: and make itIohn Luci­dus. Melchisedeks citie: where Iacob becommeth salem (that is safe) not to Sa­lem or Peace-Towne. Gen 33, 18. The warres made in Abrahams tyme, and the leagues of men there, teach vs to examine this story. When the kinges of Elam, Synear, El­lasar, and Goym, fought with the kinges of Sodom, Go­morra, Adama, Seboim, and Bela, the king of Salem had nothing to do with the warres, nor with the twelue yeeres subiection, nor with their rebellion. As Abraham was in league with Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner: so much rather than Melchisedek woulde haue been, yf he had been of kinred. When the foure kinges stroke Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, Chorim, and En-Mispat, to the playne of Pharan, and the Emori in Chazazon-Thamar: Woulde they haue suffered Salem so neare to be in peace, but for some greater cause, then woulde soone befall a Chanaanite to be in? Where­fore [Page] the short Hebrew Commentary, called An exposition of euery hard worde: in that place calleth Melchisedek Sem, induced not onely by aucthorities, but also by the mat­ter. Whereas Chanaan by the cursse shoulde serue Sem, Chanaan was to serue Sem: for which ser­uice the open story must be looked vnto. and doubtles Sem woulde not omit the open vantage of superioritie: it may well be that for some encrochment vpon the possessions of Sems families the first contention did arise. Whereupon the king of Elam, as the eldest house of Sem, shoulde reuenge his younger cosens quarell. That Sem shoulde settle in Salem, it is by many reasons most lykely, forAs for Selahs and Hebers fa­milies. Epiph. in ancy­roto pag. 516. some his posteritie: and for his breathren. Epiphanius so farre disputeth of Sems sonnes, in such sort to haue been there, but weeried thence by Chanaanites en­crochment, that there was a ciuill right, and not onely the sole lordshyp of God in geuing Chanaan to Abraham. And R. In Neuath Salom, pag. 39. cityng their fa­thers. Vpon Dionys. Alex. pag. 130. Abra, Ben Isaak thinketh, that Iacob the dweller in Tentes, learned religion from the tentes of Sem & Heber. Now for Sems breathren: the Greekes beare memory of Iapheth. Anchiale a daughter of Iapheth, is by Eustathius recorded to haue buylt the towne of that name. As for Cham, the lande of Egypt is expressely named of him. Now for the middle brother, the middle space betwixt both, is the fittest: The middle Seas most fitly seruing such vse of their lyfe. And yf the first dwellinges by any partition from Noah were appoynted: they gesse well, which gesse at this partition, for the first dwelling to be from Noahs appoyntment. Abraham Ben Perizol a Iew, in his Cosmo­graphie foloweth Christians,The Iew folo­weth and na­meth Supple­mentū Chro­nichorum. not only for placyng of Sem at Salem: or for Cham (of whose place none doubt:) But also for Iapheth to be setled where we place Iapheths sonnes.1. Geor. We haue good reason: because Virgil, Ouid, and Ho­race, 1. Metam. from Hesiodus and other ancient Greekes, 1. Od. such as Eu­stathius afterwards foloweth vpon Homer, 1. Erg. making Iapheth one of the Gyantes, in whose tyme they warred agaynst heauen: AlsoIn Cor, &c. Lucian before him, making Iapheth the eldest [Page] of all folke: because these carry the memory of Iapheth, we haue good reason to place him in those countreys whence we came. Horeouer Egyptians made a God of Ammon: so Ch-am in Greeke may be written, where Cheth is in many names (as in Eue for Cheue) vnpronounced, and the Greeke termination obserued. That religiō doth credite y^e narratiō. As that of our ancestors: who were much better taught by Iapheth to auoyde Idolatry, and to tearme hym one that had been in the Gyantes age: and neuer to make a God of him:Fables glaunce at a trueth. Plut. De Deo Soc. or as that of the Fable which telleth that Pro­metheus the sonne of Iapheth made men of the slyme of the earth: which thing came from his spech, wherin he taught how God made Adam, and Eue a pandora full of al goodly vertues: that Heathen Charites, Pallas and Venus coulde not be so well imagined of, as Eue was Goodly in deede. It is vsuall in all kinde of writers, to attribute the worke vnto the narration. So Christ was crucified before the Galathians, not by the Souldiers of Cittim or Italy, that with nayles and speare wrought the forespoken tyranny: but by the tongue of the Disciples. So Prometheus tongue made men. And yf we from fables are called somewhat to a trueth for our ancetour: shall not a more certayne recorde for the place of Sem, fit for the situation, fit for religon, helde so continually of his posteritie, moue vs to folowe ancient plainnes? Or coulde there be any reason why Mel­chisedeks story shoulde be hid vntyll the Apostles tyme: to haue an other meanyng afterwardes, then euer it had before: that the Apostles shoulde not be able to teach the olde sayth, but by a new meaning in the story, which Iewes neuer did, neuer wyll lyke of. The Apostles woulde haue no such reuerence geuen to their wordes, as to bryng them to a meaning vnheard of by the Apostles nation. Further­more, yf Mount Sion be so fayre in situation, and the glory of all the earth: where Isaak was offered, where Salomons care buylt the first Temple, where Cyrus decree buylt the [Page] seconde Temple, where Christ the true Temple powred out the waters of lyfe: shoulde we thinke that Sem being a Prophet,Esay. 2. woulde not enquire from what place the Lawe and the worde of Iehouah should come.Mich. 5. Nay it is expressely manifested and obserued by the very Iewes, that the place whence the Greekes shoulde learne Religion was Sems tentes of olde tyme, as I haue touched before, their owne wordes from a threefolde aucthoritie. And this their obser­uation is good to helpe them. For as the blessing was per­formed before Salem was abolished, and the worde of the Lord did not fayle: so they and we were to looke vnto the cursse. Moses telleth, that vpon denying the Lord, the Lande shoulde haue an eternall desolation. Gabriel telleth their particuler denyance, in killing of Christ, not estee­ming of the couenant blood, wherewith we are sanctified. Our Lord tolde, that by the abomination of desolation,The Romans are tearmed abominable, Dan. 9, 25. Mat. 24. con­ferde with Iohn. 11. and as bad for their last times. Apo. 17. the last verse. (Math. 24.) an host besieging (Luk. 22.) Ierusalem should be destroyed, and continually abyde desolate: whyle the Gen­tiles calling continued. Great errour hath been herein committed, by not marking the force of Noahs wordes: pursued by Moses, Gabriel, the Lord, and full euent: and the glorious erecting of the Church, tearmed The hea­uenly Ierusalem, in steade of it. The Apostata Iulian to fal­sifie our Lord his wordes, stirred faythles Iewes to repayre Ierusalem, being him selfe at great charges: but Christ shewed his trueth. For the Moulde which thousandes ca­ried on the day time, was on the nightTheodorite booke. 3, 20. Greg. Naz, a­gainst Iul. 2. pag. 301. remoued: lykewise their Morter and their Playster, wyndes, tempestes, and stormes dispersed. Their further madnes an Earthquake terrified. Vpon many their buyldinges fallyng, quelled them: and playne tokens of Christ, were agaynst them. The Apostata woulde neuer haue been so mad, yf he had knowen how long Noahs graunt for Sems place, to heare a prerogatiue did continue.Apo. 8. The Popes when they had fal­len as Starres from heauen,Apo. 9. and brought from the pit a [Page] smoke to darken the Starres: euen when that Helbrande was manifested to haue the throne of Satan, and all hisApo. 13. power: then they woulde falsifie our Lorde his wordes, and would recouer Ierusalem, to set vp there a superstition. They styre warres for to recouer the low Ierusalem: to weaken Princes, that their Cleargy myght afterwardes haue Emperours and Kinges at their commaundement. So the force of the West, was sent to the East: and there the foure quarters of the earth made greater warres for the Citie which had been once beloued, then the Seleucide and Ptolemei of olde tyme made: brynging thyther the force of Gog and Magog: who also wrought and suffered grea­ter slaughter, then euer the worlde saw before or after, for the holding of one place. And reason woulde, that men go­ing about to disanull the wordes of our Lord, should know the price of their folly: Seeing they would helpe the Citie that killed Christ, to repayre Ierusalem where he was kil­led, to proue the wordes of trueth vntrue: to buylde there, whereupon Christ had pronounced in Daniel, and in the Gospell, a perpetuall desolation. Our Lorde in wrath agaynst that place, remembred mercy towarde the sonnes of Abraham. For whereas this was and is amongst the Iewes a grounde of all their errour, that Moses Lawes and Ceremonies continue for Ramban in Halachoth le­sode Thora. Cha. 9. and in their dayly Creede: called any Maamin: that is, I beleue. euer vnchanged: and yet them selues confesse, that whyle they be out of their Lande, their Law can not haue his practise: and that they are bounde to affyrmatiue commaundementes, only in thynges about their body, as Phylacteries, In N. Salom pag. 3. out of Ramban: there Mezuzothdoth meane writing vpon postes this: Iehouah our God Ieho­ [...]ah is one. and post-writinges: The Lord in Moses, Deut. 28. and in the Gospell, Math. 23. leauyng an unchangeable decree for a perpetuall desolation, doth playnely tell them: that Sems tentes hauing receyued Ia­pheth into the same dwelling, must be enlarged on the right and on the left hande: that they may dwell in deso­late Cities ouer all the worlde, and buylde a larger Ieru­salem then that where Sem dwelt. Wherefore it is a great [Page] [...]mperfection in vs, that in so weighty a cause Christians shoulde be founde vnskilfull: vnable to expresse the open prophecies, for the open place, and continuance of Sems Citie: and also for the perpetuall Desolation, and the vse of that Prophecy. If for the fyrst poynt we be founde ig­noraunt, where Sems tentes were: we shall neuer eleerely conclude agaynst them, when Sems tentes lose their glory. Through our foolysh deuotion towardes Ierusalem, in that Pilgrimages be continued thyther: and we do not openly profe [...]e that place a burden of impietie, ouerslowen with an eternal Desolation: Ramban a Iew, writing vpon Leu. 26. sheweth him selfe stroken with blindnsse and astonyshment of hart. For he sayth, that God wyll not suffer Chanaan to be replenished with Heathen: because God doth (forsoth) reserue it for Isra [...]l to returne thyther. Because these poore soules are not mad enough of them selues, Popyshe superstition wyshe pricking them forwarde: which as it is bad, not limityng the ende and tearme of Sems house: so let vs not be founde vncertayne for the first places of it. Concernyng Mount Sion, how ancient the dwelling of the holy Fathers haue been there, the same is spoken of Hebrew doctors, that the old Latines haue deliuered vnto vs. Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon saythBooke. 6. Halachoth Beth-habbe­chira. cha. 2.: It is a tradition holden of all handes, that the place where Dauid and Salomon buylt the Temple in the floore of Arauna, the same is the place where Abraham buylt the Alter, and bounde Isaak vpon it: and the same is the place where Noah buylt, when he came out of the Arke: and there was the Alter where Kain and Abel offered: where also the first Adam offered, soone after that he was created. Then if this be holden true, the seconde ADAM fi [...]lished his course, where the first Adam began his. By this we may vnderstande, that the Apostle woulde not hope to perswade the Iewes of any to dwell at Salem but Sem in those dayes: seeyng this was their vniuersall opinion, and so fit for helpe of memory for the story. And this much for the place Salem.

[Page] Most certayne of all notes poynting at Sem, Sem is the Sa­crificer. is the Sa­crificehood: which though I haue touched already tymes, one, two, three, yea and the fourth (as Plato phrazeth in Timoeo.) I must somewhat yet handle it a new: and ioyntly with it the continuance, without beginnyng of dayes, or ende of lyfe. As the Sonne of God tooke not of hym selfe the function of Sacrificer, but was called by him who said, Thou art a Sacrificer for euer, after the order of Melchi­sedek: So neyther woulde Moses haue vs to thynke that Melchisedek had not a caller, or had an obscure callyng: But this open callyng and warranted in story, and the highest that wordes coulde expresse, was fastened by Noah vpon Sem: wherefore it must needes be, that he woulde holde it, and not yeelde his honour vnto any other. The Lorde was not ashamed to be called the God of Sem in his lyfe tyme, yea and in his young yeeres, in respect of his whole age: Iapheth his elder brother being a Prophet, as the Iewes rightly thinke, and perswaded by God to preferre Sems tentes. Now yf Iapheth were his inferiour, woulde Moses haue vs to thinke any other man his superiour, to represent a Sacrificehood of lyfe vndissolued? Neyther Moses nor the Apostle woulde euer wysh any such thought to climme into our heades. And seeing the Mightie, the most High, would be described by an adiunct of his seruant, and after his name the God of Sem: it cannot stande with reason that than Sem being alyue, an other and not Sem should haue the highest place in worshyp of the most High, the God of Sem. The worde Shem, or Sem with ad­ditions, is Gods name in Heb [...]. A learned Hebrew woulde not despise this reason also, that God in Moses is called in Hebrew the Shem (that is Name) the great and the terrible.Leu. 24, 11. And so the Iewes to this day call God the Name.Deut. 28, 28. Wherefore the man also called Name, or Shem, was fittest for this name and honour, to be knowen by a generall name: Noah fore­seeing, and in his name foretelling, how in tyme he shoulde not be named but by a generall name IVST-King, [Page] sacrificer to the great & tirrible Name. Sem the Father of our Lord, Sem of whom yet lyuing God would be named the God of Sem, Sem the Prophet, Sem who doubtles was a religious sacrificer, Sem the fyrst King, Sem & Sem only was then greater then Abraham the Patriarch, of whom being dead, God is named, the God of Abraham: greater then Abraham the Prophet, the buylder of Alters, the sacrificer of Isaak, and the Prince of God: Sem in euery degree is before him: But now we view Sacrificehood. Abraham was the sonne of an Idolatrer once: but none of Sems fathers worshypped strange Goddes. Also his lyfe being without recorde of blemishe, he was fittest to vse the highest office. The other is a most high honour, that he had fathers in order in such honour: yet his two breathren matched him in that. But with godlynes to winne the prerogatiue from his elder brother, to haue the faythfull discent, vntyll his God came in the fleshe: this was an vn­speakeable glory: as that all the worlde should looke vnto his Tentes. But as The VVorde comming in the flesh, Iohn. 1. came vnto his owne, but his owne receyued hym not: So Sem, whom Chanaan shoulde serue, was to Chanaan vnknowen, who was his father, or his mother: when was the beginning of his dayes, or the ende of his life. The men of the worlde then without knowledge of God of the crea­tion, of the beginnyng of the continuing of man, coulde not in their fables come neare the antiquitie of Sems byrth. A lytle weigh their wayes.Sem elder then Heathen gods. Plat. in Epi­taphio. D [...]onys. Alex. and Eust. They who replenished Attens pleade, that there the earth did first yeelde vp Men. Wise Socrates in his tyme was no wyser then so to thinke. The Riuers Ladon and Iaon in Moraea may well be thought memorialles in name of Laud or Lud, and Iauan. Eusta­thius from Greekes, recordeth that there they sayde men fyrst sprang.In Euterpe. Herodotus telleth a chyldysh tale of Chyldren that heard no voyce of men: who were kept so, that they myght be marked what language they woulde speake: [Page] Bek they first spake: (in Egypt it was done) and the king learned that Bek in the Phrygian language was Bread: And thereupon a conclusion was gathered, that the Phry­gians were the most ancient people. Seeing Englyshmen bake Bread, they myght as well make vs eldest. Trogus Pompeius wrote of a contention betwixt Egyptians and Sy­thians for ancienty full of babyshnesse. The Ethiopians of Cush, in Diodorus Siculus, thought that all the earth beyng couered once with water, the Sunne did fyrst dry vp theyr Countrey, and men out of the Mudde fyrst bred there. And in Arabia, Alilat is their God, as Herodotus recordeth: he seemeth to be Chauila or Euila the sonne of Cush. For that cause I thynke the Septuagint translated the name Euilat is in LL. VV. the common co­pies, noted in Sixtus quintus edition. 1. Chr. 1 though in his text, and some others it be al­tered: belike by some that mar­ueyled at the strangenes of the matter. But as Ioinan is for Iauen, to sh [...]we that the Iones came of them, so I doubt not but Euilat was for Euila for the lyke con­sideration. Euilat, putting a, t. to the worde: that Grammer neyther required, nor permitted. But they would teach the Heathen of their forged Goddes. Phayt or Phut Iohn Luci­dus. was holden to be Phaeton, begotten by the Sunne: and as the hot Lybea was an intemperate Zone, so they faine that he droue the Charot of the Sunnes lampe out of course, Anubis in Egypt of Anum or Anub, Chams nephew, was their God. And commonly it was holden, that the earth bare Iapheth, Cham, and the buylders against Heauen. Such was their blyndnes. Moses knowyng very well how the Gods of the Heathen, and their most ancient monumentes of Riuers, Mountaynes, Towers, Countreys, Goddes, and Fables, (sauing some few of Adam) skant matched Sems first yeres: describeth Sem (keeping his name close) in such sort as Chanaan vnderstoode his case. For in him Melchisedek hath, as the Apostle doth teach vs to marke, no beginning of dayes, nor ende of lyfe. How simply it is no wonder for a man to be in Scripture, for the open phrase without father, without mother, without beginnyng of dayes, with­out ende of lyfe. So are Pilate and Tiberius, Annas and Cayphas, whosePro. 10, 7. name doth rot, and theyEsa. 50, 11. lie in sorrow: And it is rather a basenes then an honour simply to be so [Page] recorded. But when a man well knowen, as a priuate man is sodenly in the style of the story, set downe as a stranger, full of royall maiesty, by a new name, vnknowen to them that lyued about him, and to such as read his story: vnlesse it be some Angel, one of a thousande, as Elihu tearmeth godly Preachers, the case of such a man is to be considered, and is lyke to conteyne long speech, and hard. Such is the case of Sem. What Infidel wouldYf Moses writing had not first made it common a­mongst the faythfull. beleeue that Sem borne before the Deluge, weakened a quarter of mans former age, by it: yet by worshypping EL ELION, kept a Language originall, kept, almost only, true religion, sawe mens age agayne halfed, saw not three ages, as Nestor in Homer, but ten ages in the Male line: what infidell would thinke that in the tenth age Sem shoulde seale the blessing to Abraham? Moses full of the most wyse spirite, coulde both mocke the mockers, and make the same wordes seene to the Godly whyter then the Snowe, of any Vlisses elo­quence. He doth not onely shew how much,Homer Il. 3. vers. 222. or rather how nothing the wicked vnderstoode that then were alyue, or the wicked would that should reade his booke afterwardes: but also most liuely teacheth the Godly the summe of the Gospell, in that the blessing of the blessed God of Sem, is in Sems lyfe geued to Abraham: in whose Seede (not seedes, but seede, as of one, who is CHRIST) all Families of the earth should be blessed. So the doctrine of lyfe euerla­sting is opened, that Christ that seede of Abraham after the flesh, is the God of Sem after the spirite of sanctification. This was the counsell of the Apostle wryting to the He­brewes, to shew how the Sonne was made heyre of all: by whom God made the worlde. Who in Esa. 4. beyng Zemach Iehouah to glory, a bright spring, and Iehouah that washeth away the vncleannes of the daughters of Sion: Heb. 1, 3. Zach. 3, 8. in the. 70. & Luk. 1, 78. Being in Exod. the Angel that hath within him the name of God: Being in Genesis, Elohim, that by speaking made and vpholdeth all: Being Psal. 110. the Lord of Dauid, [Page] sitting on the right hande of God: and an eternall sacri­ficer after the order of Melcisedek: is honoured by the Apostle, with most goodly speches: as fayrer then the sonnes or Adam. For he from those places tearmeth him the brightnes of glory, the Character or grauen forme of Gods person: carying all by the worde of his power: by him selfe a clenser of our sinnes, and a sitter on the ryght hande of God on high. How the Iewes coulde hardly be called to an higher manifesting of the Redeemer, then the bare speches to Abraham at the fyrst sight conteyned: and were dull in hearyng, that God was in Christ, reconcilyng the worlde vnto him selfe. Wherefore the Apostle by Mel­chisedek, would drawe them to the God of Sem, and to the great mysterie of Religion, that God was manifested in the fleshe. Many others through all ages in their stories beare a shadowe of those thinges, which in Christ should be more notable. As Adam, in deriuing his case vpon the many: that is, all: Rom. 5, 14. Abel in innocent martirdome:Heb. 12, 24. Enoch in as­cending:Gen. 5, 23. Noah in sauing the worlde by waters:1. Pet. 3, 21. Abraham in large fatherhood:Heb. 11. Isaak in yeeldyng him selfe to a sacri­fice,Gen. 17, 5. Iacob in vigilant shepardy,Rom. 4, 17. Ioseph in sauyng his brea­thren,Esa. 9, 6. in price of sickles by Iudas, Gen. 31, 40. and his restraynt be­tweene two,Rom. 8, 32. one saued,Num. 12, 7. the other perishing:Heb. 3, 2. Moses in fayth­fulnesse ouer the house:Leu [...]t. 4. Aron in sacrificehood,Num. 13, 17. called the Christ:Iudg. 16, 30. the sonne of Nun in sauing into that Rest: altered therefore in name from Oseah to be called Iesus: Esay. 45, 1. Samson in destroying many enimies by his owne death:Ezr. 1, 1. [...]nd. 6, 3. Dauid in a stoute kingdome: Salomon in a peaceable: and I see not why Cyrus may not also be ioyned for his office, though his fayth be lesse certayne: yet because he set Israel free, and woulde haue buylt the Temple on his charges, therein he bare the forme of a deliuerer: As all these had foresha­dowes of a body to come, performyng a better thyng an­swerable: so well might a man looke that Sem the rarest, or onely for glorious phrase of Blessing, shoulde not be left [Page] in meaner degree. Therefore the matter in his story doth ring and roare, how in obscuritie he is gloryous: who in style, being knowen Sem, blessed openly from his blessed God: recorded for all the time of his life, first in that kinde vnrecorded, as touching dying, appoynted to that dwel­ling place whence Nations shoulde learne Religion, deri­ued vnto his tenth descent, finding a man ordeyned to the succession of blessing: Sodenly commeth on a stranger in a famous name of a iust King, to make him vnknowne to the blynde worlde: such an one as none myght holde for beginnyng of dayes, for ende of lyfe, or yet for father, mo­ther, or kinred, to be a Chanaanite: and to speciall purpose a Sacrificer without recorde of ende: to represent by se­quell of matter offering it selfe, euen the sonne of God, that king of Iustice & Peace, without Father in his manhood, without Mother in his Diuinitie,Iohn. 1. 10. and 11. without kinred for ac­ceptation, and yet for euer continuyng a Sacrificer. So an history one and the same becommeth a blacke cloude to Chanaanites, and cleere to such as take both will and lea­sure to view the cloude that might conduct to folowe God.

Vpon mention of Ageednes, I may ioyneWithout Sem, succession of doctrine hath no record. Succession. Sem only of all lyuing with Abraham, is recorded to haue seene the olde worlde. Beyonde recorde, we may affirme no exceeding olde age. Noah was dead before Abraham was borne. Sem might tell from two men, Lamech and Methuselah, who both lyued in Adams dayes, the stories from the beginnyng vntyll his tyme by hearyng: and the later by his owne sight, of prophannesse, of religion, of the wrath, of mercy. Such treasure hid in Sems brest, hol­dyng the glory of God, woulde seeme more precious then any wall of Iasper or Christall, to beholde the defence of God cleere in the middest of the enemies. Iob woulde not so much esteeme of anyHeb. Ra [...]oth, by the high co­lour holden to be Corall, as I gesse from Or­pheus, in cou­ralio. 57. Corall orHeb. Gabish, in Orpheus I reade Chaba­zios, by notati­on it should be like an hayle stone. In Greke also called Chalazias. Plin. booke. 3 [...] Cha. 11. Chabaz, as Abraham woulde of Sems authority to dryue away Serpentes, such as Nachor his brother, and Ismael his soune were, despising [Page] the wordes of the Blessing. By Sem, Abraham and Lot myght instruct Isaak, who by them myght be brought to see Sem: that foure workemen, foure iust men, of whom Heathen come and not Israel onely, meetyng at Salem, myght begin the buyldyng of the high Ierusalem, where in time all their Families should haue a glorious dwellyng. They though then fewe woulde tell how their chyldren shoulde be taught by Iehouah, when of them he toke fleshe, how they shoulde haue plentie of peace (or Salom) in the high Salem, being setled in Iustice: and their teaching then amongst Heathen, was aprecious buylding, where stones were layde with ornamentes: the foundation of Saphir, the windowes of Emeraud, and their gates with flamyng stones. I more willingly vse these tearmes, by imitation of Esay. 54. wherein he telleth of the Heathens callyng: For that the state of vs now is very lyke theirs: the partition wall, of circumcision and Moses ceremonies, being so broken downe as yf it neuer had been buylt. Moreouer the doctrine of Moses delyuered in twelue Pre­tious stones, wherein were grauen the names of the twelue sonnes of Israel, not onely to be in remembraunce before God, but also to teach their chyldren to holde the precious gyft of fayth, as their Fathers did: mooueth vs to consider that the lyke were worne not vpon, but within Sems brest before: who had lyued in the dayes of so many seuerall fathers, and was a high Sacrificer, bearyng Vrim and Thummim, the forme of holsome wordes, Fayth and Loue, within his brest. When Isaak shoulde heare him teach of Gods loue towardes the worlde, how he woulde geue his onely Sonne for man: he shoulde be prepared before he knew his owne case, to geue him selfe to God, at the com­maundement of his owne Father. And well might Sem be faygned to haue two Onyx stones on his shoulders: the one hauing this engrauement: The seede of the woman: the other hauing this, Iehouah Elohe Sem. These poyntes [Page] be more precious then any Stone. For afterwardes by these the white stone, with a name which none knoweth but the receyuer, shalbe geuen to such as fight for these two Powsyes. When Sem shoulde teach Abraham how Christ shoulde come to his owne, but his owne woulde not re­ceyue him: Iohn. 1. he myght see a stampe of that in Sem, who be­ing amongst his owne, was not gloryous but to such as God drewe vnto him, despised and reiected for speaking of Religion.

Now two thinges yet remayne to be handled: The one a common saying of the Iewes: from the Babylonian Tal­mud, which often afore I haue mentioned. Theother in what speciall meanyng the nation of the Iewes beareth blame for dulnes of hearyng. Both which cleere the cause. They say, from Elias house.Massecheth Sanadrin, Cha. Chelek. pa. 97. line, the last. 6000. yeres the worlde stands. 2000. To [...]u (or before the Law) 2000. in the Law. 2000. in the dayes of Messias: which is by interpretation Christ. By [...]ohu they meane a vacuity of ornament, in the rate of commaundementes,Abraham had the Promyse in 2083. Ierusalē was destroyed at. 4000. How neare. 6000. the worlde shal ende, God only knoweth cer­taynely: men can but gesse, by lyke reuo­lutions. borrowing the terme from Genesis the first Chapter, where the Earth is sayd to be Tohu, that is, voyde. Now by the Law they meane not that which com­monly men woulde thinke, Moses law. For long after that was geuen: but they meane the commaundement of Cir­cumcision, or any thing that God commaunded Abraham. The law of Fayth standeth rather in a narration, then in a forme of imperatiue speech: which being tolde but in Adams and Sems tyme, for common and open recorde, they who knew not Christ, coulde neuer knowe whom Melchi­sedek coulde represent: and they who knew the preferment of Sem, woulde soone knowe why he shoulde be lykened to the sonne of God. Sacrifices doubtles were commaunded: but no expresse worde is written so, that men myght be for­ [...]ed more to the law of Fayth: which they that knewe not, thought all a Tohu, or emptinesse, vntyll Abraham, that euen Sem in all his royaltie and office, coulde not shewe [Page] them an eternall Redeemer. So for the other poynt, of Dulnes in hearyng. The Lord woulde neuer blame the Iewes Nation for ignoraunce in the Prophetes language, open sayinges,Tau. Resh. Iod ad Gimel in Arithmetique make. 613. which number of letters they finde. Exo. 20. for the spech of the Lord in the Law, and in memory of that haue gathered the Commaū ­dementes. 613. full blindly e­nough: omit­ting the article for Christe, holden in their beliefe: and ap­poynting no law for beliefe in him, which was the ende of the Law. as Therig (that they call the. 613. com­maundementes) nor for the tymes, wherein for all knottes they yet haue the trueth, nor for the place whyther Christ was to come, nor for the families recorded: who doubtles at that day agreed with S. Matthew and S. Luke: though they woulde neyther commende them, nor keepe a recorde of theyr owne: they neuer durst resist them. For these poyntes whereupon the Scripture to vs seemeth sealed with seauen seales, for want of dayly readyng, wherein we should be occupied: The Nation most cunnyng in these poyntes, touchyng the open phrase, shoulde not be blamed: but for the close lyfe skattered through all these sayinges, the Scripture blameth for dulnesse of hearyng touchyng Christ, for his person and his office. For the whole worlde by losse of Millions, dayly finde this a great secrete: how God was manifested in the fleshe, was iustified in the spirite, was seene of Angelles, was preached in the world, was beleeued of nations, was taken vp in glory. The Turkes, Iewes, and all other Infidelles, they heare this: but they heare these poyntes dully. Though in the two thou­sande yeeres of Tohu, no expressed sayinges for Religion,That the words of God, for fayth in Christ, shoulde be better mar­ked, lytle els for 2000. yeeres is written. to continue are written, but for these poyntes, of the Seede that shoulde ouercome the Serpent: and of the blessed God of Sem. By neglect of the first, came impietie in all kindes, and thereupon the Flood. The floutyng of Sems blessing buylt Babel, to make a Shem or Name: and that bredde the shame of Languages. Before Abraham and Moses, this was a deepe poynt. And after in expressed wordes, it is the ende of the Law. For Moses Leu. 26. de­scribing perfect recompence of Iustice, speaketh of plenty in Corne, VVine, Peace, and such: and of the placyng of Gods Tabernacle amongst vs: (which poyntes, Amoz. 9. [Page] S. Luk. 1. and Apo. 21▪ turne to Christ) and neuer enclyneth towards any story in men, for perfourming any such thing: but contrary, in the punishmentes for breaking. Moses fore­telleth their story, vntyll they are in Babylon. 70. yeeres, and how they wyll confesse their sinnes, and the sinnes of their Fathers: and telleth how God will remember his Couenant with Iacob, Isaak, and Abraham: and that he brought them out of the land of Egypt. This doth Moses tell. Daniel sheweth the perfourmance. He when the Cap­tiuitie was ended, confesseth his sinne, and the sinne of his Fathers, and that euery cursse written by Moses had taken effect from the iust God: and notwithstandyng that God would remember how he brought his people from Egypt. Hereupon God doth worke for vs woonderfull thynges. He sendeth an Angel to Daniel to teach him vnderstan­ding: who did so, as he him selfe recordeth for more cer­tayntie, that we shoulde take his wordes in that meanyng as he him selfe tooke them, and not be wyser then Daniel. He calleth the Prophet that gaue God holy prayse of iustice and trueh, Delight it selfe, Chamudoth in Hebrew, and tel­leth that the worde came foorth at the beginnyng of his prayer: (Now he prayed for returne to buylde Ierusalem) and from the outgoing of that worde, vnto Messias the king most holy, brynging in Iustice eternal, to ende Sa­crifice, to seale vision and Prophet. 490. yeeres exactly were pared out: and thereupon Ierusalem shoulde be de­stroyed. This he tolde: but who did looke so farre to the ende of the Law?

As Moses face did shyne to such as coulde looke vpon it: so doth his doctrine shyne to such as pursue the tenour of it. Yet none can come to the ende of it, nor remoue the coue­ryng from their hart: but such as the Father doth turne and draw vnto the Sonne. After the Lord had long taught, lytle coulde men looke into the person of Christe. They thaught him to be Iohn Baptist, Elias, Ieremy, or one of [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] the Prophets, but could not know the King Holy of Holy: therein they were styll dull of hearyng. Neyther coulde any of the Scribes and Pharises assembled, tel how Christ was both Lord and Sonne of Dauid. Let vs come to the Apostles them selues, how skantly they knewe Christe: Peter doth confesse, that he was Christ the Sonne of the lyuing God: but the thunder of his power agaynst Satan by his death, that he did not vnderstande. For when the Lord sayd: that he shoulde be killed, and ryse agayne the thyrde day, he was not now Symeon Bar Iona: a ryght hea­rer of Ionas case: what shoulde be answereable to Ionas, lying in the Whales belly there dayes and three nyghtes: but sayd, Chos ve shalom: in our phrase, God forbid: being a Satan, a stumbling blocke, not conceyuing the thynges of God. Let vs consider how dull we our selues are, for the worde Rocke. That worde in the Prophetes diuinity, and in the Apostles phrase, and course of the demaunde of Christ, importeth God. So the Septugint translate the terme ZVR, that is Rocke, by tearmeDeu. 32, 4. 15. 18. 30. 31. and 2. Sam. 22. 1. Cor. 10. and Psal. 8. 19. 28. 31. 62. 71. 73. 78. 89. 92. 94. 95. 144. Theos, God. And this sentence twise telleth vs that playnely: there is no Zur, Rocke, but Iehouah. And S. Paul called Christ the Rocke: and our Lord sealeth vp the Disciples answere, how he him selfe is the most Holy, the Rocke: who wyll performe vision and Prophet, by whom alwayes came forgeuenes of sinnes. In this poy [...]t the sharpest edge wyll soone turne aside. The Romises do not onely there turne to Peter the name neuer bestowed but vpon God, but do the lyke in Gen. 3. saying, She (not HE) shall bruise the head. Though the masculine gender be past all doubt in the He­brew. These deepe sayinges they mocked, before the Flood, and at Babels worke. And when Christ graunted, that he was the Sonne of God: they made that the occa­sion of his death. Moreouer when S. Stephen sayd, That Iesus of Nazareth woulde destroy that place, and alter the lawes that Moses gaue: what had he then spoken more then [Page] Gabriel spake, That Christ woulde destroy Citie and Sanctuarie: and finishe Sacrifice & Offering? And where it is in Moses sayd, that his lawes should continue Le Olam, continually: It falleth out most fitly in this cause. For Olam signifieth a Iubilee. Now Iubilees continued not be­yonde our Lord his death: but the last fell out in the same yeere, that Holy yere, the acceptable time, when he brought vs into our Rest. For particuler declaration of that, an other tyme must be taken, and for Moses further meanyng, to be opened. For y^e present matter touching dulnesse of hearing, it was spoken doubtles of not vnderstandyng Melchisedek representing the Some of God: which representation, how woulde that Nation euer haue looked for in a Chana­anite, whereas in Sem graunted by them to figuer Christ, and in most manifest Scriptures, they woulde rather stop their cares, then heare that poynt? Thus all that is spoken of Melchisedek, shineth in Sems cause: and it can not be, that any other then alyue, shoulde be thought equall in the kinde. Sem is the honour of Kinges, for antiquity, and iustice: ended his dwelling at Salem, whence Religion sprang to our Fathers: was the worthiest Sacrificer to his God, was vnborne in the worlde now, vndead in the memory of most that saw him blesse Abraham, undying in description of his age: besides the maner of spech before vsed, to the astonyshment of men. Sem onely coulde tell Abraham and Isaak, the storyes of Adam, from the mouth of Lamech and his father Methuselah: onely by the lewes graunt agaynst the Iewes can be brought, a keeper of the worlde from Tobu, by his owne eares testimony, as know­ing the law of Fayth before Abraham. Sem onely had be­fore a promyse, wherein the learned Iewes woulde be dull of hearyng, and was meete to be lykened to the Sonne of God in his case then. And neuer was any King more strengthened to a Kingdome by Warriers, then Sem is by argumentes, to be Melchisedek. This I had to speake of [Page] Melchisedek, styred vp first to defence by spech of a Lear­ned brother, who taught the same, and of some was blamed. Afterwardes I wrote in fewe lynes the effect of all this, sufficient (as I supposed) to stay the vnstayed: and so I founde, that in many it tooke place. One Learned man otherwayes mynded, wrote what he thought good to an other conclusion. His, and myne, I willingly commende to the iudgement of the Godly: that the trueth may take place to common agreement, in buyldyng the kingdome of Iustice in Peace.