Bibliotheca theologica: or, a librarye theological containinge, 1. A generall analysis or resolution: 2. A breife elucidation off the most sacred chapters off Elohim his Bible: drawen for the vse of yonge Christians, specially off the poorer sorte, vnable to purchase variety off holy-men theyr wrytinges: by Henoch Clapham. Nihil primum perfectum.

Author: Clapham, Henoch.1597

BIBLIOTHECA THEOLOGICA: OR, A LIBRARYE THEOLOGICAL containinge,

1. A generall ANALYSIS or Resolution:
2. A breife ELVCIDATION, off the most sacred Chapters off Elohim his Bible:

Drawen for the vse off yonge Christians / specially off the poorer sorte, vnable to purchase Variety off holy-men theyr wrytinges:

¶ By HENOCH CLAPHAM.

[figure]

Nihil primùm perfectum.

IMPRINTED AT AMSTELRODAM,

Anno 1597.

[Page]

THE PROEME.

HAlfe A yeare togither was I ernestly fol [...]ted to vndergoe the Analysinge of God his sacred Booke / and that but for the first heads off the Chapters. For so long tyme I refused that attempt / though much was ofred for promouinge the work / yet that helpe beinge cut off / I finally tooke pen and did som what soc. But then thinkinge with my selfe that such A generall Diuision wold litle helpe without som Sub-diuision, I therefore subdiuided som chapters. Yet me thought / it shold litle to edify / except from obscure places in the text were made cleare / where vpon I finally drewe an Elucidation / such as it is.

At this my work I looke that may shold storme: disdayners off all mens wrytinges but theyr owne: specially / the Hereticall sort off people: and no Maruel though Satā belloe from theyr mouths / seinge my Pen is as A Goade in his sudes. Carpers do prophane and snatch som times at Manner, somtymes at Matter. For the Manner / I expect theyr snarlings specially at the Diuision: som curiously as tyingme me to Dichotomie or partition into tvvo: others that lesse delite in that forme, fallinge me for vsing it somuch. Betwene them both I haue here walked / that so I might sanssy both partly, whome I knewe it to be impossible to satisfy vvholy.

For the Matter, som will snarle at som fewe vvords, som at Doctrine. Off such doth Erasmus speake thus in his Antidore on Hieroms epistle to Heliodore: His mos est, è toto libro quatuor aut quinque verba decerpere &c. It is the manner off these persons to pick 4. or 5. vvords out off A vvhole booke, and in thes to shoe by calumnie the excellency off theyr Ingene. They animaduert not in vvhat tymes, to vvome, ō vvhat occasion, vvith vvhat mynde that man vvrit; nor do they conferre vvhat preceded, vvhat folovves, vvhat in another place is vvriten on the same matter. Only they vrge and presse them 4. vvords: Against them they moue all their syllogisticall engines: they vvrythe, depraue, and somtimes speak euell of the thinges they vnderstand not.

Off this which Erasmus speakes / I off experience can speake this: In my Bibles breife / I said that Elohim was the plurall off El: and to the proper Name Ehjeh, I suffired, I AM. In Scotland the learned excepted not against it that I heard of: Mr. Brought on as sufficient for the holy tongue as any publikely knowen off in Europe / he also could read it without stumblinge: but 2. or 3. englis he youths som off them hardly knowinge Beth from A Batle dor / they behinde my hath because of them two words / did labour the disgrace off Author and his booke.

They (for I will not turne my speach to them though I speake off them) did not for the first vnderstand (or wold not vnderstand) what like scholers and Christians charitable / they might haue vnderstood. When Hebrue Lexicons or Grammarians do say that Iehouah is deriued off hajah, To be, do they speak properly? Hajah is not properly to be: but he hath bene: yet euery scholer knoweth what the speach meaneth: so thei might haue thought that I ment Elohim the plurall came off El his Roote: off which El commeth also Eloha his singular. That Elohim is said to com off El in english Strong, it so giues vs rightly to conceiue both Elohlm and Eloha his singular in direct forme off Declenson. And as I spoke it / it helped to the vnderstanding off Gen 17. 1. where tis El-shaddai [...], God alsufficient: not Eloah-shaddaj: and so off many other places. The Declenson-deriual / no Child that had bene two days lessoned in his Declensons could de possibly ignorant off.

And whereas they wold haue Ehjeh to be the future tyme / I vvill, not the present tense I am: then babble they knoe not what. Ehjeh cā neither be restrained to tyme to com, tyme present / or tyme past: for as it is A proper name off God / it is off all thre tymes: and therefore (as Vatablus wel obserueth) Iohn in Apoc. 1. 4. he expoundeth it by / vvhich was vvhich is, and vvhich is to come. The Thalmudists so vnderstand it: and all Hebrues do by Ehieh vnderstand the eternity of God. The Septuagint turne Ehjeh asher Ehieh in Exod. 3. 14. thus: Ego Eimi ho [...]n: and theyr Interpreter, Ego sum qui sum. Tremellius, Arias and such as translate it, I VVIL BE. they do it not for tyinge men to that: and that they shoe by the other translation in theyr margen-annotations. Hierom in his tennanes off God / and in his Bibles version / and all aancients do expresse it as I haue. And [...]ff A mā set downe one off the 3. tymes and not all. 3. let the learned iudge iff I AM agre not rather with the nature off God / to whome thing preter it and future are present / then I [...]DE BEENE / or I WIL BE. And let the how sober spirited also iudge (for the spirit of the prophets must be subiect to the prophets) if my annotatiō there vpon Ehjeh, do not more fully set downe the nature off God / then the future tyme wold. Let the foolishnes past cawse them be more sparinge in censouringe hereafter off vvords.

For Doctrine / as it is either Literall or Mysticall / so also theyr Calumnie wilbe twofole. The Literall or Grammaticall doctrine I here meane to be that which at next had ariseth from Open text. At such doctrine I looke [Page] to heare off thunderclaps▪ from our english Dona [...]es, Anabaptistes, Arrians, and Sectes off all sortes: and no maruell / for / as I labour to hold fast / so they labour to transgresse the bounds off the [...]: except off auncient heresy / which they a newe fur [...]ish. Against such doctrine they haue made an insurrection / since my publishinge off the XII. Theologicall Axioms: nor was my Bibles [...]r. fre from theyr enuenonied tongue. I therein (from the consideration off / 2. Cor. 3.) did affirme that the Iudicial, Moral, Ceremonial lawes were peculiar to Canaan: but to vs the letter remoued / yet equity and spirit thereoff remayninge, Som bere (who wold only haue Moses his Iudiciall lawes established) did wickedly giue out that thereby I shut the maiestrate out off the Church etc. For Ceremoniall lawes they knew that euery one holds them abolished. For the Morall / the [...]leainge letter off them two tables is abolished / the former scripture teacheth: and so [...]. Beza with others Old and New vnderstand it. As for the state off the Iudiciall / I knoe none / that is not madly fond / but he graunts they were peculiar to Ganaan. Mr. Caluin in his Iustitutions / [...]ib. 4. ch. 20. he teacheth it at large: and in the 16. section he vseth the word peculiar which they cary at in me.

For Doctrine mysticall / more reasonable sprites (it may be) will say somthinge: and the rather because som late holy writers haue disliked off Mysticall interpretation. Theyr reason is: Bapistes vse it much for establishing theyr matters. This reason indeed is no reason: for the Papists vse asmuch the Letter for theyr purposes: and neither Donatist, Anabaptist, Arrian &c. but they call to the Bible and the letter of the Bible for only discussinge theyr matters. Shold we therefore reject the Bibles Such slender reason hath caused late factions Spirits to reject the auntient holy writers: because [...]omanistes vse them: and such insufficient collection / hath caused the Svvenkfeldians to cast the Bible vnderfonte / and to lissen to the priuate motions off theyr owne fleshly sprite.

An / tis damgerous medlinge with mysticall expositions: true [...]s so. Tis damgerous medlinge with two edged instruments (and the word off God is [...] two edged sword) and damgerous to meddle with the Bibles bare letter. [...] or yongones cā hardly medle with the letter but with perill. Learne that off the Iues and our ages Donatistes. And I wold with Pithagoras his scholers they wold at first be fiue yeares silent: more redy to heare and slower to speak. Euery one shold knoe [...]eyr measure off faith and keepe themselues within theyr limits / not medlinge with things to hy for them: Yet him that hath som knowledge how to handle A two edged sword / this is no barre to his medlinge with it.

One and the same spirit administreth diuersly: to som aboundance in the sence Grammatical or literall: vnto others A rauishment ut the sence mysticall: nor ought the One to despise the other. Yet this always vnderstood / the Mysterie can neuer be builded safely / except the Grammer sence be first rightly laid: for the Letter is the Ground and foundation to the Mysterie. Which is greene heads did well looke into / they wold not easly wade in Allegoricall, Tropological, and anagogicall constructions / surder then first is by sad discreet sprites administred vnto them.

For Mysticall sences necessarily lyinge hid vnder the letter or Historie / I wold men wold not only read Greek and Latin Fathers / who herein solaced theyr sowles: but also word go heare what reasons Moses Bar-kepha Syrian Bishop off Bethrawan in his Commentary off paradise hath concluded for repulsinge such Calumnie: where / amōgst the rest he writes so: Except therein lay mysticall senses, from vvhence coulde the aunciēt Fathers, Prophets & other holy men off old knoe Christ to com: & therein be so solaced? Finally, iff yre shold vvith these heretikes be so mynded, off a troth vve fall into Iudaisme: for the lues (vvho are voyd off the holy sprite) they embrace no senses but vvhat is corporall & grosse. And indeede to vnderstand the scripture only literally / it is but grosse Iudaisme: and [...] not liftinge it vp hyer then A humaine Cronicle / that containes no further wisdom then bare letter affordeth. Paul drawinge Sarah and Hagar, Ismael and Isaac into Allegorn / he vnderstood otherwise: and the Author to the Hebrues / who calls the Lavv A shadovve off good thinges to com: Iohn in his Apocal [...]ps: the Prophets on Moses / and the Apostles on All / they conceiued off scripture otherwise. Somuch for Aduerse Spirits.

As for Freindly Spirits / som off them it may be / wilbe makinge question touchinge Manner and Matter: but not as the former with purpose to abuse the work. A godly Ma [...] Scotland hearinge that my foresaid Breif-booke had english Verses in it / she for [...] season refused to read it: [...]n som such like inough will here be stumblinge at the Chapters Arguments because they are verse. For the proud Donatist that termed them [...]ymes ād Trumyeries (though I could justly twite such to the iudgment off theyr owne faction) etc. and for the english Anabaptist that called them Playeclike thinges / I will not answer the foole accordinge to his foolishnes least I be like vnto [Page] him: but to the holy spirited I speak thus: The learned do knoe that sondry bookes off scripture are off Poeticall shape / consistinge off apt Nomber and som off Kythmed forme But where our language admitteth the Kythme in the end off A Measure / that holy tongue giues it in the begininge. One Instance do take in the 119 psalme. First / it is diuided into 22. parts according to the nomber off the Hebrue Alpha [...]et / euery part answeringe to one Letter: secondly / euery part consisteth off 8. verses / and euery verse with the same Letter with which that Octouary beginneth. So that herein (as also in other places) there is not only verse / but also Kythme / and that with admirable elegancy These therfore that condemne Poetry because som prophane it / they may for like abuse aswell reject other excellent guiftes off the Spirit.

[...]t my forme off Diuision the Learned may say som thinge / because it vttereth no Art: butas the Diuision it self is homely / so the braunches thereoff not vttered in Logicall termes. These must knoe / that I write specially for the erudition off vnlearned Christians: by whome I haue somtimes bene s [...]bd for speakinge so darkly. Nor do I expect otherwise to be intreated off som such (though godly) to whome I must also say: though I writ specially for them / yet not only for them. And therefore / what vnto them semeth difficill at first / that shalbe made vnto them more easy by more readinge. As for wordes in anotherr language / let them leap ouer such / and iff they be vnenglished after / the thing concerneth them not much.

Touchinge the Matter / it is but an vnbowellinge off the sacred booke off Elohim: and that is don first by comparinge scripture with scripture: secondly / by introducinge the Auncient holy writers for confirmatiō off my iudgment in thinges of most waighte: that so it may not be demed myne owne priuate fancy. And least I shold play the Theyfe to wisdome (for so Clemens Alexandrinus. 1. Stromatôn calleth such) I haue ordinarily put downe his name from whome I borowed it. I could with Others haue passed by them vnmentioned / and so haue flowen abroad with other mens feathers as iff they had bene my owne: but I detest that payde to be thought to walk alone. Our Ages heretikes that are vnto me contrary mynded / they for theyr alone walkinge do commonly alleadge Elijah: sayinge he was somtymes alone. But iff the lyers wold serch the scriptures they shold knoe / that notwithstandinge he se himselff alone in Israel, yet he could not be ignorant that the state was otherwise in Iudah: for then good Iosaphat raigned. Nor yet in Israel was the hali seede extinguisht / as the Lord doth teach the Prophet / but many there were that did neither inward nor outwarde homage vnto Baal. To say that the Church off God many age hath bene holy invisible / it is A dayngerous introduction to all heresy.

The Auncient Fathers (Greeke and Latine for the first 600. Years, but specially for the first 400.) they are vnto me so deare / as (after all the tryall and knowledge I haue taken off, all Sects) I cannot se how I ought to swarne from them in anye one poynt essentiall. what heresy is there in these days whose grounds they then ouerturnd not? Our English Brownisme is but flat Donatisme: he that knoes the Son may fetch the Father out by his face in the Arguments off Parmeneanus, Petilianus, Cresconius the Grammarian / and such other Vermine strangled longe synce by holy Augustine. Large Anabaptisme grewe also out off Donatus: for makinge all other ministry voyde besides theyrs / it must then folowe that only themselues could administer Baptisme. The holy Father then tels Parmenean lib. 2. cap. 12. that they ought aswell make voyde the Sacrament off ministeriall ordination (for iff th [...]one was good / both stood good: iff the one voyd / the other also) and so Donatus and his sectary Ministry / who had and could haue no other Ordination then first they from them / that also shold be voyde: and so themselues deliuer no baptisme rightly. Our Donatistes must learne also / iff theyr Ordination in the English church be fully frustrate / then also theyr Baptisme: If Baptisme remaine good / then also the Ordination. And iff the Ordination be fully nothinge / then they are like for euer to minister without Ordination: except priuate laynien may impose hands: which is flatly false▪ as I haue shewed in Our booke off In Conclusions.

As for Artianisme / Iudaisme and other our Factions theyr doctrines / not only Augustine, but many others haue cut the stringe off theyr bowe: that iff the Deuel were not on men / theyr Bowe shold haue bene burnt or euer it had bene stroong againe. But not to digresse farre from the purpose of my Proeme: the holy Reader must not be offended / though in this Matter off Matters I consult with those Auncient my Betters: who haue so valiantly fought the Lord Battels / and sealed the sanctifying truth with theyr latest breathinge. There is not A Sectary in these days but he reionceth in the writinges off his owne faction: and why shold not the faith full be as carefull to vphold the Men [...]ornall off the just. Let vs be faithles hereyn / yet God will haue his owne Captaynes (though dead) theyr Ensignes displayd in his temple / when the memoriall [Page] off the wicked shall rotte. Shewe me One off Arrius, or Donatus, or Pelagins, or any off the sophisticall auncient Heretikes theyr Bookes iff now can. No / God hath cased them from the fate off the earth: that were it not the holy Fathers do mention them and theyr stuffe (as the sacred scriptures remember Achan, Iudas and theyr stealth) we shold not haue knowen somuch as theyr rotten Names. This Argument (iff there were no more) it vrgeth me to celebrate the Memoriall of the anncient [...]ighteous: verily here withall beleiuinge / that my writings (though off thowsands most vnworthy) they shall ourline the Fartions: and be as an Aegles fether to other fethers / A finall consumption: For euery plant our heauenly father hath not plained / it shalbe pulled vp by the [...]ootes.

Whereas somtimes I alleadg som Iewe or prophane writer / it is but in such A case as the parti may without prejudice be a fit witnes. Hierom (or serom, all is one) beinge off Ruff [...]nus vnto Magnus charged with the like as with [...]ryme / he vnto the Romayne Grator alleadgeth Pauls practise / there withall sainge / that he first (according to the lawe) pareth theyr nailes / washeth them [...] and then why may he not matry with the captine of the Gentiles: and also by occasion take by Goliahs sword for cuttinge off the vncircumcised head off the Owner. what he might say / I also for my selfe may say: whereunto I adde: vnto the pure are all things pure / but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleuinge / nothing is pure: but euen theyr myndes and consciences are defiled.

The Scriptures I here alleadge for Canonicall, they are thes off the Old and new testament which are vsually off Protestant Churches receiued for the Only Canon or Rule off Faith. For the Olde testaments bookes there is cheifest cōtrouersie and discontētment. Som off the Bookes called Apocrypha are by Rome and som others made regular for Faith: off vs not: and good reason why. Iosephus in his first booke againstte Appion hath this, There are not vvih vs thovvsands of bookes discrepant and fightinge in themselues, but only bare tvvo and tvventy. And then A litle after he tels the Atheist Appion, that the writings from Arrayezxes tyme till then (these vvere our Apocrypha) there was not like faith to be giuen vnto them / as vnto the former 22, because with them there was not like certaine successiō of Prophets. Origen on ps. 1. and Eusebius from him / do witnes that the Hebrues only acknowledged, 22. Hierom not inferiour to any for Hebrues iudments he in his Prologo Galeato doth tell vs the same / sainge that the 22. bookes (answeringe the 22. letters) they were thus called▪ and into thre Orders disposed.

1. Breshith.	Eenes [...]s.
2. Velleshemoth.	Erod.
3. Vaijkta.	[...]euit.
4. Vaidabber.	Nomb.
5. Elleh haddebarim.	Dent.
6. Iehoshuag [...]en-Nu [...].	Ios.
7. Shophtim.	Iudges
8. Shemuel.	Ruth.
9. Melacim.	Sam. 1. and 2.
10. Ieshagniah.	Kings 1. and 2.
11. Iirmiah.	Isa.
12. Iechezekel.	Ier.
13. Tere-gnasar.	Ezek.
14. Iob.	the 12.
15. Dauid.	lesse proph.
16. Mishle.	Psal.
17. Koheleth.	Prou.
18. Shir hasharim.	Eccl.
19. Daniel.	Cant.
20. Dibre haiamim.	Chro.
21. Gnezra.	Esrah.
22. Ester.	Nehem.

Vnder the which he suffireth: Quicquid extra hos est &c. whatsoeuer is besides these bookes / they are to be [...]ut amongst the Apocrypha. And touchinge the Apocryphal writinges / Augustine thus writeth in his 15. booke off the City off ap. God and ch. 23. Omittamus igitur earum scripturatum fabulas quae Apocryphae noninantur &c. Let vs passe by the fables of those Scriptures vvhich are called Apocryphal, because that theyr hidde begininge appeared not to the Fathers, from vvhome vnto vs the Authority of the true-speaking Scriptures, by most sure and euident succession hath com. For in the Apocrypha, although there be found som verity: yet by reason of many vntruthes, they are not of Canonical Authority. Ruffinus in his exposition off the Symbole / affirmeth the former bookes to be the Canon off the old testament / from whose fountaine we were to drawe the drinck of God. Som off thy rest he saith were Ecclasiasticall / but not Canomicall.

But touching this poynt I neede say no more / seinge our vvhitakres in his first off the six Questions controuerted with Bella [...]mine, hath set such A fyre in theyr Coate / as I troe they shall neuerin Englande but smell off the smoke hereafter. But had neither late nor auncient Christian writers euer disclamed them / it is sufficient that Zion (mother church off the Gentiles) she neuer Named them. He [...]ers tongue they knewe not, Iudah nor Israel euer cir [...]m [...]cised [Page] them: nor had the Apostles euer comaundement t [...] baptise them. Som off them as Ecclesiasticus, VVisdome, Baruch, Machabees, they may be vsed well / prouided not for rule off faith: but for Esdras, Tobit: Susanna, Bel, ludeth, I knoe not iff so they be dreames: and for the fragmentes [...]rep in vnder the name off Manasse [...], Ester and Daniel they openly shoe themselues to be straingers in Israel. The Aunciēt Church neuer Acknowledged: the New testaments Church hath lesse cawse to receiue them.

As for the Newe testaments bookes there is betwixt Protestant and Papist no controuersie. Both then and we receiue as the holy Fathers receiued / the 4. Euangels, Acts, Paul his 13. Epistles: to the Hebr. 1. Iames one Ep: two off Peter: 3. off Iohn: one off Iude: and the booke off Apocalyps which is the seale off the whole. Our vnity for the bookes one: god graunt that his spirit may once for the senre thereoff cawse both off vs therein to be One. For Arrians, E [...]tychians, Anabaptistes, and the residue off those dregges and most filthy off washinges off the Church off the Gentiles / they reiect som off the lynks off God his golden chayne / or else trample both the sacred bracelets vnderfoote. The Papists adde vnto the Canon (A more tollerable transgression) these detract or vtterly destroy the Booke off Elohim, A transgression intollerable: fitter to be scourged with that lash wherewithall Iesus whipped the theiues out off his fathers howse / then to be reasoned about pro and coir, as our sauiour did with the Temples Doctors at another season. To answer such accordinge to theyr foolishnes / it doth first make them proud: secondly / it rawseth vs seme foolish. They will heare no Auncient Christian writer speake: what hope haue we they will heare vs. They can turne all Auntients by / in sayinge: yovv propound vnto vs the iudgments of men: I answer them: But of such men as had the spirit of God. Do not they propound to vs the iudgments of Men? Yea / off hereticall Arrius, Manes, Donatus, Serueitus &c. The Svvenkfeldians ran say: All is but the indgements off men / ād so they will heare no man: but listen to the suggestion off theyr owne spirit. We set no mans iudgment aboue the scripture / but reuerrnce theyr interpretations who haue the Spirit off the scripentes. We knoe that the best Man hath his Ignorance and errour / but hauinge the spirit off Iesus he holds A true foundation and finally conquers: whereas the Hereti [...] slip from the Corner stone Iesus and are ground vnto powder. Such we must answer in Sword: The spirit of the Prophets, must be subiect to the prophets, and that is semelynes and Order: if any vvilbe contentious, the Church of God hath no such Custome: but he that is ignorant, let him be more ignorant: 1. Cor. 14.

A yeare and A halfes labour I haue taken about the 5. bookes off Moses. That I haue to communicate vnto God his Church here and there dispersed / iff Such be the good pleasure off God. About the residue I am not idle: but Moses wilbe sufficient for one reasonable volume. I haue laboured because it sholde passe the presse for publike vtility / but I smell now at the very begining off the bookes outgate / that not only Sectaries, but Sectarie Favourits wilbe no furtherance herein. What then My God he knoweth that I herein seck the Glory. off his name / in the edifiyng his poore people / by propounding to them / what first he hath manifested to me. And he knoes that I wold haue euery work off myne to perish as an vntimely byrth / the continuance whereoff might prejudice his Church: the yssue therefore off all / I referre to his will / his fatherly will. I labour to discharge duty imposed vpon me / iff others not only neglect duty enjoyned on them / but also shall oppose to duty in others: I say no more but this: the Lord rebuke Satan.

If any good Christian except at the work for ouer weak and vnworthy so excellent A subicet / I answer: Euery one off Israel cannot cast at an puch with Beniamin. Dauid had thre worthies beyond the rest: and 30. more excellent then the multitude / but inferiour to the 3: iff I bringe but som what with the meanest off the lower rank / god will accept off it as worthy / though in my selfe vnworthy. Som offred to the Tabernacles work Gold / som Gemnies / and othersom but Badgers skynnes and Goates haire / so my offringe serue to any Holy vse: though not to the most Holy, I shalbe glad: for I had leuer to stand on that howse his threshold then to dwell in the Tabernacle off vngodlines.

This I knoe / that sad discreet and humbled sprites / they will value the Labour by the mynd off the Labourer / who more wold / iff more he coulde: as for our Britanick sectaries / I only yet knoe / that whatsoeuer they snarle at secretly / they dare controuert nothinge openly. So my trauels may be approued off the Lord his people I haue that I wold: though wherein it is possible / I couet peace with the worlde. Let the Righteous smite me / it shalbe A benefit: let him / rebuke me and it shalbe as Sontraygne oyle not lost on my head. Not but I haue else learned / that Shimeyes railinges shalbe turned vnto the best of such as are called according to God his purpose.

But in the heele off my proeme / let me vnto the yong Christian Student exhibit som Direction / for profitinge by readinge myne ād others theyr writinges.

1. It is ordinarie with People to giue them sel [...]e [...] after Nouelty in writinges humayne [...] [Page] diuine: but without any great paynes takinge in the holy booke of God: or else through a proud disdayne of vsinge other holy men theyr hands and helpes / they only cast ey vnto the holy Canō. The first errour procedeth of Prophanenesse: the second off proud superstition. Betwene these two vices cōsisteth Vertue: A right vse of Both. And this is dō / first by hauinge a recourse to the holy Bible: secōdly by reading other mens writinges: humaine / for humanity: diuine for Diuinity. And off writers diuyne: first to se what? o holy friend writeth / secondly what an vnholy aduersary concludeth: for without readinge the Aduersary / thow shalt want much assurance / what and how to think and speak off such.

2. But thus readinge / all shalbe but a gatheringe of falshood and a loosinge off Truth / iff first in humility thow ron not by Prayer vnto the God off truth Ad Light. The poore ād humble spirited / he will fill theyr hād and hart with euery good thing / but the proud ād rich he will sēd empty away. The lack of this orderly course is cawse / that euery Heretike thinketh his heresy in the Bible: whereas the blessed word is without shadowe off chainge / as God himself is: Yet most off that hellish broode cry / scripture / scripture / and nothinge but scripture: although it is far inough frō purposinge to play the Baude to proud harlot heresy. Others sekinge themselues in Ecclesiasticall writers / they neyther haue better successe: for Rome against Luther, He against them / ād others against them both / they thinke the godly Fathers make for them. If men can bend God his golden reed / no maruell though they can bowe ād break the Leaden squ [...]e of men. Cōsideringe the dainger so many ron into / I troe men need to pray before they reade / that so with the Bee they may from that f [...]oure drawe hony, from whēce the Spider draggeth his poyson.

He that Reades / Notes / Mediates without much prayer / is much his owne Foe: ād he that attempts it without all prayer / he is passinge prophane. This hath cawsed me more then once to wonder at som men: who (cōsideringe theyr judgmēt) me thinks in theyr Library they shold not pray: and yet considering theyr othergates cariage / methinks they shold pray: specially seinge they study from writers Old an New / Popish and Protestant etc. The opinion off such is this: viz. It is symply vnlawfull to preach or Pray in Synagogues / and yet make no scruple to study for theyr church exercises / and that in A Synagogues Library: which booke cloyster must be as deeply in Idolatry (iff not deper) as any part off the Temple. Pray there methinks they shold / and yet consideringe the former opinion / methinkes they should not. For my part (I praise God for it) I still haue learned / that all the Creatures of God are to me sāctified by the vvord and prayer: and therefore laufull to hold vp pure hands euery vvhere, and that vvithhout vvrath and doubtinge: as also that is is A doctrine of Deuels to say, touch not, tast not, hā dle not, all vvhich perish vvith the vsinge: hauinge indeed A shevve of vvisdome, but not to be obserued of those that are risen vvith Christ from vnder the povvre of the Lavv.

As thow Couets therefore to haue God his spirit to guide the in tryinge off all thinges to retaine that is good / do pray wheresoeuer thow reades / studies / meditates ād that to this effect.

Heauenly Father, I sinning togither vvith my Parents Adam and Heuah, I so brought A Vale of darknes & spirituall blyndnes vpon my mynd, the ey of my sovvle: and the ey being dark, hovv great must be my darknes? For thy Sons sake my blessed sauiour Christ Iesus, do by the povvre of thy sprite (thy illuminatinge and sanctifying sprite) dispell this Egiptian like darknes and foggie mystes that hinder my poore sovvle in the vvork of my nevv-byrth. Call Light out of my Darknes, and fix in the firmament of my heart, Light for the Day, and Light for the Night, that so I may be able to discerne tymes, seasōs: spirits, doctrine: vvhereby I thy poore Creature may be enabled to glorify the my Creator. For if, svveet father, thy spirit do not leade me into truth, I shall but pollute and prophane all the meanes of sauing knovledge and holynes: for Christ thy Son his sake, do not therefore leaue me novv to myne ovvne sence and coll [...]ction, for then I perish and vanish avvay in myn [...] [...]vvne imaginations: but as thovv haste promised to be found, to opē and to giue to them that seek, knock and craue: so be vvith me novv thy ovvne handy-vvorke, vvho seeke, knock and craue in the name of Iesus remission of all my vnvvorthinesses, and A beinge further enlightned in the knovvledge of thy vvill and vvorks, for the furtherance of that Nevv-vvork thou in fre-mercy hast begon in me. Amen. Svveet fathèr, Amen. for the glory of thy Sons name put vpō me, Amē.

To like effect pray / or else do holde thy leud eyes back from polluting the words / ād works off our God. Nor do thow pray / but fyrst purge thy heart: for the pure in heart shall se god: as for the sacrifice off the wicked / it is abomination to the Lord. And so besuchinge the Lord his blessinge to accompany my labours / I commit the Sequel to the reading off well disposed spirits / whome the Lord do guide vnto good for euer: Amen.

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In the Begininge, in Engl.

So called, not only because the first vvord is [...]oe: but a so, for that it deliuereth the Begininge of all thinges.

Generation, in Engl.

So called, because it layeth dovvne, the generation of Heauen & Earth vvith their furnitures.

Argument: Chap 1. Great Elohim of Nothinge maketh all, Which we by name of Creature / aptly call.

Diuision of the text.

HErein principallie considerable / the of springe of all things existinge:

I. First in the Cawse: and that is Elohim, the Creatour:

II. Secondly, in the thing Cawsed (and that is the Creature) in the residue of the Chapter.

I. The thing cawsed, is, First A Lump of Matter properlie Created (because it is made of Nothinge) and this is set downe, 1. in the whole. vnder the words heauen and earth, vers. 1: then in the 2. vers. in the courser part of that Lump, vnder the word Earth. And this is described, 1. from the rarenes of his forme (it was void & had darknes vpon the deepe) 2. from the Conseruer of his Beinge: namely, the Spirit moued vpon the waters.

II. The second kind of Creature cawsed, it hath his Being from the former, eyther Immediatly (as the Elements, vnto vers. 11.) or Mediatlie, as the Mixt Creatures, thence to the end.

1. The Elements are of two sorts: the 1. superiour and light (as FIre and Ayre) of whome and their offices, vers. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

II. The second sort Inferiour and heauie (as Water and Earth) thence vnto vers. 11.

I. The Mixt Creatures, are either voyd of Lyfe:

II. Or possessed with lyfe.

I. These be voyd of lyfe, are: 1. Earth crescents, vers. 11. 12. 13.

II. Secondly, Heauen adiuncts, vers. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

I. The Creatures possessed with lyfe, are: 1. Irrationall creatures▪ vers. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

II. Secondly, Creatures rationall: thence to the end.

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ELVCIDATION of the Chap. 1.

VErs. 1. In the begining, Elohim made. The Septuagint (least the Greekes shold think it a Parase of disgrace, in fore placing any wo [...]des before, God: They therfore turned it into Greeke thus: God in the begininge made &c. As witnesseth Ben Gorion, lib. 1.

Elohim (God) the plurall of [...]loha and EL. it propunderth vnto vs the mus [...]ery of Father, word and Sprite. The word Bata, (created) being of the singular Nomber, it pulleth vs back to an Essence. One. By which distinct 3. (contrarie to Sabellins) and yet but One (cōtrarie to [...]) was created Heauen and Earth: that is that Chaos and indigest rude confused matter (as Lactantius and others call it) out of which Masse▪ other Creatures arise. Augustine, and som [...]chynustes from him, they speak of an Antecedinge Matter called hyle: which Egidius de vadis (Cap. 4. dialog. philos.) defineth, That vvhich betvveene Som [...]thing & Nothinge is perceiued. But seing that is rather A Perception then Conception (potius Idea animi, quam quid materiale) I leaue it.

This Matter from the holy ghost his phrase, I vnderstand to be twofold: 1. heauenly: 2 Earthly, From which two all sortes of creatures succedinge are deduced Hebr. 11. 3. In which matter is an aptitude to [...]oe and Suffer (called Nature) by which Creatures are said to be such and so by inclination, or by Natures [...]nstinct: which Nature (by subtile conceipt) to called the first Creature.

The Efficient Cawse of this Chaos is Elohim (the Father, Word and Sprite eternall, immense and therfore vndefutable) which Mo [...]er of Moue [...]s the Philosophers groping after, Som with A [...]a [...]imander called him Infinitum: Som with Chius Metro [...]er [...] termed him, ple [...] & mane: Som the Being of Beinges Som came downe [...]sely and entitled him by such and such A creature in heauen or in Earth: but because (I think) they vnderstood that the Being of Beinges had being in euery Creature: of which mynd was Mar [...] [...]ainge louis omnia [...] as also [...]hylus when he crieth out: la [...] [...], [...]: Coelumque & [...] & [...] s [...]pta.

Vers 2 And the Earth, Leauinge the Heauenly Matter he now describeth the Earthly. And the Earth was [...]ohu and Boh [...]. Som de [...]ue Toha of T [...]han Desolation: som of Iehom [...] g [...]lfe or darknes: both good. Do thow shut thy eyes close and tell me what in mind or Conceipt thow sees? A swallowinge wast darknes, So I conceiue here of Toha. The other wrod, Boh [...] (voyd) Pagni [...]e defineth to be. The Forme which grueth being to Matter. Herein then lieth the Matter and his Internall forme. The externall forme. I may call the Figure of this Lump, by the which it appeared outwardly, and that was Darknes ouerspreadinge. The first 2000. Yeares from the Creation▪ the Iues call Tohu, from this place and consideration.

The Lump thus formed▪ the [...]e Sitteth vpon the waters therof (the waters naturally lighter) the Spirit. as an Henne fo [...]inge the Egge, for [...]oduringe the followinge creatures. Iesus He sanctifying the waters (Math 3 10) for Baptismes vse, loe the spirit (in forme of A Doue: som think of A Piller but their thought intollerable, seing no Greek copie euer had for: pe [...] written for pe [...], se Chyt [...] on Ioh 1.) he ouershadoweth Iesus, [...]ing ouer the waters for the M [...]sticall producemēt of more excellēt creatures then were the former. Cursed therfore the Ca [...]a-paydistes, that will not hope infants of the faithfull sacrified from the wombe, 1. Cor. [...]. 14. as were Ieremiah and Iohn Baptiste. The Cauillers who by Spirit wold vndersta [...]d vvynd, they speake besides booke, for that Creature yet had not his being. Ben. joch a [...] callinge it the spirit of Messiah, he may set such Christians to schoole.

Vers. 3. Then Elohim said. Elohim hauing with the begininge of tyme (and tyme is A nomber of Motion) effected the Matter [...]oelestiall and terrestriall. Moses in the next place passeth to procedents visible. I say visible, to distinguish the following creatures from [...] visible creatures before the others produced. These Invisible ones, I vnderstande to be [...]ugelicall principalities and powers Colos 1 16. who are denied by Gregorius (from they [...] precious stones, E [...]ek 28 13) to be of 9. seuerall orders: the 10. place beinge that from which Lucifer and his damned cr [...]e are fallen, to the filling of which place the m [...]sticall body of Iesus is a [...]otted. The like doctrine doth Origen deliuer from the parabolicall t [...]th gr [...]ate [...]ound b [...] the woman seking. These Angels all of them I deme most likly to be created in the first da [...] togither with the Light, because they are called [Page] Angels of light. Against this poynt in my Bibles Breif, A great scholer in S. hath opposed, by report of one of his principall hearers. His opposition is deliuered in this his Ariome: Quicquid Natura excellentius, id creatione poster [...]us: that is latter in order of Creation, which is in nature more excellent: and therfore saith he (A te go) the Angels must be last of creatures created. Against his judgment I will not oppose waters Aun [...]ient and Now, but against his physicall Ar [...]ome I oppose Meta-phisicall order, order diuyne. What if I shold affirme woman (though latter created) to be inferiour in nature to man, wold no subtile disputer take my part? But I oppose Moses in the former speach Heauen and Earth, giuinge the heauens matter the first place: and I trowe that is in Nature more excellent then this. Moses closely passing ouer their Creation and the fall of som, these thinges are to be opened by the succeding light of scripture. They therfore termed Angels of Light, I se not why they might not (as most probable) haue their Being togither with the Light: and if produced out of the first lump, then out of the heauens (not earths) Nature Besides that (Ioh. 8. 44.) pointing out the Deuel of Deuels, by whome the other apostate angels were murdred, the charge (from the begininge) can be but ouer straitly tyed only to His murdring of Man in the 6. day. As in Man kynd though but two, One was first in transgression, so the phrase S [...]tan & De [...]el (considering the infinite Legions of them) it may easely, perswade (at least not with vnlikenes) that Som One of the Angels was first in trāsgression, and so the murdrer of the rest: and properly (theyr fall being in the first day) He so [...] murdrer from the begininge. Q [...]icquid must therfore be turned into Aliquid: and his Ar [...]ome must admit a Caution.

Out of Darknes Elohim fetcheth Light. If one Lemuristes (Lemares are in engl. [...]obgoblins or night sprites) will haue this Light [...]o be Christ, then by like proportion must affirme darknes to be the Deuel: and so, out of the Deuel then fetch their Christ. Iohn in his Ghospel affirmeth that Light he speaks of to be the vvoid and God, by whome euery Creature existing was made. By the vvord of the father is this Light, 1. Created, 2. approued for good.

From the Effects we must turne back to consider their next cawse. The Light is an Effect of the Elementall fyre working by the [...]e. The Generation of Light is then by fyre (the Agent) and the [...]ure, the patient: the light it self as the child conceuied. Thus by the more knowen thinge the Effect, we fynd out that is lesse knowen, the Elemetns of Fyre and [...]re. The Elementalsl fire is most hot and dry (so is the Complexion Choler: the East wynd: and sommer quarter) and therfore it drawes by exhalations from belowe which comminge into the vppermost Region of the Ayre, the matter there is turned into Comets, furie shootings &c. But stayinge in the Midle Region, it is turned there (by reason of his cold) into som waterish clowde, afterwards by the Sun dissolued, it Commeth downe againe in [...]ayne, if the Clowde be naturally dissolued: But in Snow, if the clowd be not orderly melted, speciallly if it be wynd shaken much: Or else in the lower part of that Region it is turned into [...]aile. Vapours but a litle drawen vp, is easely turned into Frost or Dewe.

The Ayre (next Element in lightnes) is moderatly hot and moyst, vnto him is compared the complexion sanguine: the South wynd, and Springe Season. Som haue demed the vvynd and Ayre all One. The wynd being Dr [...] not Moist, it argueth the contrarie. The wynd is whot and dry (of nature with the fore) consisting (for Matter) of such qualified vapours, and drawen vp vp strength of Sun, (as A straw by the heat of Ieat) but comminge into the Middle Region of the Ayre, they are repulsed by cold Meteors or vapors, and vnderneath them they haue exhalations propulsing forward and vpward: by reason of which doble opposition (being not able to ascend or descend directly) they break out in the sydes and so circuits the inferiour Region of the Ayre. Thus the Ayre hath his 3. Regions, and in euerie of them are Creatures (termed of the learned / Meteors) effected.

The Light is termed day: the Darknes going before, is termed Night. Seinge Darkned a priuation of Light, properly. The E [...]en-tydes darknes and the Morrow-tides light, they constitute the first Day. The day consisting thus of his 24. howres, it is called the Day Naturall: but the day (accomptinge from the Sun his rizinge aboue the earth, vntil his going downe againe from our [...]emisphere) it is termed a day Artificiall. The Auncient Romaines begon and ended there Naturall day at Midnigyht: and so do ordinarily all natural Magitians, by giuinge that planet the first howre in the Night before, which is the gouerning planet of the day after. The Arabians (Ioh. de Sacr. in comput. eccles. begin and end there Naturall day with the Midday: but the Iues according to this place of Moses begin with the Night. If any ask me when we that liue in the new creation (heb. 12. 27. Isa. 66. 22.) shold begin our Naturall [Page] day? I answer: The Night and Old thinges are passed: the Sun of Righteousnes rose out of his tomb in the Morning and so went forth preachinge that Day and the night followinge. Paul so preached Day and night ( [...]t. 20.) and Night and day. The first creation begon in darknes, the second begon with light.

Thus out of Darknes naturall, god by his ghospel hath shined in our hearts, 2. Cor. 4. 6. calling light out of that Tohu: Order out of that Confusion: and of old made vs new creatures. As the first (or naturall) light is effected by the Fyre and [...]pre, so is this second (or supernaturall light) effected in our hartes by the spirit of lyfe compared for his working vnto fyre and the A [...]re. Seinge then we are of the Day: let vs walck as in the Day, that when the Lord of the howse shall com sodainly in the Night, our darknes may be light in the lorde.

THE SECOND DAY.

Vers. 6. 7. 8. Againe Elohim said. Againe (in another vicissitude of tyme) Elohim procedeth by the Spirit and rod of his mouth (Ps. 104. 30.) makeinge moe creatueres, In this Day he creates and constitutes Rak [...]ga (of Rakagn to extend or vnwrap) commonly translated Firmament. The Firmament properly is that heauen or Sphere (in nomber the 8. vpward) wherein the fixed starres are. This signifieth an orderly vnwrapping and spreading out, namely, of the whole heauens as A Curtaine, Ps. 104. 2. These heauens (a more excellēt Naturall then many thinges belowe and made after, contrary to my aduersaries Ariome) they cannot (for any thing I se) meane an extension of the ayre: though One (otherwise of much learning and worthy much reuerence) haue soe written. For the Ayre must in the former Day be expanded, else how could the fyre by it haue effected such orderly Light, as worthily might be termed Day? where he thinks it must be so, because the Ayres region containeth the vppermost waters, I answer: The vpper waters in the Ayres Region are only such, as (all philosophers huntaine and diuyne graunt) are first exhalations from the Earth and weaters belowe, drawen vp by heat and congest into a clowde: finally dissolued and sent downe to the Parent belowe. These Cloudwaters had no place in this creation: and this, the same learned man may obserue the better from his translating of Gen 2. 4. 5. thus: And there vvas no man to [...]ill the earth, or vapour ascending from the earth, for vvateringe the vniuersall face of the Earth.

These waters therfore are vpheld by the heauens, and by that Celestiall vnwrapped webbe are seperated from the waters vnder the heauens, whither in the Ayre or Earth: like inough to be the waters that drowned the old world: who, besides the rayne, rused downe by openinge of heauens wyndowes, Gen. 7. 11. and 8. 2. The learned Chuo [...]dus Pellicanus denies these superiour waters to be Spirituall substances, so called for their nomber or puritie. If he had said, then mystically import such substances (for the lower import earthly people, [...]en. 17. 15.) I thinck he had bene ne [...]er the mark / and so Orige [...] mystically applyeth these waters vnto such holy People as haue their conversation in the heauens: but that these waters are really such substances, it cannot be: for so the Grammaticall or [...]terall story of Creation shold be ouerturned. Wheras. 1. we haue propounded the plaine letter: 2. the spirituall mystery vnder the vayle of the literal story.

The waters before confused, and now and thus digest into O [...]der [...] Lawe is imposed on the firmament or Spheriall expansion▪ for standing [...] partition wall betwene these waters, psa. 148. 4. As it were an Aatonicall preist for diuidinge betwene people and people: and so the Eueninge and Morninge is the second Day.

What neede this second, and afterwards the third, fourth, Fifte and sixt repeat of Eueninge and morninge for making vp so manie seuerall dayes▪ seing the Euening and morninge was the first day? It was necessarie for the perfecting of the work literall and mysticall. 1. the Eueninge and Morning hauinge ron once the glasse of A Naturall day, they could not haue don that againe for effectinge another Day, except Elohim had againe turned Tymes Glasse for A new nomber of Motion: 2. Nor after the experiment of one ages spirituall Darknes and Light, could there be A second, third, fourth, fi [...]te sixt vicissitude of that wo [...] ke mysticall, were it not that the Decre of god hath sealed to euerie such distinct age and his work. In six Naturall days was all the [...]ch frame and se [...]ely furniture of heauein and [Page] earth effected: and in the world his 6. ages shall the whole worke of Iustice and Mercie be com to his period. The 7. Day it hath not this speach of Euening & Morning to the effecting of it, because as the 7. day was Sabaot, so the 7. age of the world shal put an end to the spirituall and mysticall Euening, [...]eu. 10. 7. and 11. 15. Happy is he that man sing that songne, the kingdom of the world is Our Lords and his Cristes and he shall raigne for euermore.

THE THIRD DAY.

VErs. 9 10. 11. 12. 13. Elohim said againe. In this days work obserue, 1. the Collection and dispos [...] of the waters vnder heauen, by reason wherof 2. the drye Land [...]steth vp his head, that before (as it were) had bene couered with the sacramentall wates: this Land called Earth: the waters, Seas: which Earth is naturalized vnto procreation of Herbs and Trees. Twise in this third days work [first in the Diuision of waters and earth, secondly in the Earths fructification] Elohim seeth the work Good. In the second day it is not once said, he savve it good: not because it was not good, but because of the Mysticall partition wall diuiding betwene people and people (as betwene Iewe, and Gentile) closely therby teaching all sortes of people / that it is [kata tj, respectiuely] not good that the Lord his sheepfold is not yet One: but then it shalbe perfectly good when both sortes are gathered into One vnto One Pastor.

The waters in this Day remayne barren: but the earth conceiues ād brings forth Twyns Herbs and Trees in their kyndes. And here to the full viewe of the other two Elements, vvater and Earth. Water is passiue to the Ayre, as the Ayre passiue vnto Fyre: and it is [...] Nature Moist and Cold. So is the phlegmatick complexion / the westw [...]nde, and wynters quarter. The water is of a Globe like forme / as may not only appeare by Drops / but also by sailinge the Seas, which Io. de Sac [...]obusto in his boke of the Sphere proueth by plaine Demonstration.

The Earth is patient to the water, as the water to the Ayre, and it to the Elementall fyre: and so the Earth A female to All, as the Fyre is the Agent or Male to all. It is naturally Cold and Dry: and therfore vnto it Naturians referre the North wynde▪ the Melan-cholik humour, Autumme, and age decrepit, fit to be gathered into the [...]arth as into A Barne vntill the day of Diuision. Of all Elements the Earth is most ponderous, and therfore it kepeth the Center or Period of the worlds Sphere or Globe. Seas nauigation, Starres compossinge et [...]. proue it to be of A sphericall forme, howsoeuer Ptolemeus and many others haue demed the contrarie. And in asmuch as the Earth is as the midprick of the worlds Circle [contained of all, but containinge none] it must therfore be immoueable, as [...]s. 104. 5.

THE FOWRTH DAY.

VErs 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. And Elohim said, Let there be Lights. Herein obserue 1. the Creation of starres: 2. the end of their Creation. The Starres are either Planeticall [of these is spoken. Iude 13.] and of these wandrers, two principall, the Sun and Moone are put for the whole 7. Or secondly, the starres are Firmamentall, called for theyr slowe motion in comparison of the former 7 vnder them, unmoueable or starres fired. Of this nomber to the [...]lejades, Orion, Matzaroth, Arcturus, Iob 38 31. 32. with infinite moe, Gen. [...]. 5. scintillizinge in our e [...]es beholding them. All these doth Elohim nomber and call them by their names.

These starres are placed in the firmamentall body for this end: 1. For distinguishing betwene Day and Night: 2. For distinguishinge tymes and Seasons, with their naturall Ab [...] [...]edes. Astralogie kept within these bounds, and indeede what wandreth from these poynts that is besides the Art, it is A Science glo [...] ons fitting A Christian to hy Contemplation.

Abraham could not beholde the starres, but he expected another gates church of spirituall starres in the mysticall Firmament, then our Heretical spirits cause; who by their blasphemous conclusions inferre A Nullitie of these starres for these 1 [...]00 Yeares. I am not ignorant that the churches firmament shold haue [Page] manie of her starres apostatinge (Reu. 6. 13.) but they must also knoe, 1. the tyme of such A copious flat fall [namely vnder the breaking vp of the 6. seale: 2. they must knoe that all shold not fall, Reu. 12. 4. Thirdly, they must knoe, that the starres thus plentifully fallinge, they did specially foretype the fall Ministeriall [for so starres are expounded, Reu. 1. 20.] not the fall of the popular or vulgar sort of the church: and of these Aswell as of the former is the promise, Gen. 15. 5. And for this cawse, immediatly after Iohn saw the Ministeriall fall, the Lord [to his and our comfort] affordes him the sight of an Angel [Chap. 7. 2.] comminge from the East, 1. for sealing vp the thowsands of Israel: 2. for enforming him of the Infi [...]e of the Gentiles preserued [in that downefall of ministers, and stoppage of the Euangels passage] though not without ma [...]fold afflictions. The Heretikes [and amōgst the residue, the right Brownistes] that for prouinge themselues the only visible church of god) do much babble [euery vnlearned [...]obbino [...] of them / of this mysticall booke of Reuelation. I giue them boldly to vnderstand, that their vse of that booke is, but as A parable in A fooles mouth, or an arrowe in a dogs thighe: Prou. 26. 9. 9. The lip of excellency fits not A foole, Prov. 17. 7.

Pa [...]l lookinge vnto these starres, 1. Cor. 15. he durst boldly conclude A difference of glow in the [...]esurrection. And I doubt not, but these starres are of A more excellēt Nature then som Creatures made after. Let Dauids wonderment at the sight of these superiours, Psa. 8. 3. helpe me out in that: as also the distinction of bodies, 1. Cor. 15. 40. compared with vers. 48. Elohim hauing with the breath of his Mouth, not only created but also kyndled these torches and Lamps in the heauens for / their Sphaeres were rowled out in the second Day / he so seales vp the 4. Day, consisting of his morning and eueninge.

THE FIFTE DAY.

Vers. 20. 21. 22. 23. Afterward Elohim said.

Now the Lord casteth aside his Ep vnto the former Earth waters, emoyning them. 1. to bringe forth Fishes in their kynds: 2. Fethered fowles in their kynds. As the Earth was the womb of Twyns / Herbs and Trees so is the water the womb of Fishes and Fowles, Ps. 8. 8. Objection. But in ch. 2. 19. it is s [...]de: he formed euery fovvle, of the Earth, therfore not of the water. I answer: The Earth brought not forth his Herb and Plant without the symbolization of the other Elements, and therfore we se in them the nature of fyre, ayre, water: so, the waters here produce this cople of creatures by combyninge with the Earth / as his female / subiarent, but yet it is termed principall by reason the waters / as at the next hand to vowarde / do reach the same forth.

Of fishes / som are superiours: as Leuiathan▪ whales, the Sea wolfe / or [...]yke / etc. som inferiours: and that specially vnfinned fishes / as Eel [...]s: and crepe [...]s / as frogs etc. The fowles are either [...] thereall / as these that delite naturally aboue as the Egle / etc. Or Terrestricall as all such fowles as haue I naturall heauines in flight because the Elements of water and earth do much sway in them. These sorts preachinge (as it were) A mysticall difference betwixt Man and Mā theyr Super visours / whither in the state Politicall or Ecclesiasticall: yet all of them bound to looke back to the Baptisme waters from whence / if they be created vp the word and the Spirit / they haue their orderly producture. Exept A Man be borne againe of the water and Sprite / he cannot enter into the kingdom of Elohim / Ioh. 3. 5.

Dauid / psal. 104. 25. etc. looking with his spirituall ey into the Sea / he cannot but admire the wisdom of God and his riches therein. Wisdom in the variety and excellenc [...] of the Creatueres: Riches / in the aboundance of them. He that coms vnto these waters of Elohim / and casteth in his Net or Angle for snaringe the Creatuere / before he haue asked leaue / by reuerent prayer / of the Creatour / that Man is but A sawc [...] vsurper and no promise hath he of A blessinge there. This doctrine is mystically taught in the disciples fishinge / Ioh. 21. 3. etc. who vntil the vvord Christ / came and had them cast out there net on the Right-side / they fished not rightly. Snarers of Fowles must also ask leaue of the Lord of the Game / before they meddle with his Byrds: for they are Byrds of vvarant.

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THE SIXT DAY.

Vers. 24. &c. Moreouer, Elohim said. Herein

I obserue the Creation / 1. of Beasts: pasinge and Crepinge: 2. of Mankynde: and of either these works it is said seueraly / They vvere good. Pasing Beastes are Domesticall / as the Ox / Sheepe / psal. 8. 7. Isa. 1. 3 or Foraigne / as Behemoth / the Vincorne, Io [...] 39. 12. & 40. 10. Crepinge beastes are only foraigne▪ for we speak of Natures instinct: and the Serpent Ch. 3. 1. transgressed by Satans instinct, and such are the Dragon and all other earth serpents / that procede not since the Fall, of corruption or Mongrel generation.

Oh the glorious Consent and harmonious vnity then amongst the Earth Creatures / as also of the water Creatures created in the former Day. The Pyke that now deuoureth other fishes by whole and by halfe / he was then vnpossessed of such tyrannie. The water Frog that now sits vpon the hillock side / and syninge the Tyrannous Pyke passinge by / both leap into his neck / and there holdinge fast with the hynder legs / doth with former stretch ouer to his eyes and so finally scratch out the Deuou [...]ers eyes: the silly creature (before man warred with god) did not in secret [...] in ambuish for the dest [...]nction of his fellowe. As for the Earth creatures / they then were all in naturall league: the wolf thirsted not the ruyne of the Lamb / nor the Hound the wrack of them both. The god of peace created all at peace: nor was it any but the possessor of the Dragō, that in the first work day made battaile in heauen, though he was cast out in to the Earth / and in the earth on the last work day wrought myscheife in Paradise / though alotted to haue his braines dasht out by the seede of woman: it was none but he / that setting God and man at oddes / did therby effect a dissention amōgst other creatures. A feeling of this fall the vegetatiue and sensitiue Creatures then haue after A sorte / and therfore grone after the day of our finall deliuerance / that so the Day com they mai be deliuered into the glorious libert [...] of Eloh [...]ms sonnes. Rom. 8. 19. 20. 21. Happily / then we shall se how excellent at first they were that so by [...] and them A work in vnity may redound vnto Elohim / whose handy work we all are. Sed de his [...]ce ac sobrius dicendum: saltem Rudibus ac [...]bus nostris.

In the second part of this 6. days work / Mankynd, to whome the Angels shold be ministringe spirits / Heb [...] 1. 14. and the residue of the creatures serui [...]able and subject / ps. 8. 6. as vnto Christ / 1. Cor. 15. 27. God createth: and that Male and female / vers. 27. 29. contrary to their blynd assertion / who wold haue woman created after this day / because her forme of Creation is described in the Next chapter after the finishment of the 7. Day. They may aswell say that Man was also then created: because the Matter wherof he is made / is only there mentioned. Besydes / Moses testifying in the next cha. vers. 1. and Iehouah himselfe, Exod. 20. 11. that the whole host / that is / all thinges that had bring in heauen and in Earth / were in 6. days created / these odde spirits so giue the [...]y vnto Iehouah and Moses. Male and Female he made them / the Matter remaineth vnto the next Chap. but how? by A simple word / as were the former Creatures? No▪ There is A Consultatiō about the Matter / for herein lieth the ground of the whole work. Other creatures / saith Clemens Alexandriuus, lib. 1. cap. 3. paedag. He made with A bare command / but Man he builded with his owne hand / in sp [...]ing that who proper to himself.

Let vs make Man according to our Image: Will not the Sabellians graunt here a Pluralitie in that one God? or will they with [...]ues accursed say that God speaketh to Angels / or to the 4. Elements or to the other Creatures? or will they say that God at first occupied that new found phrase of princes One for Excellency sake saying VVe commaunde though the commaunder but one? They may aswell say that Elohim through out this chap. is to be translated Gods, and so let vs not heare of God somuch as once in the whole worke of Creation.

If our image be an [...]mage traduced from Creatures / though the Creature were Arri [...]s his Christ / how sq [...]res then the Apostles exhort: put on the Nevv man, vvhich after God not after Creatures is created in Righteousnes & true holynes Cyrillus Alex in his 2. section of the 1. chap. on Iohn his Euangel / he learnedly proueth that the words Let vs and our image do [...]wort that Trine nomber in that One substance. This Nomber / the Greeks do call hypostases; the Latines persons, becawse these 3. Father / word / Spirite / spe [...]se so nau [...] quid do distinctly sound somwhat: and into these 3. thre in nomber / One in essence / is the new-man created / Math. 28. 19. The Nomber strangles also the Patripassi [...]us / whoe taught that the Father suffred really: the Diutie' for Vnitas non est [...]u [...]e [...]u. One is properly no Number / it presseth the guts of A [...]rius / as [Page] also of Theodoras the Tanner Ringleader to A [...]te [...]non.

Thus Elohim maketh man kynd: Male and female: and that accordinge to his Misticall [...]mage: for away with the block headed A [...]thropo morphits who imagine God and Man to be of like externall forme: an hidden secret containing in it [...] just and holy Trinity in vnitie. The principall part of Man being his sowle: for the Body is but the sowles instrument: therein we consider / 1. the Mynd: includinge all the Senses: 2 the vvill includinge: all the Affections. 3. the Povvre of doing, arisinge from them Both. These are 3. in Nomber, arisinge from One Essence and that spirituall Yet this Trinity in Vnity effecteth not Elohims image, except considered in the qualification. And therfore the Mynd was possessed with Light holy and diuyne [...]ul [...]n: the Will as an handmaid▪ approuing the Mynds Light and affecting only that: The Powre arising both from Mynd and will / as the spirit from the Father and Son: corresponding to both: ech before other not in tyme but in ā order respecting the thing wrought: Mynd, vvill and Povvre conspiring in one the glory of Elohim.

This Sowles Trinity in vnity is couered with an howse of Clay, Iob 4. 19. as with [...] Dayle: that so we may knoe Elohim the Father of Sowles;▪ Heb. 12 9.: to be for our cō cerning of him, shadowed with and by Earthly thinges: that so therby we may happily se him: though darkly: quasi per Ae [...]igma. The Body thus is the Temple communicated, as also of the Spirit communicatinge: and therfore after the Fall redemed by [...] deare price: contrary to the foolishnes of C [...]ssianus, who said that the Bodies of Mankynd were but the Coates Made of skynnes, Clem. strom. 3: as also contrarie to the blasphemie of the Pa [...]ans: A [...]gust. de haeres: who say Mans [...]esh is of the Deuel: denying with Ca [...]pocr [...] tes: [...]eares lib. 1. 24.: salua [...] to the body.

As Elohim to this Creature subjecteth the former Creatures, so first to him he here prescribeth Meat: and that only is, to ea [...] of the Earths-crescents, the g [...]th of the Third day before. Then in the second place, he in formeth mankynd: for Man hath only [...] reasonable s [...]wle and to him Elohim communicateth his Mynd: of Food for Beastes and Byrdes, namely the grene herbs. Vnto the liuinge irrationall treasures, only herbs and their adjunctes: but to Man, Herbs and Trees with their app [...]tenaunces. Reasonable seruers of God▪ shall with Iaako [...]: the G [...]keb Gen. 3. 15. [...] [...]eele in creation: haue & doble blessinge: vnreasonable worshippers must with Esau be contented with one blessinge▪ growing as far from heauen and [...]er [...] the Earth, as the Herb or grasse that goeth with the belly on the earth.

Vnto all the Creatures of the former Day Fish and Fowle: the [...]ord enjoyneth openly encreasment and multiplication: in this Day he so speaketh to Mankynd: and how can our Misogymstes think that the Male shold multiply without [...] female, except with the Part they beleiue he might with Bacchus cut [...] son out of his thighe? I say▪ in this day he speaketh so only to Mankynd, not to Beasts or any other creatures aforegoinge. In the third Day, he enjoyned the Earth to bring forth Herb and plant with his seede, that so by seedffall the kynd might be preserued. But layeth not the open law of multiplicatiō vpon them: so also, he omitteth the open lawe of Multiplicatiō to the former part of this days work, namely in the Beastes. All the work with his Adjuncts: for common people are vncapable of manie knots lynckinge Natures worke togither: the blessed Elohim finally / euen at the end of 6 days / he setteth this Seale of Approbation vpon it: All that he made, [...]oe it vvas very Good. The first day, he so sealed once: the second Day, his Seale semes not to touch: the third day he seales twise: the fourth day, once: the fifte day, once: this Sixt day, he first seales in the Beastes, secondly in Mankynd. As for this last seale of approbation, it is not only to mankynd, but also to the whole work wrought: and that with additions of Excellency: for whereas before it was barely said, & he savve it to be good: here the spirit turneth he savve into BEHOLD: and the word Good into VERY GOOD. Thus Mankynde: the church consistinge in Adam and his wyfe: it bringeth doble blessinges vnto the residue of the Creatures. Laban can witnes that. And so endeth the 6. Day.

NOTA.

THinking here to haue drawen a Mysticall. Cronicle cōtained vnder the 6. days works and the s [...]a [...]e [...]th days rest, I saw I could not do it without fore stalling the Si [...]es and Seauens in the New testaments Reuelation: and therfore for the present I haue passed by it: Yet speaking so much [...] of it, that by the consideration therof the wyse spirited may be whetted by to consider, that the nature of Elohims speach is, in one vvo [...]d to seale vp 2. things.

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Argument: Chap. 2. The stately work of Elohim / againe Moses repeats / making somthinges more plaine.

Diuision of the text.

I. IN this Recapitulation is obseruable: First / What is layd downe more straitly (and that is, the Consummation of the 6. days workes) once layd downe in A bare assertion, vers. 1. then in A Probation from Elohim his Rest in the 7. Day: vers. 2. 3.

II. Secondly, herein is obseruable, what is layd downe more largely: and therein, First, A Repeat of the Chaos vers. 4. secondly of the Creatures arisinge there from: and that is also twofolde: First, of worke peculiar to the third day, vers. 5. 6. secondly, of another worke peculiar to the sixt day (namely, of Mankynde with their Adiuncts) thence to the end.

Elucidation.

VErs 1, 2. 3. Thus the heauens. Elohim hauinge dispatched his hands of the Creature, He restes: giuinge A president to Man for Restinge [Exod. 20 11] from externall workes, what tyme he is specially to meditate on the works of Creation. This first Creations work required the 7. Day: because the work was finished in the former 6. The Seconde Creation (called Nevv heauens and nevv health, Psa [...] 22. shaking of the Old for establishinge A New kingdom that shold not be shaken, Heb. 12. 2 [...].) This worke enjoyneth the first day 1. Cor. 16. 12. because this is the Son our Lord his day, Reu. 1. 10. wherein he rested from the burden of the dawe: pouringe out in that First (his Resurrection) day, the guiftes of his Spirit for e [...]adling Meditation of the benefit redounding to Man from the Father, through the Sonne, by the Spirit of light and Sa [...]a [...]ion. Se for this Exod 20

That Elohim had not don all he was mynded to Doe for euer, obserue in the Speach: he rested from al [...] his vvork he HAD created Som from hence conclude, that the sowles of Adams succession, are from God immediatly made and sent in all ages into Mankynds bodies. Touchi [...]g that anone. In the meane tyme, I vnderstand that the worde [Had created] doth include all creatures that then had existinge or beinge, or shold afterwardes arise b [...] vertue of the former. And therfore to neede afterwardes of Elohims speach (Let it be, or, Let vs make) to be againe vsed, as at the first, for any creature of the first creations kynde: seing his blessinge of multiplicatiō and grouth sealed on the former, was as Lyfe infused into the head of the fountaine, for cawsinge Being vnto all the braunches deriued thensforth from that kynd of Creature.

Vers. 4. 5. 6. These are the Generations. From the word DAY in the 4. ve [...]s. Hath bene judged, that the whole work [...] of Creation were made in the first Day. [...] in the Indigest lumpe was their Matter, or Deede: but seing the Forme g [...]es being to any thinge so and so denominated, I vnderstand (as before) the formation of the Creatures to arise in their seuerall days. A [...] ( [...]p. [...]3.) could well say, [Page] pro [...]o [...] est prim▪ op [...]is pars, the Begininge is as good as the whole. When Elohim had of Nothinge made that Ch [...]os or Somthinge, the particular Domthinges (that were to ar [...]e out of that Head) were (in respect of the first difficultie) as alredy made. To day there is in the [...]ld an heap of [...]ber, stone &c whereon to make an howse, but vntill the Day it be b [...]lded [...] cannot be called an howse: no more then [...] lump of clay can be called [...] po [...]e. The [...] of speach therfore giues vs to k [...]de / that when God calleth the thinges that are not / as though they were▪ it is because vnto him▪ who so infinite▪ euery future is present.

vers. 7. Iehouan Elohim made the Man. Hitherto Elohim, now Iehouah Elohim. If Nownes be properly de [...]ed of Verbs / which semeth vnto me not / for is not the Verbe an effect of the nowne in nature? but till more learned yeild / I will not walk alone / it is deri [...]ed of Hajah, which signifieth as be: because He giueth Being to all things [...]ge. If any creatures shold haue bene creates by the Angels (in whole or in part) then he could not haue bene I All properly. Besides / the joyninge of it vnto Elohim, it giueth vs plainly to kno [...] ▪ that Beinge was only by the Father, vvord and Sp [...]te, who are One Ieh [...]uah or Beinge.

This Name Iehouah (consistinge of these 4. letters, I, H, V, H,) it is called of the Greekes / Tetrag [...]ammation; because it resteth on 4. letters. And of the Iues it is not ordina [...]tly [...]ed / but in the [...] thereof they pronounce Ado [...]a [...] (my Lord) of Adon, Dominus. And suerly / the prophane and light pronouncinge of God his heroicall Titles / I feare it will and doth hale downe many judgments / on the Gentiles heads: specially on our ages Heretikes / who (for euerie wicked thinge they breach in their wast paper) do fill their sedu [...]ge pages with Scriptures allegations: As though Christ Iesus wold be [...] Ba [...]de or Pando [...] to [...]ez [...]bels filthinesse.

Iehouah Elohim maketh man. Two by Attributes (the first expressing his Essence / the seconde the Powre of that tryne Nomber considered in One Being) they [...] in Creatinge Mankynde: First in takinge Dust (oh Abra [...]. thow remembred this Gen 18. 2 [...].) then breathinge in his face (was not the Body then first?) the Breath of lyfe▪ wherby Man vvas made A li [...]inge Sovvle. Cursed are the Spirits that say the Body wholy (as did the Patricians) [...] partly (as from the girdle downeward / the ve [...]ust [...] herein) it to of the Deuel.

Oh blessed Earth / when Elohim is the Pottes and must temper [...] Clay? and oh pure [...] / (more pure then Ch [...]stall Glasse) for the hiest (as with & mouth) blowes the: and oh con-junction of Body and sowle right ad [...] rable / seinge thereby / the Character and li [...]ely Image of Elohim is printed in Red ea [...]? No maruell if Origen / on Gen. [...]. said that the Heauen which is God his Throne is Tropologically, in Man whose conversation is in he [...] uen. As our Sauiour saith / The kingdom of god is vvithin; so is the throne whereon Elohim sitteth within. The Sowle is the throne / but the Body is Earth and his foote-stoole. And happy is that body that will howe with the Earth / that the Hiest may seat his foote of affections thereon.

What is the Sowle? Aristotle saith / it is the beg [...]ninge vvhereby vve li [...]e, by sense pe [...]ceiue, are moued and first vnderstand. I am as wyse for this description as before I heard it: for what that begininge is which somtimes he calls E [...]delechia or A Motion / or the self life of the Naturall body / I [...]noe not. Nor can I gesse hereby (if Plutarch def [...]e E [...]delechia truly / energia: and Phil. Melancthoa, agitatio) but that Christoph. Regendo. ffinus his suppose was true / though the [...]ch-deacon Schamotulanus say otherwise / not distinguishinge betwene Entele [...]hia and Mens: for Aristotle puts the first for the Sowle and Forme / namely: that he denied the sowle to perish togither with the Body. No better was their judgment that taught the sowle to be the Bodies temperat [...] re: [...] F [...]y nat [...]e &c. Let I [...]h [...]l. Me [...]cth. help Aristotle out / I will not contende.

1. The Sowle is A Rational Spirit; and by Reason in Act or Powre naturall / or Ordinarie / is Man his Spirit ascendinge Eccles. 12 7. distinguished from the Beastes Spirit descendinge. The Beasts spirit may rather be called Endelechia the lyfe it self / temperature / vitall heat / the Agitation of their body: And that there is som Motion and Agitation in the Infants body before the Sowle enter into it / or at least / before it haue any vse of the Sowle / I deme it not im▪probable. Nay / [...] Man is beheaded: the Read and body sundred / there vsually appeareth / specially in strong complerioned ones / Motion and Agitation within them: and methinks none shold then deme the Sowle vndeparted from the Members.

2. The Sowle of Man / as it as A Spirit reasonable, so it is Immortall: for though Man can kill the Body / yet he cannot kill the Sowle, Math. 10. 28. L [...]k. 23. 43. 46. and no Maruell though the Sprite: of Mankynde be thus distinguished from the sprite of [...] Beast: seinge the Beastes body and sprite were at one punct of tyme / by one worde / existinge one: [...]s for Man / his Body was first / then in another [Page 6] punct of tyme his sowle was infused / and that f [...]om without: euen from a nerenes to Elohim, whereas the sensitiue Spirit of Beastes / and the vegetatiue spirit of Earth-grouth was not as from the Nerenes of Elohim, nor from without / but arising within togither with the Matter / wherto it is the internall forme.

But is the Sowle now to Adams successors inspired immediatly by God / or is it a traduce immediatly dernied from the parents / as is the Body? To cut that short in A few wordes. Som with G [...]len say it is from the parents traduced: som that it is imm [...]diatly inspired with God, as A newe Creature ma [...]s by the father and the word now A fresh: som, that all Sowles were essentially made in the sixt day. The first sorte stand and fall with the Greek philosophers iudgment about the Sowle, Q [...]d sit? for if the sowle be not such an Agitation, powre, harmony, heat and in the body, then neither can the sowle be togither with the body traduced from the parents. Secondly, whither is the Infants Sowle traduced from the father, or Mother, or Both? If the sowle traduce Originall som because it is of them then seing it partaketh with both their synnes / it must be treaduced from both their sowles: and how two sowles shold beget another sowle / seing A Sowle is A simple assence for no spirit is of A compound substance as is the body / no reasonable soule liuing can giue me any reason. Thirdly / if the infants sowle be traduced but from One of the Parents / that also is impossible / seing there is neither scripture to afford such A thought / nor any naturall reason can be giuen of one Single or spirituall essence begettinge another. Such A conce [...]pt caused / by common [...]te / A Lanrashire Minister to teach that the Apostate Angels had generation and procreation. Let this first opinion therfore be turned back to the Grecians: who if they were ignorant of such thinges as holy Scriptures afford Openly or by neccessary conseq [...]tion / we cannot at all Maruell.

The second fort that holde the Sowle newly created by God / etc. Som alledage our Sauours words, Hitherto my father & I do vvork: so they do work though they work not So. As also they alledage / Heb. 12. 9. and Eccles. 12. 7. So, God the father may giue the Spirit and [...]e the father of it / and yet not exercise Novv his powre in makinge of it / as he did at first.

The third forte giue Occasion to Men / to demaund / vvhere the sovvle [...] are in they meane tyme? hovv are they exercised. Sleep they, vvake they? If thou sleepe / that is Against the nature of [...] [...] [...]f they▪ wake / they are acquainted with glory of heauen / or torment of Hell / or worlds broyles: and so comming into the Body / they should from heauen com into A prison: from Hell into [...] Purgatorie: from the earth into A bondage etc. much like to the Origi [...]nists and other Heretiks their conc [...]sions herein: repeated and confuted by Cyrill in his Comment. on Ioh. 1. 9.

What shall we say then? I for the present se not how to rest in any one of the thre. The First and Last afforde too many absard consequents. The Middle most is most indifferet, but I se not necessitie of God vsing his vvorde whereby all thinges are existinge after that Sixt day. After the vvord, his Sonne / is promised / Gen. 3. 15. to be exercised in the New worke of New Creation it shold seme an embasing of the VVord, and prep [...]sterous▪ to pull him daly bark from this Seconde work to that first: this being the new heauen and earth vnshaken / but the first shaken and euery [...]an inferiour to this. I therfore▪ by the christian leaue of others more Learned, do vnderstande that I say not / hold / that first / Elohim his blessing of Mankynd in the Sixt day / that is cawse / without new businesse / that Sowles euer synce haue had their begininge of Beinge: but / secondly / they only exist and haue beinge / what tyme the Infants body is adayced for entertaininge the vse of it / and not before. So that / as the first being of it is not considered in the body▪ as is the Spirit of vege [...]at [...] and Sensitiue Creat [...]es, but out wardly and from the Mouth of Elohim and Ieho [...]ah / so / without either any substance of the Parents / or new workinge of Iehouah by his vvord, I vnderstand the daly Sowles arising in the world, to exist. And this take I to be most cōsonant to Reason Diuyne and Naturall: the best of the former thre admitting more liklyhood of Errour: If God shold create anewe / Sowles good or bad / and so commit them [...]o their synfull bodies / then for reuerence owing to the writers / I am willing to propound.

vers. 8. vnto the 15. He man this made / for she to not so soone / nor yet create / the Lord he planteth a paradise / or parke of pleasure / in the circuite of Heden / and that on the East side of Heden. Heden of Gnadan to be delited: nor let the Ignorant stumble. if som write Heden, som Hheden, som yeden, som Gneden, som Eden: for the first hebrue letter is for pronunciation vncertaine / the plot is so called for the delites and varietie of pleasures it possessed. A heauenly Orchard and Garden must that be / which is of [...] [...]a [...]tinge and settinge. Prophane Men and weomen / why medle pow with the Gardners d [...]tes / and [...]ur [Page] selues not more delited in the Gardiner himself. Thy Rose gay condemnes the, for eyinge and smellinge so much the Creature / and art not thereby drawen nere [...] to affect the Creator. The cherries in your fistes aod strawberries in your dish (oh people and princes prophane) their bloodi colour denounceth the sheddinge of your bloods / for choppinge by this Gardiners fruite without askinge him leaue and praisinge him therfore by Prayer.

This Paradise of God / and yet a paradise for Man / is set out in the Adjunctes / which are of [...] sortes: the first is proper / as Trees of all kyndes: trees for Bodies delite and trees Sacramentall: the second is borrowed: namely / a s [...]er out of Heden / diuided into 4. heades / ordained for wateringe the Orcharde. Iul [...]s Fron [...]inus writ two bookes De aquae-ductibus Romae, but he tells vs of no such waters nor Cond [...]es as here

These are waters for the Garden of Elohim, the church of the faithfull / Cant. 4. 15. 16. thother but for Babel, a cage of vncleane byrdes. Here is the Tre of Lyfe / Reu. 22. 2. there of Death. As for the tre of knowing Good and Euell / Rome got som s [...]ips of it / as haue also all hereticall assemblies / but their knowledge vnto death / seinge the Tree of Lyfe / the true C [...], he woes not in the midst of their Garden. Except this Tre g [...]oe in the midst, the other trees d [...] vp: Hiero [...] on Eccl: 2. 5.

The First Riuer is [...]. This Riuer com [...]a [...]eth Ha [...]a [...] where is excellent Golde / as also [...] and the [...] o [...]ix stone▪ Bdel [...] it man be here signifieth only the Tre so called. T [...]e [...] o [...]ix is compounded of Sardis and o [...] ▪ it is black in the barrhom / red in the midst white aboue. The Second [...]urer is Gi [...] it compasseth [...] or A thro [...]. The third is [...] or Tyg [...]s / [...]on [...]inge on the East side of As [...] i [...] ▪ The fourth is pe [...]ath or Euphrates One Riuer of God [...] sacred Euangell is streamed out by [...] Ma [...]k, Luke and Iohn for wateringe the Second Adams Church. The woman of [...]ria must cast Ass [...] bucket aside and open the Conduictes of the heare for drinkinge this water. Where these waters [...]o [...] / and who dare say they are wholy da [...] vp in England? they co [...]a [...] whol so [...]esse and l [...]fe Ezek. 4 [...]. 8. 9. The fountaine of thes [...] waters to Jesus himself / and that the Church k [...]es when she caleth vpon him: Oh fo [...]ntaine of the Gardens, oh vvell of the [...]ge vvaters, and the springes of [...]. Ser [...]h the scriptures: they will testif [...] into what partes of the world / these waters must [...]onne.

Vers. 1 [...] etc. Of this orchard the Lord giueth Man possession / with liberty to vse the fruites: prouided he first fynd himself exercised in dressing the same: secondly / do auoyde the eatinge of one only tre (namely of Good and Euell) and that in payne o [...] Death.

How shold Paradise stand neede of dressinge / corruption (as yet) not hauinge ceazed on the Creature? Surely / Corruption had no place before Syn / for Syn brought in that curse vpon the Creature. This dressinge or tillinge is therfore but A kepinge and preseruinge of Order: and that / though the church syn-les / shold looke vnto / least Negligence (the womans first syn) do introduce Disorder. But / the Church corrupted / how great need there is of Digginge / sowinge / p [...]inge / rootinge vp / it man appeare Isa. 5. Ioh. 15.

This peculiar Adjunct (Paradise) disparched / then vnto Man is brought the sorts of feild-beastes and heauens-fowles: vnto whome Man / in the wisdom of his spirit / guieth Names. Nor must we dare to giue vnedif [...]nge Names to Persons and Thinges / and that in payne of woe / Isa. 5. 20. If all our wordes shold be seasoned with falt / Coloss. 4. 6. Then who dare impose vn pondred Names on Days / Moneths / Children / Buildinges etc. For days▪ the holy ghost euery where in the old and new Testament saith: the First▪ second, third Fourth, Fifte, Sixt, Seauenth, or Sabaot. The Gentiles without god / haue giuen / vnto them their [...] planets names: euery planet▪ being to them A God or Goddesse: jmagininge (as I haue noted in my B [...]les breife) that the body was qualified by those their wicked Gods and Godd [...]ses. The Moneths are also in the Bible called first, second, third &c. or else ha [...]e [...] name peculiar to the yeares season: As the first Moneth is called A [...]b (in English / [...] [...] of come vvith the eare) because it was the Moneth of off [...]nge the F [...]st f [...]tes of Cor [...]e &c. But the Gentiles haue / beginninge with nud-wy [...]ter / called our First / Ianuary, off their two faced God I [...]s: the second / February▪ of Fe [...] which is their God Pluto: the next March of Mars: the next April of Aphros the Froth or Fome of the Sea / wheron their Goddesse Venus was borne: the next May of M [...] which is Mercury: the next Iune: f [...] haue said of [...] Yonger Men / and so May of Majo [...]es, Elders: Ouid.

Tertius a Senibus, Iu [...]enum de nomine Quartus.

YEt not vnlike but May / as before / and Iune of som Man called [...]nius: as well as Iuly of Iuli [...]s Caesar: and August of Augustus [Page 7] Caesar. The followinge Moneths are well termed September of Heauen / October of Eight, Nouember of Name / December, of Ten. So Iuly and August / before the tyme of Iulius and Augustus, were well called Q [...]ntil [...]s, the Fifte and Sextilis, the Sixt. As for Names of Mankynde / Buildinge / Actions etc. In all this Genesis there is president / how religious they were. Satan / enemy to Monuments of holy Religion / he eyther hath preuailed for giuinge Attributes of no signification / or else / Titles superstitions: whereas t [...]e Fountaine is opened to the howse of Dauid for abolishinge the Names of Idoles / as well as other syn / Zech. 13. 12. So that we ought not to mention them in our [...]ys / but with a detestatiō in our sowles.

Vers 21 &c. The Parentheticall Adjuncts finished / Moses returneth to Mans mate: for euery creature Mated and Denaminated / He-man yet wanteth his Yoke fellowe. He there fore must soundly sleepe / till SHE out of his syde be builded, Not of the Head / because the must not be [...] not of the Feete because she ought to haue place in his nerest affection.

1. The Flesh shold sleepe / while the wyfe is A choosinge: and in the knot k [...]ittinge Parents consent / specially if they be vnder Parents tutelage (must put them togither. So Chytraeu [...] vpon Ioh. 2. And others vnderstand it. Not as som in SC. wold needes teach me / to the g [...]nance and detriment of many Sowles / that the bord herrin represented the Ecclesiasticall Pastor / without whose Sol [...]m [...]zation / they wold haue all Mariage simply vnlawfull: and otherwise don / frustrate. Our Bishops in England wold bl [...]sh to be pere [...]tory in that. Though in orderly Christian churches / no [...]e will ga [...] say the Pastor [...] solemnization to be Necessary for Co [...]lynes and order.

2. And Mystically is herein vttered / the Church her Creation out of Iesus his syde (as on sleepe / on the Crosse) borne of v [...]ter and blood: and yet stronger then the Iaw-bone wherewith the Typicall Samson flew the Philisti [...]s. His Death / and yet but [...] sleepe / for his flesh felt no corruption / Act. 2. 31. Was the Church her life. And this [...]o she whome he acknowledgeth Bone of his bones / Eph. 5. 30. because through the water and Sprite Ioh. 3. 5. we are made partakers of the Nature [...] / 2. Pet. 1. 4. What is it / quoth Gregorie in Ezek. hom. 6. that Adam sleping Eua is produced / but that Christ dyinge the Church is forrmed?

Vers. 23. She shalbe called Is [...]ah▪ Adam & Ish are in engl. Man: but the first / deruied of Adamah / red earth / signifieth A Man of inferious lotte: the second / A Man more excellent. Man calls her Ishah rather then Admah / because we must not only take Him here for Adam but also for Ish: that is / we must vnder the first Adam and his Mate mysticall / conceiue the second Adam and his s [...]owsesse / Ish and Ishah: Iesus and his Church. Adam homo: Ish, vir: obserued of Chytr. on Ioh. 1. 13.

Vers. 25. They were both Naked. Man and woman being Perfect they must / aswell and rather then other Creatures / be in their Nakednes / Beauteous. Nakednes beinge their proper Beauty / how could there be cause of shame? Specially / seinge Shame riseth vpon recorda [...]ge filthinesse: and filthinesse as ye [...] [...]ad no place in Mankynde: for all the work which Elohim wrought was good and very good: Ch. 1. 31.

Fond are the hereticall Adv [...]its who from hence do p [...]a [...]se Nakednes in theyr Assembly / called Paradise: but indeede / the Picture of A Stewes and Brothe [...]hs [...]fe.

Ch [...] is Truth / and his Spowsesse / the Church the Pillet and ground of truth / 1. C [...]. 3. 15. This Truth / as God creates it is naked: and the more Naked the Truth is within th [...] assembly of the faithfull / the more beauteous it is: for indeede Nakednes is naturally truthes Beauty. Neither Christ needeth [...]aynt [...]nges / nor his Church curious colourings.

Argument. Chap. III. Satan he temptes and so mankind doth fall: God them expulseth paradise withall.

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¶ Diuision of the text.

TWo parts Principallie considerable:

I. First, Mankynde falling from God:

II. Secondly, the pursuite of God his Iustice. His Falling away or Apostacie from God lieth in the First 8. verses: The first fiue verses containinge A Dialogue betwene the Instrument of Apostacie, viz. Satan: and the vvoman or She-man, seruing for an Introduction to the Fall.

In the 6. 7. 8. ver. Lieth the fall it self.

The 6▪ verse laying downe, 1. the inordinate ey: 2. the pride of heart, wherby Man and woman were drawen to eat of the forbidden fruite.

The 7. and 8. vers. Laying downe theyr sensible Sight and Feling off Syn-ceazed on them: First in that they seeke to cloth theyr Nakednes with Figleaues: Secondlie, in that they fly from the voice of God, to couer them selues in the thickets.

¶ The Pursuite

Of God his Iustice (lying in the residue of the Chapter) is manifested, First in his Huntinge out and examining the Malefactours / Vers. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Calling out the Principal, Vers. 9. betwene whome and the Lord. Vers. 10. 11. 12. lieth A conference: then in Verse 13. betwene the Lord and the woman.

Secondly, in his proceding againste the Malefactours, in the residue of the Chap.

His proceding is, first againste the Serpent, 1. by A temporall punishment inflicted on him, Vers. 14.

2. By A sodaine destruction, Vers. 15.

His temporal punishment lying, 1. in the glewing his belly to the earth: 2. in being f [...]d with dust.

His distruction, 1. prepared by an Enmitie that shold be putte betwene the Serpents and womans seede: 2. fully accomplished by Her Seede his bruizing of the Serpents head, what tune the Serpent first had nibled his heele.

¶ Secondly,

The Lord his proceding is against Mankynd:

First by imposinge som what vpon them, Vers. 16. 17. 18 19. 20. 21. Secondly by taking somwhat from them, in the residue of the chapter. That he imposeth on them, are Signes memoratiue 1. Rough. 2. Easie.

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The Rough signes of remembrance are two: the 1. imposed only on woman, Vers. 16. consisting in Sorrowe and Appetites subiection: the second imposed indifferently on both kynds, viz, Lawfull sweating before lawful eating▪ For which cawse the earth is cursed to their hands, Vers. 17. 18. 19.

The Easy signes memoratiue are likewise two: the 1. lying in the Name Heuah giuing vnto woman by the instinct of Elohim, for both theyr instructions Vers. 20. the 2. in the apparellinge their bodies with Beasts skinnes, Vers. 21. So much for the thing imposed.

That which is taken from them is twofolde: first they are (Elohim deriding them) depriued of the present enioy of the sacramentall trees with their Subiect Paradise it self, Vers 22. 23.

Secondly, they haue the hope of reentring it againe taken from them by reason of the Cherubims brandishing Sword, keeping it, Vers. 24.

ELVCIDATION.

THis Accident appertaineth to the 6. Day: so vnderstood of Old and New. The Iues from [...]s. 49. 20. Adam bikar &c. Adam in Glory. stood not / etc. for they translate Adam for A Proper / not Appellatiue / they vsually say he stood not in glory One day: as Mr. H. [...]r. hath well obserued in the beginning of Conc. script. in the page / from som Rabbims.

Vers. 1. &c. Now the Serpent.

AS elswhere I haue written / it is most like from Reu. 12. that thes Serpent was the Dragon: but instincted by an euel spirit / as Balaam his Asse / was by A good. Quest. why doth Moses not say / Novv satan? Ear-kepha, de Parad. answereth thus well: Moses was to tell A Narration / not to deliuer an Exposition: and therfore he spoke of the thinge which appeared▪ Besides Moso [...] consealed speach of Angels vntill Hagars tyme. least the rude people denied there had bene moe then One God.

Som Angels hauing apostated from the Lord of Lyfe now they Labour Mans ruine. Qu. were these bad Angels first bad / as also / did they fal of them selues? Ans. Seing God is Good and goodnes it self / he cold not create any thing bad: for all badnes is A Defect / but no defect canne fall in God / who is not only goodnes / but al sufficient Perfection. Secondly / Iude sayinge. The Angels kept not their first estate, but left theyr ovvne habitation: and Peter sayinge The Angels that symed God cast them dovvne into hell▪ it hereby appeareth & That after they were created Good / they then synned: 2. that their syn arose / 1. by not kepinge their first estate: 2. by forsaking it: not keping, implyinge Negligence or Idlenes: forsaking importing wilfulnes and willinge desertion or Apostacy: the Estate and habitation they had / implying Happines: s [...]inge their being cast downe from thence for syn / is their chayning in vtter darknes. Their first estate was shyning as Luciser the Morninge star: their fall as lightninge: theyr destinate place for Syn / Darknes. Mad was Ma [...]cion that taught people there was A good and an Euel begining: that is: A good and A bad God. And no lesse mad were the Ophitae that worshipped this Serpent for Christ / who indeede was the instrumēt of the Apostate powre which is aduerse to Christ.

Chrysos. in titul. ps. 51. saith: when I heare of the Deuel fallen from heauen / his r [...] ne ministers to me occasion▪ of rysing from syn: as though he shold haue said: what shold I bolying in syn / seinge there is A vacant place in heauens glory for me repenting. And suerly: the glorious roomes the Angels are seperate from for euer / do as it were / hunger and thirst for being supplyed by Mankynd. It was not for nothing that Iesus / Ioh. 14. 2. foretold his scholers of many dwelleng places in the fathers howse: for the preparinge of which he must goe thither. Lyke mough that the places neded the spri [...]k [...]nge of his blood / for taking away the Aposta [...]s defilemēt. The Preist his going into the most holy place was not without blood / Heb. 9. 7: and that most holy / speci [...]lly fore figured heauen: Vers. 24. [Page] Somthing therfore it was that origen harpeth on / [...] 1 [...] in [...] when he sa [...]t [...] Christ offred vp an carchly and heauenly sacrifice / though I think he failes in the application.

This Servent / Satans [...]gan / is said / of all the feilde beastes / to be Gn [...]ru [...], crafty and Ders. 10. Man saith he was Gne [...]rom, Naked: worde which arise both from one [...] / except the latter sh [...]ld com of Guarah, the one Mystically looketh vnto another / as if [...] were the Cawse of Nakednes.

The first S [...]n in woman / I note to be the same that was first in the Angels: not keping the place. The Serpent aggressing her with vnfruitful speaches she opens the race: then secondly / she leaues her place / hoping / as the Denel wold haue her / of an hier place. Man also / not keping his standinge / loe he secondly leaues his place / both eat for aduā tage / thinking by that ladder to clyme into [...] place: but they fell downewards / as the Denel wold haue it. Not contented to knoe Euel by Speculation / they wold learne what it was by Imitation: that is / by doing Euel as D [...]ta [...] had don before them. Negligence brought in Discontent: betwene them was begotten Pryde pe [...]ish. Myde therfore haue then sh [...]t / which either do teach Glotony / or Pr [...]e to be Man kynds primordial [...] gression. Not watching in our callinge▪ to the [...]dical ca [...]se of all our seuerall fallinges: and this / all learned heathen / so wel as d [...]yue / haue for him worde and writings confessed.

They hauing transgressed / loe / they se themselues stript naked [...]inwardly and outwardly. Outward / for Mortalilitay it ceased on their Bodies: Immortality is gone. That [...]tation could not be without pa [...]pable feeling: nor now cold the Ayre and other [...]reature [...] togither with theyr degenerate nature / he sutable but adverse: euen withas much sense of change as hapneth to od [...] wowe sound then by and by sick. Inward N [...]ednes / then co [...]o not but sensibly feele: seen [...] there was sodaine shipwrack of light. [...]o [...]ites and Powre to Moue well. Assurance of [...]se gone / Delperate terrour [...]ades th [...] Light of Mynd depr [...]d. Dark ignorance and misconstruction entred. [...]ol [...]es departinge the [...]ffectious / vn [...]nes taketh possession. Powre to Doe wel packing what powre cold abide but that which is improperly powre / fe [...] to not of God / namely / A procl [...]te to break as the blynd Mynd and vnholy [...] shall set it on work. No maruel if the 1. nakednes cawsed them to [...] [...]o [...]enth [...]elter: and the 2. en forced them to fly from the Lord of Lose they being now the Seruants of Vrath. Of whome A man is ouercom / him he serues by whome he is ouercom.

Vers 8. &c. After that, they heard. The Subendnig towards the west / for so the days [...]oo leues importeth / Man and woman had by the [...]re a feelinge of Ieho [...]ah his drawinge nere / whervpon they fly and hyde themselues. The lord giuinge them an [...]ckling of his repaire / they condemne themselues by flight. Con [...], [...]lle testes: They neede none to sit vpon them / for within them / Conscience set as Iudge and Accuser / and the Heart it layd open as in A booke / the Treason committed against the [...]st: Memorie corroded inside and outside worse then the Gangren guaweth the Carcase. Nihil miseri [...]s, could Plautus Mostel. say, quam anim [...]s homiuis conscius.

Iehouah cals man / for he was principal / but not first in transgression / examines hun / then woman. Ech shiftes it of Man to the woman: woman to the Serpent / and there a stop: for there was the fountaines head of Euel. As Grego [...]s, lib. moral 22. Cap. 13. hath said / so we may say: Inn [...]tom sibi vitium hoc habet Natura &c. It is inbred in our Nature infected forth with of our Protoplast / hauing liberty / to commit syn: committing son to couer it by den [...]al: and co [...]cied / to excuse the thing by defending it. This patronizing of syn / he such. 21. calleth an Addinge to syn. How far our foreparēts were here spent let theyr blynd Mynd / vnholy will / and the vse of thir Sowle and bodies powre / speak.

After Examination and conuiction, Iehouah Elohim falleth of cēsuringe: and therein he procedeth accordinge to syns Order: 1. with the Serpent: then with the woman: lastly with Man. The possessor of the Serpent he had a [...] redy adu [...]dged / what tyme he cast him downe into Darknes: here therfore he speaketh to his instrument alottinge him to the Earth for creping and [...]ding [...]: yet there withal secretly smiling vpon his Mouer / Satan / fore-tellinge him that the womans Seede (not Seedes / as Paul expoundeth another speach / Galat. 3. 16. which to Christ [...] shold finally be his Destroyer. This Seede must he hold against heritiks to be spoken properly of Messiah made of a woa [...] / Galat. [...]. / but [...] properly of the churh / seing she ouercom [...] not but by her Michael / Gen. 12. The Serpent ad [...] / and his possessor foretold of his [...] fall / then wom [...] receiueth hee doome. what it is and wherfore / let them remember when they hung forth children with dolour. Man last synning / he last is c [...]u [...]ured. What is [...] an him and wherfore / let him cast to [...] / when he catleth in som call [...]ge lawfull. He that luteth u [...] Idlenes▪ [Page] is dep [...]ned of the Sermon which shold preach vnto him his fall and the cawse of his fall: the which lack / effe [...]teth a lack of Repentance.

That Adam may haue toyle work till he sweat / the Earth is cursed: and this curse the cawse of Garthes Corruption. Oh Adain / what hast thow don? becawse of the / the Earth is corrupted / and it corrupts all the Creatures liuing therin and thereupon: for how can a corrupt fountaine bring forth any thing vncorrupte [...] / except a Metaphysical or Supernaturall work c [...]m betwene / as did in the Cō ception of Messiah? The herbs and Trees before incorrupted / now are poisned / and they atta [...] Man birds / fishes / Beastes. If the Meat he vn wholsomed / Bodies must be Corrupted. Bodies of all [...]ts corrupted / Infection [...]eatheth into the [...]re. In A word / by Sarans syn aboue and Adams syn belowe [...]hemen and earth stand neede of A new Creation. Syn brought in Death / Rom. 5. 12. / Death haled in Corruption: Corruption / sicknes: and sicknes cawse of the Physition / as Syn was cause of the Law giuen in Horeb.

All this felleth out by Neglecting the Calling at first. One syn hath haled in A thowsande / and ye that [...]nowe was Dominatour of Creatures / is now in perill of all creatures. Man hauing wracked them all / why shold they not all wrack him [...] only by faith in the promised seede / such haue promise of leagne with Beastes and / stones Iob. 5. 23.

All creatures before were at peace / but Adams syn hath poisned them. Poyson mouing in their entrailes / loe / they are at deadly Fe [...]d one with another: and amongst the rest / ho [...]o [...] l [...]pus, man worst of all. In Sir days all was Made / and in A peece of the 6. day / all was Mard. One Synner destroyeth much good.

What shall we now san? is Syn the work of god? Elegant is the saying of Clemens Alexandrinus (lib. strom. 4.) Spiri [...]s to be placed amongst Actions / not Substances: therfore not of God. whose work is it then? The Deuels. And for this cause / our Sauiour findinge the Pharises committinge euell Actions / he tels them plainly they did the work of the Deuel: Ioh. 8. 41. 44: contrary to Valentinas his heresy.

Adam thus ruined / he turnes himself to woman and (remembring that by wontans Seede this hurt shold be healed) he calls her He [...]h ( [...]ing) because she was to bring forth the Seede of Lyfe by promise. As Hea [...]th catteth in it A great mysterie / so doth the name Adam: Seing Lyfe is fetcht out of death / as He [...]h out of Adam (or red earth) Le [...]inge. Augustine vpon the speach in Iohn Cap. 2. 20. pretermitting the [...] yeares of reco [...] ing the Materiall temple he drawes the no [...] ber 46. out of Adam, ( [...] the Greeke Charater) cited also by his scholer P [...]manus [...] cap. 13. of the Reuelation / ty [...]:

A, 1.		46.
d, 4	Alpha, 1. Deka, 4,
a, 1	Alpha, 1. My. 40
m, 40.

REading this / I straight had recourse to Adam in [...]ebrue character: and there / giuing (for the pronunciation therof) [...] for Carnets (otherwise it cannot be sounded) there to the same nomber / thus:

Aleph, 1. Daleth, 4. Aleph, 1, Mem, 40. Where by the way Scholers man obserue that the Greekes borowed many of [...] Characters shames and N [...]mbers of the Hebrues: euen / of the Hebrue characters we now possesse: and therfore these we are posse [...]ed with / not only elder then [...] (who florished in Zerobabels tyme) but also elder then the greek tongue / Yea one and the same that first were / howsoeuer / as befalleth [...] tongues character / they may b [...] to [...] refused. [...] tus therfore must of the Leached 10. SC. be otherwise vnderstand.

The 46. p. mater [...]iall for rearing vp the Temple materiall / to thus also mysticall: the first Adam carying the Nomber of the second Adam Further mysterie arising from this ground / I leaue to contemplatiue sprites.

Vers. 21. &c. vnto Adam. The Lord hauing censoured the Malefactors / yet Iustice was mingled with A mercifull promise vnto Mankind / Satan and his seed left desperate [...]e 1. clotheth Man and woman / then 2. he e [...]pulseth them Paradise. Theyr couering is of Beasts [...]ynnes / preaching theyr beastly fact / and they so set / as on A stage / [...] or Iehouah [...] he derideth them thus: Loe, Man is becom as one of vs. He that prowe wold be A God / loe now he is like A beast: Yea glad to borrowe A Coueringe of the Beast for his body. Asparell therefore shuld be so far from cawlinge vs / with the Peacock▪ to wit vp our pl [...]nes / as (looking to our black feet [...]holy affections) we shold [...] be caste downe: apparell being [...] of Mans rebellion / for which he had the coate of Immortants and blessednes / pulled ouer his eares / as [...] [...]aue turnd out of seruice. Euery other [...] is beauteons in his owne coate he bringeth [...] [Page] himself into Sons light / only Man is glad to [...] A coueringe o [...] [...] creatures: Of the sheepe his wool: Of sheep / Goates / B [...]les etc. theyr skinnes: Of the carth his flar: of wormes theyr [...]webbe: of one or other he borowes all. If any shold be proud / the [...]ender and Giuer / not the [...] and Taker / man haue cawse to be puffed vp. But miserable Man wil not leaue his madding. Man and woman [...]ad / like to the beast that perished for his clothinge the Lord e [...]pulseth them the Garden / and that [...] the Eastsyde: where he placed the Ketob [...]s for watch and ward. Wofull coople / theyr backs (for fallinge backward) are turned on the Tre of Lyfe / and they driue out by the good Angel / for con [...] treason with the bad Angel.

Kerihim I take to be der [...]ed of Kaph (As) and Rab [...] (A [...]ny) because the [...]erub / ( [...] o [...]e K rather then Ch. for the debucing it / seing none write Chaph.) is As A multitude or Hoste: and it may be they are Powres spoken of / Colos. 1. 16.

They are driue out of the East syde / with their faces into the East / because in the East the Day-sta [...] must be looked for / by whome the faithfull of Mākind must be led back againe into Paradise. This Star [...]e the Sophies said in the East / Math 2. so did Iohn in the spirit Heu. 7. 2. nor was it for nothing that Iudahs K [...]g might only enter in at the East gate of the Temple. Ezeh 44. 1. 2. 3.

The Tome of their expulsion / must be at that tyme but Iesus brought in the Penitent Theif into Paradise / Iuh. 23. 43. The lord repairing vnto them for era [...]n a non sake / the Day was of the cooling hand / the Sun derlyning to the west / and the Tyme of Bur second Adam his surrendring his Sowle to his father was A batit the 9 howrs (the was Midday) that is / Thre in the afternoone: for the former thre howrs darknes / must allude vnto the Tyme of Adam / standing A miserable s [...] ner in Paradise. In the heat of the Day Midday / dynner tyme and fit for rasiinge A pleasaunt apple / Datan must tempt / our [...]m and so bring spirituall darknes ones Mankynd: wherof when Mankynd had feeling / the fly and sheowd themselues in darknes. From the [...]rt vnto the 9 howre / so was darknes corpor [...]all ouerspred what tyme the second Adam was suffcing for the first Adams Rebellion / Luk. 23. 47. Math 27. 46. etc. who vpon the ending of the darknes doth drinck bitternes: for that draught finished (Ioh. 19. 28 30.) the bitter torment due vnto Mankynd. He there vpon ye [...]ds vp his ghost and repaireth to heauens Paradise / whither the found sheepe the penitent theife / was that Day present to repaire. He that hath dronk of Edens 4. waters let him here be filled with d [...]uyne Meditation. Paul being here / saw in-effable mysterie. 2. Cor. 12. 4.

An Animaduersion vpon 6. & 7.

IEhouah Elohim having in fix dans created all good and very Good: Man and woman in A true on the 6. day / with the foote of it lend affection dashed the work of the Potter to peeres. Banished therfore in the last 3. howres of the 6. day / he may go and prepare for Sab [...]th solemnization / in the wildernis of the world. In Paradise he might haue soong an E [...]logie in the wast world / he may go straine forth an Elegie.

Concerning the nombers of 6. and 7. Heauen and Earth humanity and diuinitie procl [...] them sacced and mysticall. In six Mouths the Sun turneth from [...]e T [...]opikt [...] another: and in 6. Moueths / as [...] teach / to the Yong in the womb perfected. The [...] to cut into two [...]ees of Signes: the inst 6. decl [...]ninge from the Egu [...]-nocticall to for Nor [...] the other 6. to the South. Euery Signe is by Reason diuided into 5 fires of begrees: euery degre into tēstres of [...]m [...]tes etc. As for the Arith [...]et [...]cians, 6. is to them the golden nomber: which Haymon / on Reu. 13 obserueth on the Beasts 666: called by Iohn. Bole the nomber of A Man. And indeed / not only was Man made in the nomber of 6. but perfected in the sixt day by Mariage first with woman / secondly with the Man Christ. The consideration of the first mariage in the sixt day / it may be gaue occasion to Pithagoras sect for calling Mariage A Sepa [...]e / that is A nomber of 6.

But what shall I say of 7: The weeke of 7. days hath not only of Hebrues / but also of Greeks and Lattins bene receiued and held. From the Grecians therfore it hath the name Hebdowas / and from the Romaines Septima [...]. Though the Aegiptians compted them [Page 10] yeare somtymes by one Moneth or 2. or by the Suns sull course through the Zodiak / as Zenophon deaequivocis noteth / yet 7. days was euer the week. Why shold they make 7. days the weeke / and the seanenth festiuall / rather then 6 or 8. or som other nomber? Suerly / Nature / for the Mysterie sake / held it fast in the hearts of the Gentiles. As for Homer, Callimachus and others their Prophets how oft doe they terme the Seauenth day holy In the 7. day the Moones shape is altred / and on the 7. day / the Sirfold creation (as tyred with toyle) it washed the hands and sat downe to Rest.

The 7. day 7. yeare single and multiplied / they are of the learned Physitians termed Fatall. And here of arose the Prouerb / Seauen yeares suffer A chainge. vnto the Sirk body / euery 7. day is Critical or Iudiciall: for if he sicken in A hot signe / the 7. day he [...]oms vnto A cold: if man earthly signe / the 7. day he suffers A fyru-one etc. and therfore thē the skilfull pronounce of his state as plainly as one seing Adam in the wast earth on the 7. day might haue said / this is Adams state. Not but as Picus Mirandala hath well proued / the effect foloweth the coarse of nature belowe / not of the Starres s [...]wposed aboue. The Firmaments Ple [...]ades consisteth on 7. starres. So both the Pole-artik or lesser Beare-slat: and 7. in Nomber are the Planeticall starres / called the Sowle vnto the Zodiahs Body / an of them Starres of soueraigne vse.

But let nature in Heauen and Earth goe: [...]h the supernaturall knowledge that ariseth from the sacred Bible of Elohim in the nombers of 6. and 7. In 6. days the whole hoste of heauen and earth was perfected / and the Seauenth sealed it by / Gen. 2. 1. 2. Sir are the Lords hatreds / the seauenth seales them vp / prou. 6. 16. Sir are the New testaments propheticall Churches Angels. Seales Trumpets / Dials / but the Seauenth sealeth vp all thes: as if Ioshuahs 7. preistes with their seauen Hams Hornes / shold 6. days en compasse cursed Iericho / and in the 7. day with 7. blastes shutter downe her walls / Iosh. 6. Let the sad discreet spirit obserue the Nombers of 6. and 7. with their Ad [...]ts / he shall fynd wisdom of more worth then Salomons 666. talents of Gold / 2 Chro. 9. 13. for wisdom is sealed by vnder 7. pillers / prou. 9. 1. Golden is the Nomber of 6. and by the Iubilees 7. single and multiplied is euerlasting fredom and Redemption proclamed: though one Ages S [...]nggards laffe this wisdom to scorne / as wiser in theyr owne conceipt then 7. that can tender A Reason: Prov. 26. 16.

6 Finisheth the work of earth & heauen. Sowles Sabaot Rest is sealed vp with 7.

Argument. Chap. IIII. Kain slaughters Habel / Elohim therfore / Leaues him and His alone to Natures Lore.

Diuision of the text.

IN this Chap. is layd downe an Hystory off Adams first of springe: First in the Twyns (Kain and Habel togither with Kains Seede. [Page] from the Begining vnto vers. 25.

Secondly in A second Issue of Adam vers 25. 26.

The 1. part handleth in the 16. First verses, such things as concerne the Immediate Seed of Adam: from thence vnto ver. 25. is handled such things as concerne the Mediate Seed of Adam: viz, the seed of Kain and of his followers.

In the story of his Immediate seed, is considerable, 1. the tyme of adams knowinge Heuah viz. Afterward: that is, After that He and she were expulsed Paradise.

II. Heuahs. Pariture / first of Kain vers. 1. secondly of Habel, vers. 2. first clawse.

III The Callings of this seede: Kain was bestowed in tilling of ground, and Habel in keping of sheepe / 2. clawse of vers. 2.

IIII. The maine Narration of them two In which Narration is layd downe, first the spirituall exercise 1. of Kain, vers. 3: sec. of Habel, togither with the Lord his acception first of his Person, secondly of his oblation, vers. 4.

Sec. the Reiection of Kain and his Offringe togither with thes feet it had in his heart, manifested externally by the Castinge downe his countenance, vers. 5.

Thirdly, the Lord his maner of dealing therfore with Kain. 1. by interrogatinge the cawse of wrath vers. 6. sec. vp labouring to pull away the cawse from his heart, vers. 7.

Fourthly, the bloody art of Kain, enlarged by circumstance of Crafte Vers. 8.

Fiftly, a Dialogne betwene the Lord and Kain about the bloody art, containing A Conviction and Condemnation of Kain. Vers. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Sixtly, the place of Kains h [...]bitation after Kain forsoo [...] the Lords presence, Vers. 16.

So much of the hystorie of Adam his Immediate seede, now vnto vnto that of his seeke Mediate,

The mediate seede is the seed of Kain and his followers.

I. Kain begetteth an Henoch to whome he dedicated A city he then builte, Vers. 17.

II. That Henoch begot Irad: that Irad, Mehujael: that mehujael, Methushelah. that Methushelah, Lamech, Vers. 18:

III. Then the progente of Lamech:

First, by introducinge hun with two wiues (Adah and Zillah) vers. 19.

Secondly, by settinge downe theyr wombs fmite. Adah hath Iabal. conninge in tents and cattle, Vers. 20. secondly, she hath Iub [...]l the Arch [...]sitian, Pers. 21.

Zillah hath Tubalkain A Maister in Brasse and Iron: secondlie she [Page] bringeth forth Naamah his sister, Vers. 22.

IIII. Lamech (father of these naturall Artistes) is introduced speakinge vnto his coople of wines.

His speach is A demonstration of his hearts proud cruelty (Vers. 23.) Mounded on A misapplication of the Lord his words to Kam, Vers. 24.

So farre the first generall head.

The hystorie of Adam his second yssue (lyinge in the two next verses.

I. Doth first offer vnto vs, his second ymmediate Seede, the name and reason therof: Vers. 25.

II. Secondly, of his other seede mediate (namely, of his Sons sonne, Enosh of Sheth) togither with A miserable Adiunct of that age: then the name of lehouah begon by men to be profained for Invocation.

¶ Elucidation.

BEfore hash bene laide downe the Creation / [...]ut his strength, chap 1. and 2. secondly, in his defect. ch. 3 Now followeth the Effect, of the former / which is / as was his Cawse, twofolde. The 1. effect or thing cawsed is a strong seede: the second a defectuie or weake seede. And becawse God his thoughts are about Man his thoughts / Isa. 55. 7. 8. therfore we must euer here after measure Povvre by Godlines: and Defect by vngodlines: for all transgression is a defect.

The Sabaot slipped ouer as in silence / for with how perplered spirits might Man and woman passe it? the next newes we heare of them is / Adam after his expulsion / knew his wyfe carnally: wher vpon the conceiued / and brought forth Kain and then Habel. Kain A thing acquired or obtained and in possession: Habel, A thinge Vanishing. The [...]an es cawse me to think that the Parents fore saw in the spirit that the eldest shold possesse the Earth / but the second shold quickly vanish front the Earth. Sem haue taught that the parents so named them: as glorying in the first / but neglecting he second. No circumstance will afford that sence: nay / her speach vers. 25. doth plainly teach that she had the spirit of prophecy: as also / that Habel was demed excellent / though vanished, Opti [...]on o B [...]lla.

The sal [...]e Spirit that Named them / the same disposed of them for callings. Rain packs to the Earth: Habel to the flock. The sonnes of the worlds Monarch / must not play the Gentlemen.

Da Adam hackt, vnd Eua span,

Wer was da ayn Edel-man?

¶ In Engl.

When Adam delu'd and Eue span,

Where was then the Gentleman?

BVt marck vers. 2. that keping of sheepe is preferred to Earth tilling. All the Patriarche before and Dauid after the lawe were sheep-herds: mystically imp [...]rtinge the cheif sheopherd of our fowles.

As Adam Alotted them to bodily labour / so he taught them sowles exercise / namely / to offer sacrifice to the hiest. Kain brought an o [...]lation / but Habel himself brought an Oblation: that is / Kain brought it by the hand of another / as by Custom / or by Feare: but his brother of Conscience that moued him within. Herof it raine / that thelder his worke was euell, the Yongers good / 1. Ioh. 3. 12. for God ioneth A chearfull giuer / 2. Cor. 9. 7.

The [...] which Iohn Baptise pointed at / Isaiah fore spoke of / Him Habel significatiuely offred: Gregor. Moral. lib. 29. Kains sacrifi [...] / Gregorie (in pastoral. admon. 11.) calleth Hosti [...] and indeed / it being of the Earths fruites / it was like to answer vnto the Meat offring. [...]. 2: as Habels to the Burnt offring or Holocaust / Leuit. 1. and therein obserue the Mysterie.

Kain not daring in or nere his fathers lodging to execute his wrath / A signe that Parēts [Page] looked to his steps / til he could drawe him aside / he hangs his head as Male content. Iehouah (the hearts Physio gromer) fynds out the For by his foote / and coun [...]ceth his heart of Euel / by the externall appearance of ill: not sayinge (as the [...]omanistes wold) that he had naturall powre wherby he might ouer-rule his affection within / but that Habel inasmuch as he was the yonger / shold he subject vnto him: the [...]ke subjection we se in Iaakob [...]o Esan. Gen. 32. 4. etc.

But Ciuil subjection could not satisfy Kain, (for Religion was his erraud) he therfore al [...]ring Habel into the feild / sla [...]s him and pits him. But He (to whose tyes all things are naked and open) pursues the Murderer with [...], he apprehends him / conuicts him of Bloodshed / pronounceth him Nagn A [...]ague / and so sets vpon him the brand of [...]dgment: but [...]ch prouiso / that his further punishment shold not be committed to Man. what gets thow on that [...]? In the state of [...] is most fearfull to fall into the hāds of the liuinge Lord.

Hab [...] was the first type of Mankynd stayned with blood and he [...]e with our Sauiour and sheophred of Sowles (Iesus) he rubbed the Scribes and Pharises on the Gall. Math. 3. 35.

vers. 16. Then Kain vvent out. He went out. with A vengeaunce / from the presence of the Lord / into the land of Nod / that is / of wandringe / and no doubt possessessed Nedudim, with vvandringe thoughts, and distractions of mynde. It was situated East from Heden: There he had by his wyfe / and who was his Wyfe / but his syster? an Henoch: to the solemnization of whose Memoriall / he builds A Cyty / And calles it by his name / [...]enoch. For thruterpretation of the Name / looke into the next chapter / for I [...]reds Henoch / who was better taught / and to A better work dedicate / then was This.

Vers. 19. And Lamech. This Lamech (the Son of [...], the son of M [...]el, the son of Irad, the son of Renoch of Kam) he tooke Adah and Zillah for wylles. The First [...]oble wi [...] be / but not the [...]ast: for after him / not only wicked but also godly Fathers were so possessed / what then? was it A spit? Ma [...]ach [...] ▪ ch. 2. 14. 15.) [...]eighinge against spirituall fornication / he labours to conu [...]rt Israel thereof by allusion to Mariage corporeall / god hauinge at first / because he wold haue A godly seede / made to Man but one woman / though otherwise / for aboundance of Spirit / he could haue made moe.

As our Sauiour Math. 19. 8. in the que [...]tion of diuorce / faith: from the beginning it vvas not soe, so say I of maryinge with this wyues. Yet as he there passeth by M [...]ses mi [...]dly / because he was drawen thereto by obstimacy of Mannes heart / so I passe eas [...] by Lamech because Generatiō of Childrē for passefūnge the earth / might pleade A Necessity. As for Dauid and Others of the faithfull / in whose t [...]me there was no such necessity of Generacion simply. though in respe [...]t of fore figu [...]nge somthing there might be A dispensation in heauen seinge the holy gh. hath passed by them so easly as he hath / I neither dare boldly / as haue specially late writers / either censure it Before or Vnder the Lawe. Se chap. 29.

Lamech his slau [...]ringe speach to his wyues / Chrysostom affirmeth to be A Confession of his Syn vnto them. The Hebrues say that he vnawares slue Rain in a bush / ād that shold be his syn: lose his lib. 1. chap. 3. and Lyra on Gen. 4. A [...]gustine faith / that Lamech affirmeth how vengeannce shold com seauen fold on him that sltas Kain. and therfore much more on [...]m that shold slea Lamech: seinge this Murder shold fall after A Murder before adjudged. And true it is / that after the repeat of the lawe an Offence is lesse tollerable. But it semeth to me / that here as Mars with [...], or A bragging Th [...]aso with his Lais, he boastes of his M [...]ndes blauery: as one not so base mynded that will pocket vp an injurie: And why? because Ieho [...]h countenancing Kain, in alottinge a seauen folde plague to him that shold hurt him / no doubt / he wold much more beare him out in his bloodshed. And why much more? because (forsooth) He had giuen vnto him such Inventiue children: The first Son A Tent maker: The second a Musitian: The third a Mettle smith / his daughter Noēma as autients write / the Invent or of wool dressinge and cloth-makinge) which sense not only followeth orderly in the text / because he bursteth out into this speach / after he had the children / but also cohereth with the forme of application common vnto the wicked: For if God blesse them in outwarde thinges / they then say: God wold not so beautify them / were it not he approueth theyr faith and conversatiō. 70 tymes 7. tymes we are to pardon our brother transgressinge towards vs / Math. 18. 22. not so to take or desire vengeance of any: Least of all to be countenanced of God for doinge [...]olence or injurie to any in a brauerie.

Vers. 25. And Adam k [...]evve his vvyfe. The seede of Christ is raised vp in Sheth (in Engl. [...] foundation / or pat) because he was Put in [Page 12] the ro [...]ne of Habel, for A figure of the Churches Foundation. Christ in Habel sufferinge / se [...]ed A vapne thinge / but in the next place he will appeare the Foundation that Paul layd: 1. Cor. 3. 11.

Sheth begetteth Enosh (off Anash, signifyinge a Man) whereoff commeth Anush, Greyse or hemnes: and it may be / because this heauy newes coms in with him: Then begon the name of Iehouah to be prophaned by callinge vpon.

The Hebrue is Huchal, the Passiue of Chalal to wound or slea. Som translate it Ceptum est, [...] begon: som Prophanatum est it begon to be prophaned. Off this last iudgment are all Hebrues / as Vatablus and Lyra obserue: Where-vnto Ari [...]s Montanus consents in the Margen: and therto I am forced to Consent from the consideration off Enosh his name / as before: secondly / from the heauy Adjunct or trobl [...]s mariage off that age joyned herevnto in the begininge off the 6. chapter: For the fifte to but A parentheticall Repeat. Object. Men begon not now to prophane Iehouah for that was don before in Kam etc. I answer: This speach is spoken of Sheth his pe [...]igre / not of Kains: we se the ho. gh. disdaineth to nomber the yeares of Kains feed / which precisely he obserues in Sheths / this therfore and therefore vrgeth me to interpret it prophane: as though Moses had said: Now (Sor [...]we to think) the Sonnes of God begon to pollute the name of Iehouah by prophaine Inuocation, and that by maryinge with the howse of Kain / the seed of the Serpent: good for nothinge but Inventinge temporarie Science and connige.

The Iues hold that here Idolatrie begon to be hatched: nor is it vnlike: for Salomon (the Perle of witte) associatinge prophane weomen / how sodainly was he sowl [...] drawers to adore spirituall Imagerie.

Argument: Chap. 5. A Catologue of Adam and his Seede / from First vnto the flood / wherof we reede.

¶ Diuision of the text.

THis chapter containeth the Generation of the Faithfull theyr Lyne from Elohim his hand vnto the flood. That is don:

1. First, by settinge downe the Metaphisicall or supernaturall Generation of Adam, created accordinge to the likenes of Elohim, Vers. 1. 2.

II. Secondly, by settinge downe the physicall or naturall Generation of Adams off-springe, in the remnant of the Chap.

ELVCIDATION.

[Page]

VErse 1. &c. This is the booke. Here is A Sepher / that is / an Enumeration or Numerall of Adam. Discoueringe here Adams Catalogue / the ho. gh. vouchsafeth not to mention any one of Rams howse: because the wicked Apostates (Satans seede) are but A stame in the churches Catalogue / as Heretikes [...]re A bl [...]t to the Agapae or feastes of tone / Iude 12. The wicked shall not stand in the assembly of the righteous.

E [...]ohim createth Adam (for both He and. She are termed Adam vers. 2.) in his owne similitude. What this Likenes or Image is we heard before / Chap. 1. and 2. [...]o [...]nus [...] distinguisheth betwene Image and Lykenes this: that was Lykenes that Adam lost [...] but still he kept the image. But Aphonsus de Castro (in his booke against Heresies) convinceth that by Sa [...]s speach / Col. 3. 10. where he willeth men to be againe made new (not after the Lykenes / but) after the image of God: because man sy [...]ge▪ was [...]epr [...]d of the jmage of Elohim. Image and likenes therefore are all one / and not herein dis [...]et or two sondrie thinges.

vers. 3. Novv Ada [...]ed. That which before was spoken in A word / is now e [...] [...]ed in particulars. The head of euery houshold faithfull is set downe and then their yeares. First theyr age in theyr first borne: sec. of theyr Death. The Yeares▪ memoriall of the iust is blessed / but the name of the wicked both rotte / Prou. 10. 7.

Enosh had kenan: deriued I thinke not of [...] as was kain / but of kanan to builde A nest: and he helps out the Neste of cleaue byrdes / as Ram did the Cage of vncleane and hatefull byrds. He begets Mahalal [...]el / of Halal to praise / let him singe Hallelu [...]ah for mercy receiued. He begets Iared, I thinck deriued of Iated to descend. And like inough that Religion went do [...]eward / because his Son Heno [...]h made flat seperation.

Henoch / in Engl. Taught or dedicate: verily / as he was taught of God / so he did dedicate himself wholy vnto the Lord his seruice. A sharpe prophet he was (Iude 14. and 15.) for his help zeale god tooke him mira [...]ulously from Men. One of the first goades that euer moued me to dedicate my self vnto the work of the Lord / was this Name.

Bar-kepha Syrian, bishop in Beth-raman, in his commentatie of Paradise / He (also manie Aunticuts) haue taught that Henoch / was translated into Paradise / from whence in the last age he shall [...]om with Hel [...]as against Antichrist. If first they wold meane into Paradise aboue. 2. Cor 12. 4. (for the Other with Heden his Container hath the glorious trees lodged in the Earth. Ezek. 31. 16. 18.) secondly / if they ment that Other Persons shold be sent of God endried with like spirit / as our sauiour expoundeth El [...]as by Iohn. Baptist. math. 11. 10. 14. the I could easely subscribe to it.

In the Name of Henoch there is an olde booke / containinge vncredible thinges / as that Gyants then had Angels (not Men) for Fathers etc. but rejected for Apo [...]ryphal: Beda on ep. of Iude. I [...]de his epistle was somtimes because of Henochs prophecy rejected / but vnworthily. Som think Iude receiued that by tradition / but that judgment maketh for poper [...] and Iudaisme▪ [...] Bro [...]ghton demes it Iudes collection from Moses speach: and indeede / there is no breaker vp of the Lord his word / but he raiseth often Lōg speach from fewe wordes / and buildeth on A probable ground (though small) right statel [...] edifices. But (as in my Bibles breife) I deme he had This / as also that of Satan and Michael s [...]ge / by immediate Reuelation / as Paul had the sor [...]eters names Iannes and Iambres. Sed (in l [...]citis) suum c [...]q [...] Palatum, sit.

Henoch begets Mathu [...]helah / A Spoiler of death▪ who had borne vnto him La [...]e [...]h (Smitten) for he was smitten in his sowle at the sight of Religions r [...]e. Vnto him the Lord giueth Noah (Rest) for his father fore sawe in the Spirit / by him there shold be Rest vnto the church. Noah begets [...]aphet (Perswadinge) then Shem / A Name / for God put his name There / Deut. 12. 5. Shem is A Name / and Sham is There. It signifieth also Fame / and whoe more famous? Then he had Cham sig. Indignation: and an Hare braine he was disdaminge his father.

Q [...]e [...]on▪ Seinge the vngodly mariages next spoken of are by som of these Mens sonnes (for here vntil noah is only enumbred the First fruites) how commeth it about that Moe Sonnes of Noah then one are here nombred? Answ. First / because Noah his Eldest (namely Iaphet) was not the Lord his first-fruites: secondly / that by the Rehersall of these 3. an Entrāce mai be giuē to ther sequēt Triparti [...]e story: from which thre the second world was to rise / as the first fed Adam, kain ād Sheth.

Old Adan (the figure of the New Adam) his 12. Stars

1. Sheth.
2. Enosh.
3. Kenan.
4. Mahalaleel.
5. Iared.
6. Henoch.
7. Mathushelah.
8. Lameth.
9. Noah.
10. Iaphet.
11. Shem.
12. Cham.

Let Cham be Is [...]ariot and the Apostate

Starre: he will proue no better anone.

[Page 13]

For theyr Birthes / Deaths and Ages they liued in / s [...] the folowing Table gathered by Maister Broughton and Maister More.
	ADAM created by Elohim he begets at
130.	SHETH. He at
235.	105.	ENOSH. He begets at
325.	195.	90.	KENAN. He at
395.	265.	160.	70.	MAHALAT [...]EL. He begets at
460.	330.	225.	135.	65.	IARED. He at
622.	492.	387.	29 [...].	227.	162.	HENOCH. He at
687.	557.	452.	362.	292.	227.	65.	Mathushelah. He at
874.	744.	639.	549.	479.	414.	252.	187.	LAM [...]CH. In his
930	800.	695.	605.	535.	470.	308.	243.	56.	Adam dieth.
987.	857.	752.	662.	592.	527.	365.	300.	113.	Henoch is taken [...]
1042.	912.	80 [...].	717.	647.	582.		355.	168.	Sheth dieth.
1056.		821.	[...]31.	661.	596.		369.	182.	NOAH Bone. In his
1140.	90 [...]	815.	745.	680.		453.	266.	84. E [...]o [...]sh dieth.
1235.		Looke					910.	840.	775.		548.	361.	179. Kenan dieth.
1290.		on the Right					895.	830.		603.	416.	234. Mahalaleel dieth.
1422.		had for the Person					962.		735.	548.	366. Ia [...]ed dieth.
1536.		his Birth and Death. Then					846.	662.	480. CXXY. begin.
1556.		cast thy Ey vnto the Lefte					869.	682.	500.	20. IAPHET borne
1558.		hand, and in the same Lyne directly backwarde, thow shalt					871.	684.	502.	22.	2. SHEM borne
1651.			964.	777.	595.	115.	95.	93. Lamech dieth.
1656.	haue his Age in all former yeares. Matushelah dieth.	969.		600.	120.	100.	98. The Del [...]g▪

Nota. Adam his Piller downeward, it is the Age of the world▪ As for Himself, tho [...] maist se he dieth in the 930 y. of the world: which was the 800. of Sheth: the 695. of Enosh: the 605. of Kenan: the 535 of Mah. etc.

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¶ Argument, Chap. 6. Mixt mariage / causeth Iehouah his jre: God with Noah smites couenant entire.

¶ Diuision of the Text.

THis chap. containeth A Manifestation of IEhouah his Iustice and Mercie vnto them of the olde world, for 120. yeares before the Deluge.

I. His Iustice appeareth in the first seauen verses.

II. His Mercy in the Sequell of the chapter.

I. His Iustice is made notable I. from the Mouinge cause. vers. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. set downe in A certaine Particular, in the first 4. verses: Then in an vniuersall, vers. 5. II. From the Lord his Resolute purpose, vers 6. 7.

1. The Particular mouinge cause, is, Mixed Mariage: set downe first from the circumstance off tyme, viz, when men and weomen begon to be multiplied, vers. 1. secondly, set downe from the consideration of the persons maryinge. viz. God his sonnes with Mens daughters, vers. 2. (The Lord his 120. yeares lenity set downe Obiter, for the clearinge of his iustite, vers. 3.) Thirdly, set downe from the consideration of the Lord-lyke mis begot fruite, yss [...]ge from such Mongrel-mariage, vers. 4.

2. The Vniuersall ill is layd downe, vers 5. First in that it is sayd, His wickednes filled the earth: secondly, that is hearts thoughts were daly only euell.

Iehouahs Resolution is, First to pull his Conseruinge hand from the Creature, vers. 6. Where he repenteth him of that he [...]ad dow: secondly he resolueth to send forth his destroyinge hand: first against Mankynd: then against Inferour Creatures, vers. 7.

II. The second Generall head, namely, the Manifestation of his mercy, is this: In the burninge tyme of his Ire, he prouideth for the deliuerance of his church, wheroff Noah was the Arch-prophet by open callinge. And this is don: First by settinge downe the cause off mercy (Noah found fauour [Page 14] in his sight, vers. 8.) Then by layinge downe certayne circumstances egreginge his mercy rowards Noah.

1. First in that the Lord gaue Children vnto him in that corrupt age, keping therewithall him and his from the multitudes Corruption and cruelty; insinua▪ [...], vers. 9. 10. 11. 12.

2. Secondly, in his directinge Noah, how to escape the decreed Catholicall deluge, in the residue off the Chap: First by enforminge his Eare, vnto the last verse: then / in that verse conforminge his heart to the former information.

The Information contayneth A Recapitulation off vengeance decreed, vers. 13. Then is set downe the meanes (the Arke) wherby Noah shold be preserued. The 14. 15. 16. vers. Containe A Description off the Arke. Then the Decreed vengeaunce being (by the way, vers. 17.) re-touched, therewithall is set downe the Vse off the former Arke: Namely, that Noah and his thre sonnes with theyr 4. wynes, togither with cooples off inferiour (earth and ayre) Creatures with theyr naturall sustenance, shold be bestowed in the Arke: vers. 18. 19. 20. 21.

The Conformation off Noahs heart to the former instruction, it is set downe in the last verse: First at large, in these words: Noah therefore did accordinge to all that the Lord commaunded him: Secondly, more succinctly in these words: So did he.

ELVCIDATION.

VErs. 1. 2. 3. So vvhen Men: The multiplication off men bringeth in with it (through Satans work) A multiplication off Syn: And syn multiplied cries vnto heauen for cuttinge off the Subject off Syn. The Iues dreame here that som Angels fell from heauen and so maried / or (as Incub [...]) Had copulation with humane kynde. So dreamed he that thr [...]st forth the booke off many lynes in Henochs name. The hebrue word Nephilim (translated Gyant [...]) comming of Naphal to fall / that it may be caused them to stumble at theyr Fathers called the Sonnes off god. The Sonnes off God (the title makes: theyr syn the greater) they be off Sheths family / who match with the no [...] fayre Atheistes off Rains howse. As these prophane weomen are termed the daughters off Men: so Dauid calleth the aduersaries off the Church / Sonnes off Men, ps. 4. 2. The Irreligious are but bare Men: the Religious off the Lord are more then Men: Not only dignified with the title / God his Sonnes, 1. Ioh. 3. 1. But also with the name off Gods / Iohn. 10. 34. 35.

Well it was with the church while she stood aloofe from the Deuels chappell / but wo [...] here vnto it / for miringe the holy seede with the prophane. Se Ezra, 9. 2. The Ophita) worshipped the Serpent for Christ / as though Christ shold ali [...]re Mankynd to such preceptbreath / that so he might manifest himself it sauiour / and the Kainits honoured Kain for A Father and Iudas Iscariot for A brother: that which these [...]eretikes do openly / all the Enemies [Page] of the church by ioyninge in Satan his common work against it / they do enact in mystery.

The Lord sayinge / my spirit shall not alvvays be sheathed, is (as I vnderstand it) as iff he sayd: my spirit shall not euer showe it self patient as A sword slepinge in the scaberd: and therefore now I will send it forth to threaten destruction by Noah vnto the whole world not repentinge after 120. y. His sayinge that Man his days should be 120. ye [...]res, manie haue const [...]ned it to be an abridginge of Man his naturall age but the whole stone ouerturneth that: As Ierom in his Hebraicall traditions hath well obserued.

That the lord gaue vnto them 20 tymes [...] Yeares / oh the Real and Mysticall mercy of god vnto Mankynd, Oh blynd They, that they no better vsed the Yeares of the Hystorie: and oh wicked VVe, that the m [...]sticall acceptable yeares of the lord are no better nombred of vs. Teach me o lord so to nomber my weekes of Yeares / as I may apply myne heart to wisdome: for herein lieth the destinye of our worlds downefall / but who will without mockinge beleiue the spirit that shold by Noähs ministry vnwrap this webbe? Paul saw / and I doubt not many shall se more then is to be vnsealed for euer.

Vers. 4. There vvere Gigants. Nephel is an vntimely birth: such are these Nephilim: and an vntimely birth is better then they. They may welbe called Fallers / not as Pagnine, Va [...]las and others haue said / because others fell at the beholdinge / or / before them thorough feare or otherwise / but / because like an vntimely fruite from the Tree they drop from the loynes of Sheth [...] people: fallinge from religion by fallinge into such mariage: fallers ab-ortiue and the vntimely broode of Apostates.

These Mishapen Tyrants were reputed of that old world for men of Renowne: so haue bene our spirituall mongrel Lords / God pull them soone downe. As were that ages Nephih [...], so are our ages Anakim, start-vps in the Temple of god exalting them selues as God: but Noah hath read theyr destiny: They must dovvne vvith A vengeaunce.

Vers. 6. Then it repented Iehouah. Repentaunce followeth an Ouersight: but in God who is wisdom it self there cannot properly fall an Ouersight: therfore in god there is not properly Repentaunce. This Anthio-popathi or vttering him self as a man affecti [...]ned / is but his No [...]ce like clipping of heauens language / that so we Earth-babes may by such language (as by A Ladder) clyme towards the knowledge of his nature opposit to transgression. But hereby let the faithfull learne / that nothing with God is more hatefull / then the Church her mixture with the world: wicked Preistes of this age regard not this that jumble Christ and Belial / light and darknes togither: though indeed they may haue no communion togither / 2. Cor. 6.

Vers. 8. 9. But Noāh found grace. Noah being A just man in his tyme / perfect in cōparison of others / he found fauour. How is he proued just? He walked with God / when others walked with the Deuel. Theyr walkinge with Satan was by shaking off Religion and pollutinge Iehouahs name: His walkinge with GOd was by vpholdinge religion and hallowinge the name of the Hiest. Ciuil Iustice and vprighenes without Religion / is as A crab with A redde side: but coop led with Religion / it is as apomegraned of Paradise.

The Lord sheweth grace to Noäh 1. in forewarninge him of the worlds Deluge: 2. in biddinge Noah to prepare for him and His: theyr safegarde / an Ark. Concerninge the Ark / he. 1. teacheth him of what stuffe: 2. of what forme it shalbe In which ark / as he himself shold be preserued / so also that which was his: 1. his Children: 2. cooples of euery creature / togither with theyr furniture. Vnto euery particular of which Injunction diuyne / the Diuine Prophet is conformable.

The Arks stuffe is of Ghopher: the which word as Hebrues write is not once againe found in the Lord his Booke. Som do turne it / vvood [...]red: som Cedar, Pynetre, Lightvvood. What kynd of wood soeuer it was / Light it was: and there vnto I am the rather induced / because in Gen. 19. 23. Gaph [...] (Brimstone / A mounting minerall) it is hence diduced.

The Cubit common / is the lenght of A foote and an halfe. The Cubit here / I take to be that of Geometrie (as doth O [...]igen against Celsus which containeth 6. common Cubits: and so is it here commoly receiued of the Hebrues. The Loftes are but thre (First / second / third) though others haue taught moe. Curiosiues I passe by.

By this Ark I typically vnderstand 1. the Excellency of the visible church which preserueth her childen and all theyr furniture. Whcih Church orderly distributeth her creatures into seuerall Classes or co [...]es. The Philosophers cold say: Tria sunt Omnia. And behold here the Roumes were hy / hyer / hyest. As the scripture teach A syn against the Father: A syn against the Son: A syn against the ho. gh. so in the Church / som are more capable of the father his Naturall creation: som of the Son [Page 15] his spirituall regeneration: som of the Spirits mysteris in contemplation: yet Omnia ab vno & ad vnum / yet all these Guiftes from One God / and that vnto one End: the praise of his name.

2. It may signify the same worke in one singular Person / for though all Violets haue not one [...]ue / yet they all smell sweet: and so Origen tropilogically applies it: teaching this Arke so to be built in Mans heart / and possessed with the threfold sense of scripture / Literal / Moral / Allegorical / euery affection hewed and squared for ad-aptinge A place for the Lords Bibliotheca or Librarie / drawen from the Aposticall and Propheticall Volumes.

Noah must do nothinge in the Church Type / but accordinge to Iehouahs patterne: Nor must any man / were he as great as Noah / do any thinge in the Church her self / in hewinge / sqaringe / rejectinge / acceptinge / joyning / polishinge / placinge / off any thinge discrepant to Analogie and proportion of faith administred / 2. Tim. 1. 13. and 2. 15. Rom. 12. 3. 1. Cor. 14. 40. This work must be suerly pitched: not as did certaine in Ezekiels tyme. Ch. 13. 9. 10. etc. After such dawbinge / the Ship will leake: nay / one bouncinge billowe will splet the Back in peeces. Desperaetly fayle they / that entertaine such Prophets for Pilots: Or hier such H [...]wers to frame A spirituall buildinge against vnmercifull tempests.

Verse. 22. Noah did. For the 120. y. thence vnto the flood. Noah fynds himself occupied in the alotted work: the spirit of Messiak preachinge after A sorte / by euery stroke of his Are and hammer vnto the cares of the wicked. What art thow doinge quoth one? What is the Old doatinge foole doinge quoth another? He and his blowes on the tymber do reply thus. The vvorld shalbe drovvned: the vnrepent damned: Repent, beleiue and enter vvith me into this Ark, as into the Rock Iesus. Cant. 14. and so ye shall be saued. The wretches rebell / 1. Pet. 3. 20. they laffe in theyr Sle [...]e / returne to theyr wyne: build / plant / marry till Vengeaunce take them nappinge.

As the days of Noe came sodainly vnexpected / so likevvise shall the comminge of the Son of ma [...] be. For as in the days preachinge the flood, they did eat & drinck, marry & giue in mariage vnto the day that Noe entred into the Ark: & knevve nothïnge till the flood came and tooke them all avvay: so also shall the comminge of the Son of Man be. Math. 14. 37. 38. 39. Let the Despisers Mock on. Loosers [...]ust needs haue theyr sayinges.

Argument: Chap. 7. IEHouah calls: Noah and his obay / The floods of waters couer all straight-way.

Diuision of the text.

I. FIrst I obserue the Lord his speach to Noah: vers. 1. 2. 3. 4.

II. Sec. the Obedience off Noah and the inferiour Creatures: Thence vnto the. 17. vers.

[Page]III. Thirdly, the execution off iudgment vpon the world: in the remnant off the chap.

I. In the Lords speach obseruable, 1. his care off preseruing, first Noah and his family, drawen from the vprightnes off Noah, vers. 1. Then off preseriunge inferiour Creatures, drawen from the end: vers: To becom seed vpon the whole earth, vers. 2. 3. Secondly, there is set downe in Iehouahs speach, A seuen days forewar [...]nge off the Deluge: vers. 4.

II. The Obedience of aged Noah and the other Creatures, is layde downe, thence vnto the 17. verse. And this is don, 1. in A Generall terme layd downe, vers. 5. Then by rippinge vp the Obedience off both sortes off Creatures: sealed vp by Iehouah shutting the dore vpon them: in the remnant off the verses.

III. The Execution off the Lord his Iudgment is set downe: 1. In the waters preuaylinge: vers. 17. 18. 19. 20. secondly, in the destruction off all Flesh (exceptinge that in the A [...]lie) and that by the sayd swelling waters: Thence to the end.

ELVCIDATION.

VErs. 1. &c. And Iehouah said. The Patriarch his vprightnes / brings welfare to his whole houshold: they must all into the Ark. Off more vertue is the Obedience off our Noah Christ in whome the father Rests well pleased with al such as heare him / Math. 17. 5. Cham the turkinge hypocrite (for iff the Church cōsist but off 8. Persons / two to One / but there is som hypocrite) for the season he fares the better / for beinge at league with the Church.

For the cooples off beastes and byrdes much question many make. The Hebrue readinge Se [...]uen & Seauen off cleane-ones / I vnderstand thereby 7. Males / 7. Females: and so 7. coople. Of the vncleane it barely redinge A Coople: I thereby think one Male one Female / sufficient for theyr generation.

These that think there was Coition betwixt Mā and woman as also betwene other creatures in the Ark / I deme it A coniecture without booke: for as Rabbi Sa. Well saith / it was the tyme off Vniversall tribulation: and therfore more like they abstained from fleshly appetite / as did Man and beast in Niniuehs humiliation. The speach vers. 7. Noah and his 3. sons: Then after them / the 4. wiues entringe the Ark apart / as seperated from theyr husbands / it may insinuate also theyr being so sundred within the Ark for that season. And had not crooked Cham humbled himself in abstinence and prayer for the season (and the Lord countenanced such obedience in the Niniuets out off the Couenant) I could not think but the Lord wold haue pulled out the wretch. Vers 4 Seauen days hence. The Hebrues hold that these 7. days were Mathus [...]elah his Lament season. In this yeare he died / but whither in this weeke I knoe not.

Vers. 11. In the 600, y. of Noahs lyfe, in the second Moneth the 17. day of the Month, in the body of that day

About this Moneth is no litle Controuersie because the Iues begon not the yeare in all accompts alike. Theyr Auncient accompt / according to which they begin theyr [...]ection in Genesis / it beginneth the yeare with Tishri / containinge part off our September and October. Theyr festiuall accompt is with Nisan or [Page 16] Abib, appointed to be theyr first / Exod. 12. 2. and 13. 4: in regard of the former / the seauenth: and containeth part of March and April so termed. They hold the former Marese [...]an / of Ioseph called Maisenane / to be the Begining off the yeare naturall: because they think the world was then created. But seinge that season is Autumne tide that cannot be so / saith the learned Scaligerus and others. And why? They answer: In the third day / the Earth was enjoyned to bringe forth euery greene thinge / the worlds begininge therfore with Nisan the spring season.

Not troublinge my brayne with theyr diuised scruples: ād minutes of tyme / I reason contrary-wise thus first it is graunted by them all that Tishti is most aunciently taken of the Hebrues for the first Moneth naturall: and this doth Rabbi Eliezer hold fast / say Rasb. Iosue and his late disciples what they list against this place. Secondly / seing the Lord in Exod. 12. 2. saith / that thenforth Abib shold be Nisan the prince off the Moneths / it is plaine inoughe that this Moneth became first accidentalle: as Lita well saith / that Alexander his first yeare 1. Math. 1. is called the first off the Greekes kyngdom / though the kyndom was before him etc. and if they must now begin a new accompt / for begininge the yeare with the springes Aequinoctial, it is euident inough that they before begon their accompt from Autumnes Aequinoctiall: for with the Aequality, off the one or the other they must begin: but it appeareth from Exodus and all hebr [...]e antiquitie / that Nisan came to be first but Accidentally: therfore the naturall yeare begon with Tishti. Thirdly / theyr naturall reason from the thyrd days work / it proues not what they wold: for I wold haue them to tell me iff so Apples can be flourishinge in theyr hue in the Springes begininge? Iff they say noe / as they needs must then how commeth it about that Heuah in the sixt day did eate the alluringe Apple. It appeares by Paradise trees bearinge the [...] pleasaunt fruite / that it was Autumne not Springe season: and therfore the Iuish collection to me most probable: that Adam had at first / not an expectation / but / A possession off haruest fruites to his hand. Adam being alotted to eat such fruites as [...]not Abib yeilds: and Paradise (as learned consent) being A work off the third Day: and it were but A dreame to fr [...] that Gardens grouth from the order off the Earths fyrst nature. Fowrthly / the figure and the thing figured / the first Adam and the second do [...]o correspond / for Iesus vvas borne in Tishti or September as Math. Beroal dus, cron. lib. 4. Chap. 2. hath proued / and with him begon our second / figured and spirituall Creation. That the begininge off the naturall yeare / accordinge to the Worlds creation / was with Autumne it semeth so to me most probable.

Now touchinge the tyme off this flood the second question ariseth. Doth Moses accompte here accordinge to the Moneth naturall or festiuall? The next Chap. ver. 11. doth open that: for the Doue there bringeth to Noah an Oliue leafe / and when puts out the Oliue? Pliny saith thus: Concipiunt Vites et Ole [...] vergiliatum exortu, the [...]ynes and Oliues conceiue in the rising off the starres Ver [...]. Now these starres placed by Caleyinus in the knee / by Seruius before the knee / by Higin [...]s behind the end of Taurus: but by others I think more rigt in the superhumerall of Taurus thei are the Plejades or 7. starres that arise aboue the earth in the springe tyme (for Taurus in the second moneth of the Springe) it thereby appeareth that the waters reculed in the Vernall season: yea in the 27. day of this second Moneth was the Earth dry and Noah called forth. This same Month twelf-month before / and tē days sooner of the Moneth / he entred the Ark. Moses accompt of the Moneth here is therefore festiuall: Omittinge the Naturall accompt as he was taught before the writinge here of: and kepinge fast the accompt injoyned by Iehouah, as A treasurie full of heauens wisdom. So breifly to both the questions.

Noah and his 7. being shut in with Iehouahs hande / happy were they off such A dorekeper / the Mongrell seede / oh methinkes I se them [...]on to the Mountaines / clyme trees / skuddle close in theyr Cabins: but the waters off Iehouahs w [...]th preuailinge 15. cubits hier then the Mountaines (I hope Ogge was not aboue that pitch) it quickly set my mountinge Mates wet shod.

Vers. 23 So he destroyed. All beastes and byrdes perishinge with Man from the face off the earth / what because off the water-creatures / I meane such as liue in the waters? No doubt they were preserued in theyr kyndes: and therefore Noach neuer bid [...]o take any of them into the Arke. Therefore the earth animals perished rather then those of the water / because saith Al [...]ha. they liued of the Earth accursed: and indeede the Earth not water was expresly cursed. These Aquatils are therefore in tyme to me / such of Mankynd of god Elect / as the Lord in the multitude of waters (that is people Reu. 17. 15.) preserueth / though not with in the Visible church of God.

Vers. 24. And the vvaters prevailed. Manie seking to darken the Lord his worke / they haue imputed this Inundation to naturall influence [Page] of starres in A watry signe. To these fooles I say thus: Let this Deluge begin either in [...] or Aries before him / or Ge mini after him / yet not anie of these thre howses cold naturally afford such an Effect. Secondly they ought to learne that the Philosopher lib 2 Meteor doth teach them / that when the Sea [...]uerflowes one place of the Earth / then another place of the earth is vncouered that before was couered: but here all the earth at one instant is couered and that aboue the hiest mountaines. Thirdly if there shold after the world was aged 1656. p. be A naturall influence bringing forth such an ouerfloe / how haps it there beuige synce that flood aboue thre tymes so manie yeares that yet there hath not bene somuch as one other such Trigon? This naturall conclusion is not vnlike to Harueys planet conjunction. Nay I è contra affirme rather this: as the Sun was eclipsed what tyme the Son of god suffred and that contrary to nature / for that feast was kept in the full Moone / the sight wherof caused Dio [...]isius Areopagita then in another contry to say / Either the God of nature suffers, or the vvorlds f [...]a [...]e is dissol [...]ed: so at this same tyme the Order of Nature suffred / and for plaguinge the Rebels / god who at first bounded the waters / he now lateth the bridle raynes in the neck / enjoyning them by another Laws to ouerflowe all.

An hundred and fiftie days the waters euereased. The cup of his wrath was filled to the b [...]mme: Thre full Iubilees of days proclameth his vengeaune on Transgression.

Argument. Chap. VIII. THe waters cease / Noe doth from Ark retire / and sacrificing / stayeth God His Ire.

¶ Diuision of the text.

I. FIrst / IEHouah withdraweth His Anger towards the earth: vnto vers. 15.

II. Set. he fullie reuealeth his Reconcilement to mankynd: thence vnto the end.

1. The pullinge back his Anger is declared, 1. in Hope administred to Noah of the Earths drynes: vnto Vers. 13. sec. in the dryinge of the earth indeed. Vers. 13. 14:

1. In that Hope administred to Noah is obseruable, 1. the Cawse: 2: the Effect. The Cawse of his Hope is drawen from the waters abat [...] through the wynde sent forth of God, Vers. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Th' effect [Page 17] off that hope is, 1. Noah openeth the Arke, Vers. 6. sec: he sendeth forth messengers to e [...]pie the Earths state. The messengers are two: the first A Rauen, vers. 7. the seconde A Doue: thence vnto vers. 13.

2. The second Index off Iehouahs wrath appeased, is the Earths drynesse: 1. super-ficially, enlarged with the tyme off Noahs age, vers. 13. sec. in A more solide and effectuall manner, amplified with his tyme, vers. 14.

¶ So much for the abatement off Iehouahs anger.

II. The Reueale off his reconcilement with Mankynde, it is explayned, 1. in his powr [...]full call off Noah, vnto vers. 21. secondly, in Iehouahs well acceptinge Noahs sacrifice, vers. 21. 22.

1. The Callinge lieth, vers. 15. 16. 17. where commission is giuen to Noah. 1. for him selff and his families Exeat the Arke: sec. off the other Creatures.

The Powre off that Callinge appeareth in Noah and the residue, 1. In theyr Egresse, vers. 18. 19. sec. in Noah his sacrifice, vers. 20.

2. The well acceptinge off Noahs sacrifice (it being A principall effect off his effectuall callinge) it is vttered in th'effect it had, 1. in Iehouahs Nostrills (he therein smelled a Rest) 2. in theffect it had, in his heart: and that is twofolde: 1. in his commiseratinge the Earth: 2. the liuinge Creature: He wold no more do soe, vers. 21. sealed vp with A signe off loue which shold appeare in future Regiment off Nature, vers. 22.

ELVCIDATION.

VErs. 1. &c. Novv God. The Lord remembreth Noah (not that euer he forgot him and this his recordating his Churches surging estate / is manifested vnto the Patriark and his houshold by sendinge forth the wynde to broe the Earth. The wynd (as cha. 1.) consistinge off dry Euaporations crossed in theyr ascension / and so violently mor [...]ge the Ayre (I [...]circo A Plinio ventus defin [...]. flactus [...]rts. lib. 2. C. 43.) it here by Iehouah is appointed to be seruiceable to the Church. Fowre Angels / Ren. 7. 1. de hold back the wynds from drym [...]e by ouerflowinge spirituall humours / to the worlds destruction. Only / whome the Angel off the East sealeth / to them the wo [...]ds benefit (which is to dry and purifie) it is not restrayned.

In the 17 day off Tisr [...] the Arke rested on the top off Ararat: And in the first day off T [...] beth the Mountaynes tops bared. Forty days affter (towards the middle off Adar) he sends forth the Ra [...]n, but findinge no testplot he returned. This b [...]rd off the Gentiles was much looked vnto as A fowle ommons: theyr diuination taken eyther by his Flight or Rokinge. They driue theyr [...]ong-ones far from them: For about a Pillage hardly wilbe more then A coople. [...]ōg liued they are / and tyr Atlike [Page] liue by spoyle: deuouringe quick and dead. Vnder the sia [...]en sent forth at the end off 40. Days as the Deuel affter 40. days came to sifte Iesus / Math. 4. 2. Though he found no footing in him / vnder him (I say) vnderstand the vncleane spirited) the Ranen was vncleane ( [...]euit. 11. 15) Who neuer bring good newes to the church: Yet he that is the fa [...]our off all men 1. Tim. 4. 10. Vouchsafeth to thielter them cepayring vnto him tyred in sackcloth: and so for the season he spared Ahab. 1. King. 21. 2 [...]. etc.

The Doue secondly is sent forth. She is A [...]rd sociable true to hee hereicall Male / voyd off Gall / detestinge caryon / feeding on pure thinges harmeles: in tyme off Hawkes flight the [...]r [...]eth by the waters syde / [...]rpu [...]ge therein as in [...]o glasse the [...]wkes soaringe / that so [...] therby she man auoyde his pitch. Vnto them the faithful is assi [...]lated: Caut. 1. 14. and 2. 14. Psal. 68. 13. And herein the Done plaieth the part off an O [...]angelicall Minister / who vnto the church bringeth good tydinges in his tyme appoynted: going also and not returninge: that is / perseuering in the discharge off theyr commission.

The vncleane Ranen flewe to and f [...]oe but not receyued into the [...]k as was the Done. Christ to the sauiour off all men but specially off them that beleyue. Cyprian applieth the doues truie votage vnto the trute nomber off Father. Son and Ho. gh. vsed in Baptisme: Epist. ad [...].

[...] / A Prophetesse off the Gentiles and no lesse excellent then Balaam, and like mough not long after him / as she reciteth hitherto▪ The Creation off the world / off Man / woman / togither with their transgression by the serpent and the ha [...]nge downe off this generall ouer throe by water: so she / omittinge the [...]auen doth also truly / in her fift age off the world recount these thre outgates off the [...] effects afore vttered. I wonder wh [...] [...]ophetesse off so old standinge / to [...] and the residue off the Old testaments [...] she foretellinge the birth off Messiah truly his lyfe maner off death etc. As no holy Canonicall prophet to common capa [...]t [...] more pla [...] I wonder (I say) why her Prophecies are no more looked vnto nor regarded Sure I am there is more dra [...]ty in her [...] con [...]nge the thinges she neuer by lyfe reasoned vnto then in manye Christian writers that haue liurd sp [...]ce the accomplish [...]ent [...]st the bodies substance. Think others what then will / the Lord off Marcheston in Scotland he vttered not the least part off judgment probable / in the suffiringe Sibylls verses to his worke On the Reuelation.

Vers. 13. In the 601. y. in the first day of the first Month etc. And in the Second Month in the 27. day of the Moneth, the earth vvas dry. Then God s [...]ke to Noah sayinge: Go forth of the Ark. Iff the Yeare off the Sun existinge off Mo [...]eths equall was that whereby the accompt is here to be made / and so Ios. Scaligerus wold haue it / then there was somuch difference off tyme / betwixt No [...]h his entring into / and comminge out off the Ark / as bitwixt 17. and 27. But iff the Israelites accompted by the [...]are off the Moone / the other exceding this 11. days / commonly called the Epactae / then the same day off 17. was (affter the Yeares reuolution / the 27. and so the Day Noah came out it shold be the same wherein he entred as the ordinarie Glose, Lyra, Hugo and others wold haue it.

Vers. 15. 16. Then God spake to Noah sayinge go forth [...]re. 18. Then No [...]h came forth. When the Lord [...]ids go in and sit close we must do soe / Act. 1. 13. and 20. 8: iff he bid Go forth and shewe your selues we must do so: Act. 2. and 5. 20. Cant. 2. 14.

Whereas before the Lord [...]ad [...] to enter in and his howse / whervpon Noah and his sonnes entred first / then Noahs wyfe and the other w [...]oman with her: so here / Noah is [...]d to com forth with his wyfe etc. Learned haue concluded from the forme of speach / that the first commaundement ins [...]uates A dis-junction of Noah and his wyfe for the tyme they / were to be within / and the latter A con-joyning off them togither againe in his their going out. Howsoeuer the sonne off speach afforde this / sure I am ( [...]fore) that the t [...]me might well [...]id them be [...] from embracing [...] Eccles. 3. 5: It being A tyl [...] off Elohims indignattion.

Vers. 20. They Noah [...]ilt an Alter. Noah first sekinge the kingdom of God as the Righteousnes thereoff Loe the tempora [...] thinges are East vpon h [...] Our Noah Iesus [...]ge out off the wombe off our Nature [...] in which wombe off our humanie nature there haue bene [...]. times so many vncleane creatures as there haue bene cleane he steppinge forth and offringe by himselfe A pure and vndefiled sacrifice to the heauenly father / loe it is so sweet and all sufficiently sweete in his Noses [...]ls / as he cannot but pronounce himselff well pleased with all such [...]e com vnto him by that Ne [...] and Liuinge way. Vnto them shall springe and haruest / wynter and Somer be blessed. By Tetragran [...]maton I. H. V. H shall not only the Yeare generally / but also in euery off his 4. quarters particularly be blessed.

That he blesseth the yeare in his parts but [Page 18] with this Limitation off tyme / so longe as the earth remaineth, he wold thereby intimate that this Corrupt earthe shall not euer endure. No / the heauens and the earth shall war old as A garment and be chainged: oh heretikes and all sorts off wicked / where then is [...]ar Glory? but we looke for newe heauens [...] newe earth which shall continue before [...] Isa. 66. 12. After the old is melted 2. pet. 3. 10. shall this new world be wherein shall dwell righteousnes / vers. 13. the first [...] off which kingdom is begon with vs here Heb. 12. 26. etc. I note this the rather because diuerse off our A [...]rians Iuish do teach / that this newe holy earth wherein Rightrousnes only shall raigne etc. it shalbe before the Latter Day.

That the Lord layeth A Lawe here vpon Nature for affordings agayne Kaijts Summer / Core [...]h wynter / Katsi [...] Haruest / Zeragn sowinge tyme: it is because Mans former transgression had dissolued the bonds off Nature / and therefore not only promised to be restored Generally / but also in the full 4. parts off the Yeares diuision: Somer opposed to wynter / and Autumne to the Springe. And thus / for anye thinge I can perceiue / the Lord was the first quadripartitor off the yeare.

Vnto Kaijts season giue these thre Moneths

Tamuz.
Ab.
Elul.

Vnto Coreph

Tebeth.
shebat.
Adat.

Vnto Katsir

Tisri.
Marchesuan.
Casleu.

And vnto Zeragn do giue

Nisan or Abib.
Ijar.
Siuan.

THese that by the Moones course do diuide the yeare into 13. Moones / they do joyne A second Adar to the former / but that is off vulgar so [...]e not so easly comprehended / as is this diuision by 12. Months or Signes.

Vnto the somer is giuen these 3. Signes.

Cācer the Crabfish.
Leo the Lyon.
Virgo the Virgin.

Vnto wynter

Capricornus the Goat-man.
Aquarius the Waterman.
Pisces the two fishes.

Vnto Autumne

Libra the Ballance.
Scorpio the scorpion.
Sagittarius the Archer.

And to the Springe-time.

Aries the Ram.
Taurus the Bull.
Gemini the Twyns.

Question. why mention yow these 12 Iodiacall signes seinge they are but Astrologicall fictions? Ansvv. Because / as I am not vnacquaynted how vncertainly men account the Iudaicall Moneths / so I propound the Suns signes for an instance how to begin and finish the Month: least otherwise they shold think Nisan to begin with the first day off March: Ajir with April etc. And here againe the / I cannot speak off our Months names but straight I vtter an Idoll.

Objection. Therefore yow are an Idolatrer. Answ. Yow conclude like A Brownist. for iff the mentioninge off an Idoll do simply make the mentioner an Idolatrer / then Luke Act. 17. 16. 22. and 28. 11. for mentioning Mars, Castor and [...], he also is an Idolatrer. Q [...] Are they Idolls? Ansvv. Iudge: Mars was A [...]uffianly lyer / robber / fighter / etc. who dead / the Gentiles canonized him for the God off warre / callinge the planet next aboue the Sun by / his name. Castor and Poll [...]x were 2. brethren / as Poets faigne they were hatched off 2. egges / which theyr great God I [...]piter in the likenes off A swan procured on Leda, Castor redy to dy / his brother Pollux thorough entreatie obtained off Iupiter, that he might enterchainge his Immortality with his brothers mortalitie. Here vpon they because 2. stares in the firmament: the while Castor shines / pollux is set: [Page] when Poll [...]x riseth Castor setteth Mee presidents I could giue Yow in the booke off God.

Ques. Is it then lawfull to take the names off Idols in our lips? Yes / in this respect that we either weaken them, or at least not strengthen them by our speach. And therefore as Luke named them 1. for distinction sake: 2. for discoueringe the Gentiles prophanati [...] off the Creature: so did I in [...]former speach [...]nd therefore I wish our Christian Astrologers to repēt theyr prophaninge off the hea [...]s-face / not so much for drawinge therein Creatures that are by som reasonable resemblance: as for painting on that Glo [...]e the figures of foolerie [...] / thinges that no where are / ād therfore theyr resemblāce in falshood.

As for Preachers to seeke the [...]dominge off theyr sermons with these old wiues tales / f [...] vpon it: nor let any Christian heare it without spittinge thereat / as at A [...]o [...]de. The fountayne is opened to the howse off Dauid for washinge away such filth / not for the wateringe that off to gi [...].

The Order of the Mo [...]ths in the Bible lieth thus:

1. Abib, March
2. Ijar, April.
3. Si [...]an, May.
4. Tammus, Iune.
5. Ab, Iuly.
6. Elul, August.
7. Tishri, Sept.
8. Marches. Oct.
9. Caslou, Nou.
10. Tebeth, Dec.
11. Shebat, Ian.
12. Adar, Febr.

The Iuis [...] natural [...]ecompt & the Romaines of old, thus:

1. Tishri, Sept.
2. Marches. Oct.
3. Casl [...]u, Nou.
4. Tebeth, Oct.
5. Shebat, Ianu.
6. Adar, Febr.
7. Abib. March.
8. Ijar, Apr.
9. Siuan, May.
10. Tamus, Iune.
11. Ab, Iuly.
12. Elul, Aug.

WIth the first new Moone / fall it before or affter the springs A [...]quinoctiall / doth Abi [...] or Nis [...]n begin: and so the test successiuely.

The Aequinoctiall is that tyme which equals the Night and Day in theyr how [...]es: and this falleth out in the begininge off N [...]s [...]n, as also [...]n the begininge off Tis [...]: the first called the Aequinoctiall vernall, the other the Aequinoctiall Autumnall.

¶ Argument: Chap. IX. Noah is blest: A Covenant is smit / He falls: One mocks / but two do couer it.

Diuision of the text.

I. THis Chap, containeth / i. A Gracious Oration off Iehouah to Noah, begon in the last chap. and here continued vnto Verse. 18.

II. Secondly, an Historicall Epilogue off Noah and his sonnes: from [...]nce vnto the end.

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I. This part off Iehouahs oration contayneth: 1. A lawe peculiar to the Creature with the equitie thereoff: In the first 7. verses: sec. A lawe peculiar to the Creator: thence vnto vers. 18.

1. The Lawe peculiar to the Creature, it is imposed affirmatiuely, 1. vpon Mankynde: verse. 1. who was appoynted in Noah and his Sonnes to Multiply and fill the earth: 2. vpon the other Creatures (Sensitiue and Degetatiue) who are to be serviciable vnto Man: vers. 2. 3.

Secondly: That Lawe is imposed Negatiuily: 1. on Mankynd expresly (who is prohibited eatinge flesh with the blood) vers 4. sec. on the Creature by necessarie Consequent: namely, Not to shedde blood: with the penaltie off Death on both sor [...]s transgressinge. A reason thereoff being giuen to man: 1. because he was created in the jmage off God, vers 5. 6. sec. because he was appoynted to Multiply (not to Mortifie) his kynde: vers. 7.

2. The lawe peculiar to the Creator is, A Gracious bond off peace frely offred by Iehouah to Mankynde in Noah and his Family: as also vnto the other Creatures (by whome man was to be served) in the first fruites thereoff com out off the Arke.

This Bond off peace (or Couenant) is generally propounded, 1. to Noah: vers. 8. 9. secondly, to the other Creatures: vers. 10. Then more particularly explayned in it selff and the Adjuncts: vnto vers. 18. The Covenant it selff is set downe vers. 11. consisting on these two heads: 1. There shold be no more such A Massacre off the creatures: 2. no more destruction off the whole earth by water.

The Adjuncts off this Couenant are, 1. the Signe off the Couenant: viz. the Bowe set in the Clowde: vers. 12. 13. Secondly, the Lord his carefulnes to obserue the Couenant: And that is expressed, 1. by the promisinge his watchfull ey for eyinge the Cloud-bowe: vers. 14. 15. 16. sec. by the serious maner off sealinge vp this lawe: vers. 17.

¶ So much for Iehouahs Oration.

II. The Historicall Epilogue contayneth: j. An Introduction j. to A notable Accident in Noah: and this, 1. by A summinge off his naturall seede and the largenes thereoff, vers. 18. 19. Next, by layinge downe his entrance into A new Science (viz. off planting vynes) vers. 20.

II. After this Introduction, secondly is set downe the Accident it selfe: he became dronk: enlarged by these circumstances, In the midst off his Tent (and that) vncouered.

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III. Then the Demeanour off the Church vpon this Accident: That is to be considered, 1. in Noahs sonnes: 2. in himselff. In his Sonnes A twofold demeanour. Cham (the yongest) first Se his nakednes: secondly, he tells it to his [...]. brethren without / Vers. 22. Then A Contrarie cariage in Shem and Iaphet: who first, wold not se it: secondly do couer it: Vers. 23. The Demeanour of Noah himself vpon due knowledge what was don / is: he first curseth Cham in his sonne Canaan / Vers. 24. 25. secondlie / he 1. blesseth Shem: and then prophecieth A blessinge vnto Iaphet (subiectinge Cham vnto both of them) Vers. 26. 27.

IIII. Lastly / it containeth an Enumeration of Noahs age: first from the flood vnto his death: it was 353. y. Verse. 28: secondly, off his whole lyfe, Vers. 29. it was 950. p.And (then) he died.

ELVCIDATION.

VErs. 1. &c. And God blessed Noah. in the former ch. and 18. Vers. Noah and his people and creatures com forth: he sacrificeth: God is appeased. Now (vpon that reconcilement) ariseth Open Conference (for the former in ch. 8. ver. 21. was secret / in Iehouahs heart) and that containinge plenty off Euangelicall promises. j. Noah and his Sonnes are blessed vnto multipl [...]cation: [...]. he s [...]teth peace with Noahs howse: A signe of which peace is the Rainbowe.

This Couenant the Lord remembreth vnto the Iues / Isa. 54. 9. etc. promisinge therewithall / that the church succedinge (which shold consist of Iewe and Gentile it shold be la [...]d and beautified with Ca [...]uncles, E [...]eralds shininge and precious stones: but first must be tossed with A tempest or it be seated on Ar [...]rats toppe. This Rainbowe we se / Reuel. 4. 3. in colour like to an [...]de: precious gre [...]e makinge the face off the beholder gre [...]e / for euer florisheth the Couenant off peace in the cup of the Saynts: for peace dwelleth in her pallaces. Though A Mother forget her child yet the Lord remembreth Zion, She is written in the pa [...]e of his hand: Her walls are [...]ier in his sight: Isa. 49. 15. 16.

Som contend that this Rainbowe was not before this tyme existinge / stumblinge at the speach I have put the Bovve etc. as though it were not put there before: but they shold rather say: not put so before: that is / though before / yet not for such A Signe before. Secondly / the Hebrue word is aptly / I haue giuen the bowe for A signe.

The Subiect of this Bowe is A Raynie or waterish clowde: the Efficient Cawse is the Sun / placed aduerse to such A Cloude. The diuerse colours fall out by the Suns irradiation or stretching out his beames on that cloude / the partes off that cloude beinge diuersly or variably affected. As the cloude is in the midst and either vtter side diuerslie qualified / so by the Suns radiation (as Zanchiu [...] de oper. Lib. 3. cap. 3. wel noteth) there is thre speciall collours effected: Redde / Citrine / Grene. The two latter colours (which are the vndermost) are watrish / and therefore off auncient di [...]nes termed but one / the red colour another: affirming therewithal that the watrish colour preacheth the iudgment of the old-world passed: the other colour Red and fiery / the finall destruction of this world by fire. The body of the Bowe turned from vs and the tippes towards vs it giueth the church to learne that the Arrow (the lorde dwellinge in Zion) flieth from the Church into the heart of the kings aduersarie. Iudah reconciled / is such A bowe bent: and Ephrims hand is filled with shaftes that shall fly out as lightninge: Zech. 9. 3. 14.

1. There is A second kynd of Rain-bowe [Page] and that is off the Moone as the former off the Sun, but more rare. His Colour is white / as most conuenient to nights darknes. A colour well [...]ittinge the Church, who borroweth her light of the Son, as the Moone off the Sun.

Vers. 18. Novv [...]he Sons Noah &c. That we shold be out of all doubt / that Noah had no Son borne in the Ark / he here againe nombreth them: describing Cham (for the history sake followinge) by his Son Canaan. Be [...] the Babilonian in his 1. booke off Antiquities, he telleth A tale of Gyants before the flood / amongst whome he saith there was One A greater worshipper of God and wiser then all the rest / by name Noah: who had thre Sons / Shem, Iaphet, Cham: his wyfe Tidea the Great: theyrs, Pandora, Noela & Noegla. This Noah (saith he) by beholdinge the starres / did foresee destruction to com: and therefore 78. y. before the flood / he made A ship like an Ark etc. Afterwards Lib. 2. the flood passed / onely these 8. beinge in Armenia they were the seede of the worlde. Then lib. 3. he telleth how Noah inuentinge wynemakinge / he was vnawares ouercom with it: who lyinge naked in the secret part / was charmed to inability of procreation / by Cham: whome (he saith) was A notable sorcerer / for which he was termed Zoroastes. Because off this his wickednes he was [...]ast out by Ianus or Noah: and thensforth called Chemesenua, in the Scythian Ara [...]nt language / Infamous shameles. This Chaldeahs cursed Babilon / though clippinge the kings coyne is forced to testify som truth of the scriptures.

Vers. 22. And vvhen Cham. The wretch boylinge in disdaine / he rons to his brethren vncharitably vtteringe his fathers Nakednes: but they blushinge wise goe backwards and couer him with theyr Mantle. Oh Cham thow hast verily plaid the Traitour vnto the Figure as Iudas Iscariot vnto Noah figured. Such A trick brought Iudas vnto the Ra [...]e / and thinkest thow Cham to escape without A Curse?

Ambrose (de Noe et Arca, ch. 31.) he saith that Shem and Iaphet wold not se their Fathers nakednes / least seinge it theyr reuerence towards him shold haue bene the lesse. And true it is / that lookinge vpon the weaknesses off the Lord his prophets / men haue theyr affection off Loue and Reuerence thereby infirmed. This lesson as no doubt they had learned / so also / that it was theyr duty to couer theyr Fathers weaknes: and here vpon Salomon grounded his prouerbe 10. 12. Hatred stirreth vp contention, but loue couereth all trespasses. Oh blessed Shem and Iaphet, for yow take Noahs part: As the eleauen set foote vnto Iesus▪ They therefore / Ioh. 17. got a blessinge when Iudas had no place in his prayer: and shall not yow Shem and Iaphet obtayne A blessinge for countenancinge the Prophet / whome the Seede of the serpent wold roote vp?

Vers. 24. Then Noah. He awakes as A Gyant but refreshed with wyne. The Spirit off prophecy is vpon him. This appeareth first in denouncinge off Iustice and Iudgment vpon Cham: sec. in propoundinge mercy to Shem and Iaphet. The Curse vpon Cham is directly powred out on Canaan his Son and yongest Son: for elder then he were Cush, Mitzraim, Put, ch. 10. 6. and none off these were borne before the flood nor in the yeare off the flood / for only 8. persons went in and 8. only came out. All these then borne after the flood / and Canaan here spoke off the yongest this Accident must therefore be no litle tyme affter the flood.

Cursed is Canaan (not be Canaan) is as iff he had sayd: I will tell the Cham, as thow my yongest Son a [...]t cursed to me: so will thy yongest Son proue cursed to the. Iudgment will fall proportionable to thy Syn. Thow hast laboured to roote out my credet because of weaknes: but others shall make thy Canaanitish seede Gnebed Gnabadim A Seruant off Seruants: that is / A very slaue. Such was the vnslaughtered Canaanitish seede vnto Israël. Of Canaan came the Eleauen cursed Nations / ch. 10. 15. 16. 17. 8. 18. Gregorius Magnus, saith: Omne peccatum est vnde [...]tium euerie Syn is an eleauenth thinge (because Syn transgresseth the Decalogue) vpon which consideration saith he / Peter hastened the choyse off A twelfte into Iscariots ro [...]e: but most sure I am that Canaan in his 11. braunches was cursed / and Cham in his Canaan.

Reuel. 17. 11. we reade off A Beast in nomber mysticall both the 7. and the 8. goinge to destruction: Cham his figure was both A 7. and an 8. in nomber and appoynted also to goe into perdition. The New world begon only with 8. persons: Cham bringe the yongest (at least off men) he so was the Eyght: But by Moses in way off Catalogue he is made the Seauenth and Iaphet the eyghte: But in the declaration off this curse he is pulled out into the Sixt place (the other two placed affter him) that so his head may receiue A wounde / as doth the sixt head off the Beast Reu. 13. 3. W [...]epe with Iohn, or Mysterie will not be vnsealed.

Vers. 26. He said moreouer. Iudgment pronounced / he now vttereth A blessinge first to Shem then to Iaphet. God is blessed for the [Page] God of Shem: and indeede. Shems people be▪ became the first Peculiar Nation and Preisthood to God / as appeareth afterwards ch. 11. 10. etc. His Seruant was Canaan what tyme Canaans land was subdued vnto Israel: but yet A troblous s [...]ruant puckinge Israel in the Eyes and the sydes. Romes Vicar writes himself Se. ant of Se [...]a [...]t (Canaans name) pet but A troblous seruant to the Lord his Israel.

Vers. 27. God pe [...]suade Iaphet. Iaphet and Perswade is all one in the Hebrue: Iaphet Elo [...]im le Iaphet. Iaphet. Eloh [...] persuade. whereunto shold El [...]him persuade or allure him? To dwell in Shems tabernacle. Herein he prophecieth that the Gentiles of Iaphet ch. 10. 5. shold for A season be without the visible church but at last shold be allured by the sweet voice of t [...] Ghospell to com home with the Prodigall Son and to dwell in his Tent. But that he saith [...]ent not Temple, the holy ghoste wold giue to vnderstand / that the spirituall estate of Israels Tent in the wildernes and beginings of theyr ruled om in Canaan / that was the estate which shold befall the Gentiles by returning home vpon the first breach of the partition wall. The Temples estate shall bring vnto the Church another gates g [...]oue th [...] the first. That estate properly is the enjoye of that stablished city Aboue which Ab [...]a [...] tooked for / Heb. 11. 10. In the meane tyme / the Mystycall Canaan is a [...]so to be his seruant. The Deuels seede euen in prickinge the godly shall vnawares do seruice to the Godly / both off Iewe and Gentile.

Vers. 29. So all the days. Twelue full Iubilees before the stood / and seauen [...]b. after Noah l [...]ed till within 2. p. of Abrahams birthe Vajamoth, and he died. Walck man as longe as he can / Death in the end arrests him. Nothinge more certaine then to dy: but nothinge more vncertaine then when to dy. The s [...]erty of death preacheth [...]y to the vvorld: the vncertainty of death it preacheth: Always dy to the world / least thovv be once damned vvith the vvorlde.

Argument. Chap. X. Iaphet / Cham / Shem here Moses doth declare theyr Seede: as eke the Names of Old they bare.

¶ Diuision of the Text.

I. FIrst / the Generation of Noah immediate / Verse. 1.

II. Set. his Generation mediate: and that is: first of Iaphet / Vers. [...] 3 4 5. secondly / of Cham: thence vnto Vers. 21. thirdly of Sh [...]m: thence vnto the 32 Ver. these thre particulars summed vp in one. Ver, 32.

More particularly take it thus.

[Page] [...]AH. [...]
- IAPHI▪
  - 1. Gomer.
    - 1. Askenas.
    - 2. [...]iphath.
    - 3. Toga [...]ah.
  - 2. Magog.
  - 3 Madaj.
  - 4. Ianan
    - 1. Elisha.
    - 2. Tarshish.
    - 3. Kittim.
    - 4. Dodanim.
  - 5. Tubal.
  - 6. Meshech.
  - 7. Thir [...]s.
- CHAM.
  - 1. Ch [...]sh.
    - 1. Seba.
    - 2. Chauilah.
    - 3. Sabatha.
    - 4. [...]egma
      - Shebah.
      - Dedan.
    - 5. sabtecha.
  - 2. Mitzra [...].
    - 1. Ludim.
    - 2. Auamun
    - 3. [...]ehabim.
    - 4. Nephtuchin [...]
    - 5. Patrus [...].
    - 6. Ehasluchim.
    - 7. Caphiou [...].
    - 8. Philisti [...].
  - 3 [...]
  - 4. Canaan.
    - 1. Lidan.
    - 2. Heth.
    - 3. Iebu [...].
    - 4. Emon.
    - 5. Eirgalh [...]
    - 6. [...]inj.
    - 7. Arki.
    - 8. Suli.
    - 9. Arnadi.
    - 10. Zema [...].
    - 11. Hamath [...].
- [...]EM.
  - 1. [...]am.
  - 2. Ashur.
  - 3. A [...]pharad—1. Selah - 1. Heb [...]
    - 1. Pele [...].
      - 1. Elmod [...].
      - 2. Shalaph.
      - 3. Hazarmaneth
      - 4. Iarach.
      - 5. Hadaram.
      - 6. Vzal.
      - 7. Diklah.
      - 8. Obal.
      - 9. Abimael.
      - 10. Sheba.
      - 11. Ophir.
      - 12. Chauila [...].
      - 13. Ioba [...].
    - 2. Iohtan.
  - 4. [...]ud.
  - 5. [...]ram
    - 1. Vz.
    - 2. Chus.
    - 3. Gether.
    - 4. Mash.

IAPHET hath Xi [...]j.
CHAM hath XXX.
SHEM hath XXVI.

All LXX.

Clemens Alexandrinus in his 1. booke Stro maton, he (and so many others) write that the Languages and fannl [...]es were 72.

For the helping out with this 2. som brings the two cities Accad and Calneh: but how vnproperly / lo [...] the learned judge. Som introduce Nimrod and A city: they may aswell bringe in 8. cityes. If Nimrod were at the towres buildinge / the languages are 70. besides Hebers tongue. But seinge Nimrod had A kingdom here, Micah. 5. 6. I se not yet how he was at this first Tew [...] buildings:

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ELVCIDATION.

BEtwixt [...]phet and Shem is Cham placed: not because he was most excellent (except us Eu [...]ll) form Medi [...] [...]ittat [...] consist [...] viti [...], but / be [...]s what was said before / for that he was to be beseiged vn A coople of Nations that shold springe from them. B [...]el in Sh [...]ar, for there was A Babel in [...]Egipt which now is called [...]an / it was begon by Nymbro [...] / Be [...] lib. 4. [...]q. and said to raigne first there▪ 50. y. from the [...] of the second world which Babel afterwards (hauing kept Shems people 70. [...] ca [...]tine) was beseiged and taken [...] the vncircumcised Madaj [...] the Medes spr [...] of Iapher / and Elam / of whome cain. the Perllans: Isa. 21. 2. Van. 5. 28. 31.

[...] in the first age acquired A possession: [...]e bod [...] [...]ell ro [...]ed in the waters / who [...]in: [...] succedeth Cham ( [...] and indignatiō) [...] [...] [...]an Antichrist. This we se [...] [...] vnder the age of the new testament. First / Ministers haue acquired possessions / the [...] secondly then being so possessed with the greeue thinges of the [...]th they growe [...]or and dis [...]am [...]ll: hot towards such as shold reproue theyr leud Apostacie from Churches [...]: [...]full towards all that Vnto not with [...] [...] dowe vnto Hamon. For [...] theyr glory then hill with Kain and those they cannot slea they mock disda [...] fully with Cham. But let them go on / the flood and the [...] of God denounced by his Prophets [...] shall ouer take them.

Vers. 11. Out of that land came Assur. By Assur vnderstand Belus or Ninus the first [...] there and the founder of Niniueh. This [...] the [...] o [...] of [...] or Ass [...]a / all [...] this the [...] the other the Chaldy [...] with whome it is frequent to turne. Sh [...] into Thau. He not able to beare Satur [...]s or [...] glorie without more adoe as Malecontent departeth the coast / and rea [...]t [...] by N [...]meth [...] Monumēt off [...] Vestre off empire thus boiled in the brests [...] [...] sonnes. N [...]rod of Merod defre [...]on or Rebellion / either of them fit for such A Rebel to God and [...]hem: Ashur [...] Goinge, and he g [...]s out off Shinar to hunt out Dominion else where.

Vers. 21. Shem is last in Speach but first in car [...]moniall act religions. Iaphet is Omega in Religion: but Alpha [...]oz [...]ull enjoyinge the [...]inge off Shems shadowes, The first is [...] shadowe the second all image / Heb. 10. 1. but where is the trainy it self / to whome this is an [...]mage and the former A shadowe? That shalbe sene and felt palpably when all Israel shalbe saued / Rom. 11. euen when Shem and Iaphet / Iew and Gentile shall dwell in one Tabernacle. Christ being the Co [...]erstone vnto these two walls downe com Kam, Cham, Epimanes, the threfold coard off iniquity fo [...] the [...] it shalbe cas [...] broken. In the meane tyme them also [...]phet must be seige Babel vntil E [...] phrates her pleasant waters be d [...]ed vp / that [...] the [...] [...]echers of the East here is wisdom but who marks it?) may haue [...] way prepared for entrance and fackinge Kains Chano [...] / Reu. 16. 12. The wise-men came from the East / Math 2. to [...] the parents off Christ with Necessaries for theyr voyage: the Medes and Per [...]ans came out off the East for deliuering Iudah out of Babels captiuity and shall these Easterne kings [...]itred vp on the Angel of the East. [...]ne. 7. 2. 3. bringe detriment vnto Christes Kingdom? I will ne [...] bele [...]e it [...] I [...] go dhis spirit assistinge me.

Iff it be red / The elder brother off Iaphes, it must be vnderstood that Shew was Elder / not [...]mply but in respect off SIehouahs perferment: with whome it was ordinarie to preferre the yonger. But the verse is to be read thus: Vnto Shem (the father off all Hebers sonnes, brother to laph [...] the Elder) A seed spronge: And so it is cleare that Iaphet was eldest.

Vers. 25. Vnto [...] also vvere borne. Off this man was Abraham / Ioseph / and the Israelites termed Hebrues: Yea the holy ghost [...] the 21. vers. before callinge Shem the Father off all the Sons off Heber (though Never the sort off Selah the son off Kepharad / the Son off Shem) he wold haue vs to acknowledge Heber for us common seede. Rebe [...] in engl. is A passer ouer, and indeed he passed ouer the Rebellions way of the Schismatikes Rom Shem. These that think Abram was called Hebrue for pass [...] ouer the Riuer / haue no [...] only these scriptures agaynst them / but also Augustine, Deciuit, de [...] [...]b. 16. Cap. 11. & Retract. 1. 2. cap. 16. Ierom in his [...] questions on Benests / c [...]m alijs. Augustine was once off mynde that then were called Rebrues off the name Abram by som chaynge off [...]etter (in consens. Enang.) But th [...]e chaynge (if [...] he had obseruerued that the Hebr [...] [...] G [...]t [...]er, Gnebre [...]e; No [...] [Page 22] Eber / Ebrewe) must haue bene to harshe.

As the People / so was theyr Tongue hereof called Hebrue: because [...]e [...]er had this tongue in his howse / what tyme the other families were dispersed and diuided by other [...]leris and Languages. [...]eleg (of palag to diuide) he hath his name from the Earths diuision. Here [...]or tyme falleth out the buildinge off Babels Towre / the Cause of tongues diuision: As tongues of Earths diuision.

Vers. 31. These are [...]e sonnes of Shem, according to their fa [...]ine [...], according to theyr tongues. It therefore was not the meaninge of Moses / to set downe only Noah his thre sons their seuerall families at the time of the Earths diuision: but also / as vers. 5. and 20. to giue vs to knoe / of how manye distinct tongues the earth then became.

¶ Argument: Chap. XI. Babel buildinge / the builders tongues are chaingde. Then scatered. Shems petigre is raingde.

Diuision of the text.

I. FIrst A dissolution of NOachs familes is to be obserued.

II. Secondly / an edification of Shem his Tabernacle.

I. In the Dissolution, contained in the first ten verses, we are to consider.

1. The Action of the Families, Vers. 1. 2. 3. 4. secondly of Iehouah. thence vnto the 10. Vers. The Action of the Families vttereth: 1. A S [...] me from Shem, Vers. 1. 2. in that Being off one Language (vers. 1.) they trauel into the land off Shinar, Vers. 2. Secondly, theyr Action vtters theyrs Consultation for buildinge A Towre to them selues, 1. for gettinge A Name sec. for preventinge A disperson, Vers. 3. 4.

In the Action of Iehouah considerable. 1. His beholdinge theyr worke Vers. 5. secondly his discontentment therewith: manifested first in his Consultation, vers. 6. 7. then in that consultations effect: whereas 1. he [...]oth Babilonize their language (whereof theyr worke had the name Babel) 2. he disperseth them: Ver. 8. 9.

II. For the Edification of Shems Tabernacle, that is to be considered in Iohouahs fre-mercy, stretched from S [...]m by the lyne of A [...]ph [...]d vnto Abram.

[Page]

For this do take Mr. Brou. his Table.
VVORLD his age.	NOAH.	SHEM his yeares.	FLOODS yeares.
1658.	602.	100.	2.	Arpha [...]ad [...]
1693.	637.	135.	37.	35.	Selah b▪
1 [...]23.	667.	165.	67.	65.	30.	Heber b. of vvhome Abram after had the name of HE [...]BR [...]VV▪
1757.	701.	199.	101.	99.	64.	34.	Peleg b. novv vvas the earth di [...]ided.
1 [...]87.	731.	229.	131.	129.	94.	64.	30.	Regnu b.
1819.	763.	261.	163.	161.	126.	96.	62.	32.	Se [...]g b.
1849.	793.	291.	193.	191.	156.	126.	92.	62.	30.	Nah [...] b.
1878.	822.	320.	222.	220.	185.	155.	121.	91.	59.	59.	Terah b.
1996.	940.	438.	340.	[...]38.	303.	2 [...]3.	239.	209.	177.	147.	118	[...]eleg dieth.
1997.	94 [...].	439.	341.	339.	304.	274.		210.	178.	148.	119.	Naho [...] dieth.
2006.	950.	44 [...]	350.	348.	313.	283.		219.	187.		128.	Noah dieth.
2008.		450.	352.	350.	315.	285.		221.	189.		130.	Abram b.
2018.		460.	362.	360.	325.	295.		231.	199.		140.	10.	Sara b.
2026.		468.	3 [...]0.	368.	333.	303.		239.	207.		148.	18.	8.	Regnu d▪
2049.		491.	393.	391.	356.	326.			[...]0.		171.	41▪	31.	Serug▪ d,
20 [...]		525.	427.	425.	390.	360.			Terak dieth		205.	75.	65	The Promise is giuen to Abram, The father of all the faithfull.

[Page 23]

ELVCIDATION.

VErs. 1. Then the vvhole Earth, was off one lippe. This Lippe and Language was not Syr [...]ak as som haue foolishly taught / but [...]leber [...] sacred tongue spoke of before: not distinguished by any proper name till Hebers tyme / because there were no tongues nor any one tongue more then it / before this tyme of Babel. That hitherto there was but one tongue / [...]anus that will not learne of Cyrill / he may Learne off Sib [...]la / Lib. 3.

Qui Turrim Assyriis in finibus edificarunt, Cum cunctis eadem vox esset &c.

And Lib. 8.

Collapsa Turri, discrimina [...]guae sumpserunt hominum, vatiato mune [...]e vocum.

That this One tongue was the Hebrue / not only Augustine as before / but also [...]ero [...] on Sopho [...]i. Chap. 3. he re [...]a [...]ge the hebrue word [...]ge [...], whereof commeth the Latine N [...]gae, he saith that the hebrue tongue is the Matrix off all tongues. And by Augustines speach / quae lingua non immerito credi [...] fuisse Com [...]unis pr [...]s humano generi it semeth in that age it was commonly so held. O [...]g [...]n hom. 11. on Nomb. Lyra on this place: [...] in gen. Lib. 2. Cap. 2. with all off any iudgment do so vnderstand off the sacred tongue of Heber.

Beros [...]s Lib. 4. Antiq. affirmeth that vpon the multiplication of Mankynd / N [...]nb [...]ot tooke his son Io [...]e Bel [...]s with A Colo [...]e off people and came into the plaine off Sena [...]: where he designed A City and founded A mighty Towre: but soone after he addeth: He builded A Towre but he finished it not: to [...] ge therewith this we: for he w [...] sodainly translated off the Gods.

Out off Arme [...]ia into Shin [...], A loose tooth, and therfore not to be trusted to / prou. 25. 19. commeth this Shismaticall band. The Mysticall body off wickednes / Zech [...]i [...]h sawe sent for this lastage into Sh [...]ar / and that sealed vp [...] [...]n Ey [...]hah: Eh. 5. 5. etc. They Study to b [...]d for A Name: the right [...]adge off A bad spirit: yet not A Schismatike or Heretike but he doth it. And this Name they co [...]et to haue (P [...]en) Before they be fratered g [...]alphenei (vppn the face) of the Earth. The forme of speach it causeth me to think / that they heard how Heber in callinge his son / Peleg▪ had prophecied theyr d [...]tion / whereat they now mock: and the rather for that schismatikes are ordinarily Mockers: 1. Tim. 4. 1. Iude. 18. 19.

They con [...]ne and consult here abouts as though theyr were honestmen. They will haue A towre to heauen (stand apart / com not [...]ere / they are holyer then thow: Isa. 65. 5.) and this towre shalbe made of Brick burned and wrought togither with s [...]yme. Let Schismatiks gather togither with She [...]s holy tongue (none brag so off holy speach as these sprites) and vse that tongue for fashioninge theyr scriptures in the fyre off false martyrdom / and da [...]be them togither with vntempred morter and false application: and that for purchasing A Name in the earth▪ mangre the heart off Hebe [...]: yet what shall they wyn? Hearken.

Vers. 5. But Iehouah came dovvne. The Lord is A Bu [...]te in the way. Iehouah is sayd to com downe / not because He who is infinite is ver [...] [...] subject to mouinge from place to place (for so he shold be f [...]te and cōprehended in som place) but in respect off his manifestation below [...] in this or that accident which before appeared not in that place. As they consi [...]ted vnanim [...]ter say [...]ge: Let vs br [...]lde: so Elohim (the Father▪ vvord and sprite) and yet here but One Iehouah, they consult say [...]ge: Let vs go downe and confound them Language. Holy Language abused it must be confounded: so that they shall neyther speak nor mynde one thinge: much lesse gather in one accorde for praisinge the Father off our Lord Iesus Christ.

What came Brovvnes work eue [...] vnto (A work off pride for [...]hinge A She [...], though it met with A shame) or the proud schismaticall work of anie vnto / though (as they brag much off it) theyr Language were but [...] / and that One the pure language off Canaan or Heber? I was brought vp in the bowels of proud Presci [...]ians and Bro [...]stes: and therfore o [...] the ineffable mercy off my God / that hath som and som drawen me from buylding with them for A Name▪ Yet he could not do it / till he had left: [Page] me to som Shame. I prayse and honour his holy wisdom for shaminge me with men / that s [...] with him I man haue the Name off liuinge vnto him▪ I disprayse not theyr Pure language they haue / but the applyinge of it to so proud A worke: who thinke as did the Little horne [...]a [...]. 8. 9. 10. That they cannot groe to be A visible people off Christ / except they cast downe off the hoste and off the starres to the ground / [...] vpon them: making manie true star [...] [...]stians black and dark / with theyr vale off Sophistrie tinked vnder pure language in word and writinge / that others off heauen more truly then they so darkned / they may be [...]he Church, the People off God: That is accordinge to theyr but: The only visible true Christian Church.

Theyr tongues s [...]it and chaynged / they cannot forwarde with the work / nor yet auoyde a dispers [...]on. The two things they drine at / Fame and Vnity, is thus sodainly turned into Shame and Dist [...]a [...]on. G [...]maliel had learned / Act. 5. 38. that the counsayl and work which is not off God / it will com to naught.

Vers. 10. These are the Gen. The former wicked work cast out with A Parenthesis▪ now the Ro [...]gh▪ commeth vnto blessed Shem (the [...]m [...]e braunche off Noah: not begotten by any Father / nor borite off any Mother in the newe world) in whose Tabernacle (for the Tabernacle off the just must florish / Prou. 14. [...].) God soweth the succedinge seede.

Vers. 31. Then Te [...]ah tooke Abram. This Abram maried with [...]sea Saraj and barren (as were the cheyfe Matriacks for t [...]achinge that the▪ church typed in them bringeth spirituall fruite by vertue off God his word and pro [...]s / not off Nature) Terah his father taketh them and Lo [...] and so departeth from Vr off the Chaldays towards Canaan: but cōminge to Cha [...] ran (A city off Mesopotamia not off Chalde [...] for Chaldea was but a part off Mesoyotamia, P [...] lib. 2. cap. 27.) They there pitch Tent and dwell. Abram hauing had A glorious vision from Iehouah before they came out off Chaldea▪ Act. 7. 2. It is like inoughe that he instincted his Father vnto this p [...]reg [...]nation: but the old▪ man labouringe to much off Chaldeahs Solatrous disease (nor yet dare I call any off our Sauiours direct l [...]e Idola [...]ter) he soone was wearied off trauaylinge towards blessed Shem [...] Shalem. Nay, Abram and Lot it semeth they were not eagerly set on this voyage / and therefo [...]e do take by theyr [...]es with T [...]rah.

All this not withstandinge I cannot nor man teach to be the tyme off the peculiar Promise giuen to Abram, but A preparation to the Promise exhibited to Abram after his Fathers death in Cha [...]ra [...]. whereoff in the next chapter.

Argument. Chap. XII. Abram is cald / he ploddeth on amayne To Canaan / Egipt / and back agayne.

¶ Diuision fo the Text.

I. FIrst considerable Abrams effectuall Callinge from natiue Contry / Vers 1. 2. 3.

II. Secondly Abrams effectuall obedience grounded thereon, in the residue off the chapter: yea in the whole storie off his lyfe.

I. H [...] Callinge vttereth 1▪ the Caller, Iehouah: secondlie the forme [Page 24] of the Callinge it selff: and that lieth 1. in A Commaundement, Vers. 1. secondly in an Euangelicall promis it selff▪ Vers. 2. 3.

II. His Obedience (in this chap.)is manifested 1. in his redie passage to Canaan, Vers. 4. 5. secondly, in his folowinge faithfulnes: thence to the end. His subsequent fidelitie is twofolde accordinge to tyme and Circumstance. First it sheweth it selff stronge: 2. weake.

1. The strength off his faith appeareth 1. in his Survayinge the lande▪ approued off the Lord, Vers. 6. and first clause off the 7. secondly in his [...]earinge vp off religious mouments: thence vnto vers. 10.

2. The weaknes off his faith, thence vnto the end it offreth vnto vs 1. the Cawse: 2. th▪ effect. The Cawse is twofolde: the first is A Famine, the seconde his wifes Beauty. The former (as the flesh handled the matter) prickinge him into Egipt: the seconde vrginge him to Deny his wyfe to the Egiptians: Vers. 10. 11. 12. 13. The Effect is also twofolde:

1. The Lord draweth back from Abram (in leauinge him to so miserable an Accident) Ver. 14. 15. 16. and this effect was seale to the Lords iustice. The other effect is, the Lord draweth nere againe to Abram, 1. by whippinge the Egiptians: Vers. 17. secondly by Compellinge them to doe good vnto Abraham: thence to the end: and this sealeth bp the Lord his fre-mercy.

ELVCIDATION.

VErs. 1. And Iehouah said to Abram. These that think the Calling and promise here vttered to haue bene giuē vnto Abram in Chaldea, they translate thus: For the Lord had said to Abram. First / this their translation forceth the Text: for the Hebrue / Va [...]o [...]er Iehouah, is naturally / And I [...]houah said. So the Septuag [...]t turnes it into Greeke: Kaj Eipe ky [...]os to h [...]b [...]am and O [...]kelos in his Chalday paraphr. V [...]ar etc and the Lord said. Hierom and euery Ancient Latine hath Ae [...]d [...]it Dominus. Though men be otherwise mynded for the tyme of the Callinge / yet they shold not haue forced the Text.

The Hebrues knowinge this callinge to folowe [...]eralis death (and that doth Ph [...]lo preci [...]ly obserue ioyninge Abrams 75. y. and Iaacobs 75. sowles togither) they finish theyr second section that bego [...] chap. 6. vers. 9. with Terahs death: and here they begin theyr think section because it is A newe matter. And indeede theyr Partition is apt: for in the First was considered Good and Bad from Adam [...]: in the second / Good and Bad from No [...]h: and now in the thyrd / Good and Bad from Abram.

The first sort of people that laboured to make this Promise to be giuen to Abram before he came at Cha [...]ran they were drawen therto by takinge Abram to be the Eldest of T [...] so [...] [...]es: but the contrarie being now h [...] of all / there is no reason why also they shold not bele [...]e this promise to be giuen after his Fathers death. First this speach / Go from thy Fathers howse / it [...]ould not well agre with the taking [Page] his father with him. Nay / it is said in the former chap. that [...]erah tooke Abram etc But the calling and promise bieng directly Abrams, it is but A darkninge of this work to let Terah be head in the Obedience / to whome the Lord neuer spoke about the matter. Secondly / Abrams Obedience vers. 4. 5. with the circumstances / it plainly proueth the matter to fall after Terahs death. Thirdly / as steuen Act. 7. 2. doth plainly teach an apparition glorious to Abram before he dwell in Cha [...]ran▪ so his Obedience vers. 4. and clause first / then he came out of the Chaldeans land and dvvelt in char [...]an / it answereth to that Call. And whereas vers. 2. he reherseth this [...]n [...]unction laid downe here by Moses: vnto it is answerable the seconde off vers. 4. And affter [...]is father vvas deade, God brought him out. Fourthly / off Terah ād Abrams former voyage [...]t is said ch. 11. 31. that they made theyr iornay for Canaan: but of Abrams peru [...]at obedience it is said Hebr. 11. 8. he went out not knovving vvhither: this callinge therfore and promise here mentioned cannot be referred to the former▪ That this callinge is so to be vnderstood for the [...]yme diuerse Old and new Iuish and christian are so minded. And indeede / the Promise here made shold haue lacked [...]ch lyfe / if so it had bene giuen in his fathers lyfe. But his father now dead / this Euangel preached vnto him and his / it commethe opport [...]ely as if the Lord had saide: Depart hence to the [...]and I will shewe the not dismayinge at the losse off thy father: for I wil be a father vnto the and thine etc. As the tyme maketh the Promise more excellent: so also it maketh Abrams Obedience more excellent: for if he had folowed the Lord togither with Terah, it might haue bene A [...]e [...]ion whither Terah had not bene better man. This P [...] iudaus in his booke off Abrams departure doth pretily teach in his expounding the word Terah. Lusebius Pamphilus also in his Crom [...] doth vnderstand this promise to be guien in chatian after Terah.

Vers. 4. So Abram departed etc. That this holy patriark at the tyme off his Obedience is aged 75. y. this coniunceth all writers off errour / who demed and taught Abram to be begotten in his fathers 70. At this tyme was Terah newly dead and aged 205. Extract 75 out off 205. and there remaineth 130. So old must Terah be at Abrams birth. These therfore that teach him to be borne in his fathers 70. they so not only rob the worlds age off 60. y. but also make Abram at the receipt off the promise 135. old. That his father was 130. p. aged / Beroaldus, and our English More and broughton they stand hereto as A thre-fold coarde that cannot be broken.

Hauing receiued the Euangel (for this Promise was the substance off the Ghospel / Galat. 3. 8. and that 430. y. before the LAVV, Gal. 3. 17. he trudgeth forward with his wife Saraj, his nephewe Lot, and all that he had for why shold the goods off the faithfull be lefte in the howse off A strainger? prov. 5. 10 [...] and so he co [...]ameth to Canaan: but comminge thither / God gaue vnto him there not be [...] podos, one foote off ground / Act. 7. 5. Many now wilbe Abrams seede / but iff they tast off these Alloes they will spit out all religion. They will folowe Christ / so long as he hath Barly bread in the one hand / and fish in the other: otherwise they will depart sorowing / as rather willinge that the spirituall Forts and Byrds off the Ayre shold make holes and nestle in theyr heart / then the Son off Man shold haue any ro [...]me there / whereon to rest his Heade.

Vers. 6. The Plaine Mor [...]h (in engl. Rebellinge) I vnderstand to be the Penta-polis plaine of Sodom, Gomer, Zeboim, Admah, Bela, A pleasant plot / Chap. 13. 10. called in Moses tyme the plaine off Rebellion: as preachinge to all folowers God his iudgment powred forth on that pleasant place because off Rebellion.

Vers. 6. 7. Abram [...]ainginge the Region [...] Iehouah meets him ād bids him welcom [...] with an Euangelical sermon: which the Ismaelites off our age do terms A cold breakfast. For A Memo [...]all off the Lord his mercies / Abram buyldeth an Alter and sacrificeth / let the Canaanite take it as he will. Afterwards vers. 8. 9. He remoueth and buildeth anothr Alter (the faythfull desire in all places to leaue Monuments off Religion behind them) but affter that he [...]itteth agayne. Thus som and som the Lord wayneth his Ch [...]dren. I now they suck on A Lilly-white pappe / by and by it is smeated with foote or Alloes.

Vers. 10. etc. Then there came a Famine. Bring A litle hardned agaynst the wether / he now must skirmish with Famine (a strong [...] Tempter) with whome he deales this: he th [...] Canaan and went downe (as the Man did from Ierusalem to Iericho) euen downe into Egypt. Faith kept him from lookinge back to Chalde [...] and fathers howse Heb. 11. 15. but in the meane tyme this affliction off famme dazeled his eyes / that he hit not the best way. Hauinge Famine behind him in Canaan and want off God his feare in Pharaohs court before him / it cawseth him and S [...]raj 1. to Consult: 2. to Doe as they did.

If Abram sawe it to be the practise off Kings then as it was in [...]est [...] spu [...]e after / namely / [Page] not to lye with A woman till she had bene for A yeare prepared / Hest. 2. 12. that wold make him the rather to make this hazarde: iff not / Yet I doubt not / let hasty Gen sorers off the Fathers actiō [...] say what they will / but Abram herein (as in another case. Rom. 4. 18.) euen beyond hope be hoped to be helped off God in opportune season. In the meane time / he speaks but Truth though not all the Truth / for he conceales she was his wyfe.

That he knewe they wold not company with his wife / except first they slewe him: thereby appeareth that bare Nature cheeks adultry: secondly / that Naturall men sekinge to avoid one syn they fly into another: yea many times auoidinge the lesser they p [...]p into the greater.

vers. 17. But Iehouah plagued. The Heb. hath gnal-debar (For the vvord) off S [...]raj. Dabar will beare the common version / but properly [...] is A vvord or Speach newly spoken / or A new thing vttered. So I take here: because no doubt she did dal [...] [...] the lord with A headingher case: which Word and Speach off hers the lord graunted / by plaguing the Court proportionably to the syn they aymed at. This is that the wicked get by touching his Annointed ones and doing his prophets any harme.

Vers 20. And Pharaoh gaue com. Many are the Troubles off the Righteous / but the Lord deliuereth them out off all. He will not suffer vs to be tempted beyond the strength he administreth. Paul had A perilous shiuer puckinge his flesh: but he had this answer: My grace is sufficient for the, for my povvre is perfected through vveaknes: 2. Cor. 12. 5.

But this I note in the kinge / that the good vse he made off Courts crosse / it shall condemne Princes and people in these days: who are so far from being humbled by such afflictions▪ as they rather will make it A Cause off stabbinge poore Abram to the heart I could but pick out A particular Instāce from som Brownists and proue that.

NOTA.

As Abram did goe downe into Aegipt, so did the people off Israel go downe thither in the tyme of A Famine. Comminge thither / they soone (after A sorte) denyed the spirituall wyfe off theyr powth / by shaping themselues to the Idol worship off the contry. But God mynding to call that figuringe Son out off Aegipt, he plaguinge that Pharaohs court and contry / the king was vrged thereby to send Israel out: and that not without much substance and treasure. In that theyr Pilgrimage they might well haue remembred Abrams story.

An Introduction to Mysticall consideration.

SWeet Iesus, when the Body off thy Father was dead in the Carnall Rites Ceremonial giuen first vnto Israel, thow was appointed to shewe thy self in the [...]esh A poore pilgrim in Canaan: and thow did so: hauing thy dun [...] ty accompanied with Saraj and Lot. Both were knit vnto the by sacred vnion off Mariage mysticall. Lôt thy Flesh / Saraj thy Sowle: both thy Brothers Children / and both right deare vnto the. But Quene mystris the Sowle / as it is A substance spirituall / so off the two it rather accords with thy Diuyne nature.

Into Canaan and the most pleasant plot off Palestina thow came to fynde the seede that was promised: not the Seede that shold Giue but Receiue the blessinge. But thow found the Canaanite in the Land. Notwithstandinge that / thow builded one Alter in Ierusalem and another in Samatia: nor trod thow on that ground where thow left not Monuments off the Preisthood committed vnto the [...]

But A Dearth came in Palestina, Pinchinge famine cawsed the to seeke A seede elswhere: for thy meat and drinck was the doing off his will that sent the. As therefore in the begininge off thy grouth thow was forced with A Coople (Mary and Ioseph) to goe downe into Egipt Real for preseruation off the body: so mystically thow went from Canaan, where thow left thine owne people Israel and went downe / yea came downe into Egipt / euen to vs the vnnaturall Gentiles. Fynding amongst vs A desire rather off fleshly worship then off thy spirituall presence: thow hast vnto the weak and those that are without the Lawe becom in thy ministry as one that were weak and without the Lawe.

Foolishly hath the Kingly Court church off the Gētiles sought to be one with thy Syprte but after A carnall manner / A fleshly woorship: but the Word off Saraj hath assended to Iehouah and receiued this Countenance: namely decause off such Carnall grosse conceipt and affectiō theyr Churches wombe is shut vp and the kingly Court barren.

It [...]meth sweet Iesus before thow [Page] returne the second tyme to M [...]sticall Canaan that thow cawse the Cityes King off the Gentiles to restore Saraj with Aduauntage. Israel came not out off Aegipt without spoile: nor wilt thow returne without spoile and much substance.

Oh vnworthly I,

That knowing Iesus to haue left heauens glorie and his owne people to Com vnto my Canaan, that I do not only forsake all outward things for comminge vnto him / but also all my naturall kindred / old Adam with his deceiueable lustes for feeding him in the Mā sion off my sowle. Fy filthy Canaanites what do yow harbouring in my land / nay in the lād promised to my Iesus, the Seede in whome not only the Nations but Abram himselff is blessed? Oh my sowle / let not Iesus depart the / though he set his face as iff he wold goe forwarde but Cleopas and his fellowe (Heart and Hand / Affe [...]tion and Action) lay hold and constrayne him to vyde with the th [...] Nighte.

Hespera jam venit, nobis tu Christe maneto. Ceazed on vs, hath grosse darknes, abide with vs ò Christ.

¶ Argument, Chap. 13. Abram from Egypt. Lot from him is rent / God speakes to Abram: he remoues his Tent.

¶ Diuision of the text.

I. FIrst (generally Considerable) Abrams Returnall from Egypt to his Second Alter-place in Canaan: vnto vers. 5.

II. A Schisme with the Circumstances made by Lōt from Abram: thence vnto vers. 14.

III. Thirdly, Iehouahs voice to Abram: thence to vers. 18.

IIII. Lastly, Abcame Remouall and pitching place [...]ared with an Alter: vers. 18.

[Page]

¶ ELVCIDATION.

VErs. 1. Then Abram vvent vp from Aegipt, From the land off Promise to Aegipt, is A downe-gate: but from Aegipt accursed vnto Palestina blessed / is an vp-gate. So the way vnto the Temple was vpward / Act. 3. 1. Luk. 18. 10. Into the way off Sinners A man way slide slepinge / the way is smooth as glasse: but the Promises off God will not be had without cl [...]ninge: for euery good ād perfect guift is from aboue / Iam. 1. 17.

Vers. 2. etc. Abram went forth Light but he coms Heauy (so is the hebrue) with substance back to Canaan: and so togither with his Nephew [...]ot vnto the second Alter-plot they goe. It lay betwene [...]ethel and Gna [...] (the Hovvse off God and the fountaine) and there he praysed the Name off, Iehouah for his Mercies. Abram was not so burdned with riches / but he folowed religions exercise.

Vers. 5. And Lot also &c. had sheepe. This Mans substance is brought in with another effect: he could not be rich and dwell nere Abram too. This appeareth first in the Sheopheards mutuall disquietnes, Abrams seruants stood for theyr M [...]. his right: he was Lord off the Land. Lot his seruants thought theyr copper as good coyne: theyr Mr. was fellowe companion in the trauell. Thus Loue ād Lordship cannot agre: the matter to brought before theyr Maisters: for the spirit off the Prophets (my [...] dico) must be subject to the prophets / 2. Cor. 14. 32.

Vers. 8. Then said Abram, The holy Sowle vrgeth Peace from the Considecation off brotherhood. They were brethren 1. by Nation: 2. by Cognation: 3. by Profession: and this last is greater then the two former / or the fourth which is off Nature. By Nation Cognation / Nature men may be brethren: and yet in the End proue as mere strangers as Diues and Laza [...]s. But whosoeuer are brethren truly in the Truth off the sauinge Euāgell though here they be vnknowen the one vnto the other and the E [...]e Rich thother poore: yet Abram and Lazarus, Iesus and the penitent theyfe / they in the end com to one Paradise / and remaine One / as the Father and the Son are One. This Argument therfore if it preuaile not with Man / it is because man is madde.

Vers. 9. The Chaldy Paraphrast expoundeth right hand and Left by Sowth ād North: nor is it vnlike to be true. Here the Elder giues place for peace sake to the yonger: and the more worthy to the lesse worthy. So long as Peace in holynes may be had (though with buyinge it) we are to followe it / as we meane to se God: Heb. 12. 14. The church must do all her thinges in Loue / 1. Cor. 16. 14. for without Loue / all the residue is but A Brownistes Noise, but no Christian Voyce. Secondly / Abrams vprightnes appeareth in offringe A Louinge Leaue to Lot for de [...]parture to another place / iff so he could not content himselff with his fellowship. Had Abram bene possessed with our Heretiks Sprite / he wold haue cawsed Lot to haue kept fellowship with him (though in wickednes) or he wold haue thundred out A firy excommunicatiō. But we must let the fooles alone with theyr leaden Dagger drawen out at euery Fly / and take Abram as we fynd him / A man off another Sprite.

Vers. 10. So vvhen Lot lifte vp his eyes. The desire off the heart moueth the Ey-lids to turne vp / that so the Ey may particularly applie what the heart doth hunt after: for the Ey is to the heart▪ as the hand to the mouth. Iob being acquainted with the croked affect off the heart / he therfore maketh A Couenant with his Eyes / Ch. 31. 1. His Ey suruayinge / the pleasaunt Edenlike Plaine is obiected to his ey: that takes Lot and away he goes.

Abram stays in Canaan but Lot enhabited the Cities off the plaine / not all at one tyme / but about he goes all was so sweet that he knewe not which was sweetest and the best he wold haue / till he came to Sodoms gates and there he pitcheth. Zvvinglius turnes it thus: Abram dvvelt in (Aertes) in the mountanish place off Canaan: but Lot in (Kika [...]) the grounds or pla [...]nes, vvhich are about the Region of Iordan. First, the text is playne. Abram dvvelt Berets▪ cenagnan, vlot iashabh begnate hacicar, in the Lande or Region (for Aerets will not beare Mountanish but rather A lowe place) and Lot dvvelt in the cities off the plaine: or iff Cicar be not turned Playne / then say as it is in the first sence: Off A great loafe off bread: and so indeede I thinck it rather fittinge the Ho. gh. his meaninge / seinge this Plaines Pentapo [...]is or 5. Cities abounded with bread, And this Ezekiel precisely obserueth / Ch. 16. 49. Secondly / his text is not only diuerse to the Originall / but also his and som others theyr collection from hence / seinge the Pentapo [...]is is [Page] neyther compared with Abrams situation in height nor depth: nor yet cut simply from Canaan as no part off it / but in A certaine regard, namely / as the Lord had determined to cut it off ye [...] longe for Synsake / [...] iff it had neuer bene off Canaan: as Satan was Cut off from heauens Light / and for syns cawse reserued to euerlastinge darknes.

But what is added? The men off Sodom were wicked. [...] hopinge A Heauen, he hope to Hel gates. Thinkinge to haue [...]ased his he [...]rt / he found vexation of heart daly / 2. pet. 218. Better felo [...]wship let neuer [...] expect / when for worldly [...] he shall with [...] [...]s forsake Paul: though sounder sprited then Demas.

Vers. 14. Then Ieho [...]ah, said to Abram▪ [...]ot hatting discomforted Abram, the Lord himself coms to heale that soa [...]e: a [...] when the blynd man Ioh. 9. was left alone / then Iesus d [...]w nere to comfort him. [...]ot li [...]t vp his eyes the [...]th not biddinge: so did not Abram till the Lord bi [...] him looke vp and suru [...]y the Coastee: and indeed our eyes are bough: with [...] pri [...]e and therefore not ours but the Lords to commaunde and vse

That the Lord promiseth the Land to him and his seede for euer: first / the possession there off standeth on Condition as [...] diuerse places is expresly vttered: secondly / which the Iues still slumble at gnad [...] gnolam [...]t doth not euer signifie perpetuity or eternity / out oftentimes (as here) som certaine determinate tyme: and so Samuel is said to bide before the lord foreuer / 1. Sam 1. 22. so Deut. 15. 17: the seruant serues for euer: the l [...]e is in many other places. And iff the blood off Iesus remaine not vpon the [...]ue [...] for euer / they shall once [...] that Gnolana his bounds [...]eatched for theyr Lawe and Sacrifice no further thē Iesus his halfe-week. Dan. 9. 27. vnto which tyme off so ceasinge sacrifice / from theyr returnall first from Babilon to diuide theyr Temple / was but 70. seauens off yeares: namely 490. y. since the expirement whereoff hath ouerstood 1563. [...]. They [...] comp [...] Gabriels weekes well. That they may kno [...] that theyr Gnolam / or Ola [...] was finished [...] him they haue pearced / the lord quickly manifest the fulfillinge off theyr Euangel spoken off [...] Zech. 12. 10. etc.

The Lord hauinge bid Abram se, he also bids him vvalk, that so he may se the largenes off his promise. And indeed those that are [...] [...]ed in Loue▪ they only are inabled to Comprehend with all Saynts / the Breadth and [...] off God his Loue in Christ. Ephes. 3. 18: for [...] Christ are all the Promises yea and [...]: [...] ther to Abram or his seede spirituall.

¶ Argument, off Chap. xiij. Elam triumphs: so Abram: Sodoms kynde / Shalem doth blesse: Abram shoes kyngly mynde.

¶ Diuision off the text.

I. FIrst obseruable Kedor-lagnomer off Gnelam his triumphan: battalles: vnto Verse. 13.

II. Secondly, Abrams Triumphe ouer Kedor-lagnomer and his Fauou [...]us thence vnto Verse. 17.

[Page]III. Thirdly, the Gratitude off Sodoms kynge to Abram (parenthesed or enterlaced with A Specialty off Melchisedek and Abram) vnto Vers. 22.

IIII. Lastly, Abram his Magnificall Cariage: First towards Sodoms kyng: secondly, towards his owne coapartners: thence to the end.

¶ ELVCIDATION.

VErs. &c. And in the days off Amraphel. This saynge off Shinar (the land off Babel) is off the Hebrues helde to be Nimrod: but be [...]e whome he shalbe / HE with Arioc king off Ellasa [...], Kedor-lagnomer king off Gnelam, and Tidgnal kyng off Goym, A king to whome many strag [...]ers it semeth ioyned / they wage battle with Beragn kynge off Sodom, Beishagn kyng off Gnamotah, Shinab king off Admah, and Shemeber kyng off Tzeboijm, and the King off Belagn that is Tzognar.

The 5. kinges off Pentapolis Playne / they hauinge bene subject 12. y. they in the 13 y. do break Kedor-lagnomers yoke: beinge fat / they kick vp the heele like an vntamed Heifer. But Genelam / or Elam: off g [...]. I haue spoken before and I express it but for direction to the Roote / he bringes the 5. Rebels vnder. Such honour had Elams City (Elam was of Shem) for the season ouer Chams-like people: chasing the filthy Kings before them: whereoff two tumbled into Siddj [...]s [...]me pits: the rest escapinge to the Mountaines. This don / they cary away the spoile / and togither with that / they tooke [...]ot prisoner for he dvvelt at Sodom, who was Abrams brothers son.

Though Lôt was serued as he deserued / yet the holy Gh. ad oinge Abrams brothers Son, he wold insinuate theyr syn / that durst be so bolde with Lôt, iff but because he was off Abrams flesh. This in the next place they here off: for God motioninge one that had escaped to [...]on vnto Abram, he good man / hauinge forgotten and for giuen his Nephewes harsh cariage / he mustreth and pursueth with A sacramentall band off 318. men and finally Recouereth Lôt and all his and the others theyr substance. Edom laffed at Iudahs captiuity / but Abram made his vnworthy Kins-mans cause his owne: for my lyfe he was no English Donatist.

Nothinge is here said what Lôt doth / but puddle vvha [...]fe was his old syn [...]-hole againe. Som serue the Lord with full fredom off Spirit / as did Abram: som are combred with worlds transitories / as here is Lot: the difference off Graces and Guiftes are admirable. Abram thus triumphinge ouer Elam, as he A litle before ouer the 5 Rebels (such is the yssue off warfare ouer-reatching Iehouahs Commission: for they shold haue let Lot Alone) Sodoms King coms forth to congratulate Abram. The Hebrues vnderstand this to be Bera, who before hid himself in A Pitte and now coms out. And suerly I cannot think that Bera so fell before in the pittes as thereby he perished: the rather because this work was quick: and vnlike that another king in Bera his rou [...]e / shold be so soone established: and that in the heat off this broy [...]e.

Vers. 18. etc and Melchi-tzedek king off shalem brought forth bread & vvyne In this and the two next verses lieth A golden Parenthesis containinge Wisdome infinite. The close couchinge off it in / and the sodayne breakinge off it off / it offreth to the sad discrete Spirit manifolde considerations.

1. He is Melec A Kinge: and this his King ship is to be considered: 1. as he is king off tzedek Righteousnes: and off Shalem Peace: heb. 7. 2. Philo in his second booke off the [...]awes Allegories he Philosophically saith: Basileus de echthron tyrannô &c. A King is opposit to A Tyrant, because he introduceth Right and Equity into the common-vveal, but the other [...]niquity. Such a one was this kynge / and such shold all Kynges be. That he is kyng off Righteousnes and peace / he must be more thenn A Man: and [Page] yet (seinge he is A King off Shalems towne) he must be but A Man. More them A Man he is secundum quid as he is A type off him who is really King off Righteousnes and Peace: and seinge he is A Type (and not the person typed) he must off necessitye be but A Man / and neither the holy ghost. nor an Angel, as som fondly haue taught. And as he must be A Man / so an excellent Man / seinge he beares the person of Iesus Christ for kingdome and preisthood. To say he was A Cananitish kinge or off som obscure stock / is as Lowe on the left-hand as the former [...]y on the right hand: nor wold the Kings round about him haue suffred him to sit in peace▪ had not they knowen him for an excellent Birth.

Greater then Abram he was / not only for Kyngdom but also for Preisthood: and what Man liuinge shold be greater then the Father off the promise? Shem had the first honour off hauing God dwellinge in his Tent: and Yet he was aliue. In Shem God had put his Name sham there / ād only there with the Hebrues / diuerse Greeks Latines and others I must fasten Melchisedek. who will knoe more reason for this ▪ let them read Mr. Broughton his Treatise off Melchisedek.

That this Shalem was not (as som teach) som other towne thereby / but [...] halem in after-age so called / old Onkelos is so mynded in his Thargum and ordinarily all after him.

The Psalmist sainge that the Tabernacle was in Shalem, ps. 76. 2. it leadeth vs both to Shems Tabernacle and to Ieru-shalems City for fyndinge out the typicall kinge off Righteousnes and Peace: and not only Mele [...] A Kinge / but also Cohen A Preist: and that to El [...]gnelion God most [...]y. This King ād Preist off Shalem first both [...]echem va [...]. He brings forth Bread and wyne: secondly he blesseth. To what end brought he / or cawsed he bread and wyne to [...] brought out? Abram had no great neede off Bread and drinck, for as he wold not goe forth to watre without prouision so he quickly recouered the substance before caryed away.

Choose whither Melchisedek brought it forth as A Kinge or Preist or Both: it thabowed forth A good thinge to com / namely / the New testaments Eucharist Bread and wyne / Ministred by Iesus his ordināce vnto Abrams housholde / not Sodoms city. Against this my speach in the Bibles B [...]. som in Sc. opened their Monthes / as iff my speach had bene Romish. But what say the Auncient? Clemens in his 4. Strom. saith: Melchisedek gaue bread and vvyne sanctified, vnto nutriment, A type off the [...]. And Chrisostom on the 110. 15. saith▪ And vvhy saith he according to the order of Melchisedek? because off the Mysteries, first in that he also brought bread and vvyne to Abram &c. Augustine in the 109. question off both testaments mixt-wise / he hath this: Novv Melchisedek shevveth the future mysterie of the Lords incarnation and passion, vvhile first vnto Abram as to the father off the faithfull, he deliuereth the Eucharist both off the Lord his body and blood, that so there might before-figured in the Father, the truth vvhich shold fall out in the Son [...]. Chuonrad [...]s Pellicanus on Gen. 14. saith. That the bread and vvyne vvas A figure off the Soules spirituall resection, vvhich the mynds off the faithfull receiue off the Nevv testament in the sacrament of his body and blood, vvhich our highe Preist hath once don by offringe himself to God the father for vs (Nemo ignorat) No one is ignorant. Thus said they and mo then they: and so say I and moe then I: and yet as farre from giuing vayntage hereby to Errour / as those that gainsay it.

But Mr. Caluin falleth Tertullian and others for this. I knoe it. Mr. Caluin had i [...] wonderfull large guifte for helpinge out the Grammaticall sense / but no man in Mysteries as his pen witnesseth: what then / shold the one guift destroy the other and not rather amiably builde togither? This Mysterie maketh or insin [...]ateth not any breach off faith: ād suerly iff this Bread and wyne were but A meere blank for the belly / Melchisedeks figuratiō may be trust vp in A strait compasse. But the Author to the Hebrues speaks not off this. I answer: in not speakinge off it he speaks of it. For restinge them that he had / Ch. 5. 11. many things and hard to be vttered off Melchisedek, but they were to dull to conceiue / he herein sendeth / the sharpe conceipted to further and deper meditation. But how knot yow saith som / that this bread and wyne were figures etc. I answer by another question: how knoes thow this and that to be ment by such particulars in Le [...]ticus, Salomons songe / the booke off Reuelation? iff thow answer: by proportion off faithe and likenes off the thing Resemblinge and Resembled (they being compared with the Analogie off faith and found agr [...]nige: iff that be thy answer for the former / let the same be my answer for the Latter.

Whereas Tertullian sayth in his booke agaynst the Iues: Melchisedek Abrahae re [...]ertentl de praelio panem et vinum obtulit. Melchisedek offered bread and wyne vnto Abram returninge from the battle: this speach is made [...] perilous thing: for say they / hoth doth not signifie to Offer and therefore he shoulde haue [...]d protulit he brought forth: not obtulit he [Page 28] offred. A peece of deepe learninge: as if he shold bring it forth for A shewe / and not offer it to Abram. They themselues say / that he fed Abram with it / and I troe before he eat off it / it was offred to him. Obs. Yea / but the word Offer implies A sacrifice. Mayster Iohn is deceiued. The wise-men vnto Christ obtule [...]unt ei munera, they offred vnto him guiftes / Math. 2. 11. Is any so blockish as to think they sacrificed guiftes vnto Iesus? The word Offer both in Latine and englishe / it is vsed for Giue or present A thinge to one / v [...]thorit once breaminge off sacrifice.

But I wonder why any think that Tertullians speach maketh any thinge for Romish sacrifice? He sayth that Melchisedek offred to Abram: so say I / and therefore not to god. The Romanistes say they offer by the Reall body and blood off Iesus vnto God: Melchisedek offers to A Man inferiour to himselfe: Tertulliās speach therefore doth confine popish sacrifice. Wold not men fayne stumble / that stumble at theyr owne thrifte. The Fathers hereyn are so far from being agaynst vs / as indeede they are with vs. But rawe heads delited in greene fancies / they must speak / though speak euel off the thinges they knoe not. But iff A man Reade Iustin Martyr his Dialogue with Trypho the Ine who will not say that from this Greek father / the speach off Tertullian was borowed? not for the bare words though in the most alike (as that the Vncircumcised blessed the Circumcised &c.) as for the Matter. And there Iustin hath / Abram offred to Melchisedek tenths: and in another place / he gaue tenths. As Iustin by Offer and Gaue die meane one thinge / namely / frely bestoe / not sacrifice: so what Shold let but Tertullian must much more meane the same: seing it had bene (off the two) more fit for the lesser to haue sacrificed to the Greater / then the Greater to the Lesser. If men haue not learned that do and offe [...]o in Latine / and didômi and prosphèrô in Greekes language are commonly in nere affinity / they must go and learne theyr Vocabular or Dictionary better / and not controlle the thinges they vnderstand not: makinge the holy Fathers (in theyr fancy) as foolish as them selues.

So / som stumble at the Fathers for sayinge that Christ his Body and Blood is in Verity, Nature, Substance in the sacramentall Supper: Not consideringe that they speak so not off his Naturall but Sacramentall body and blood. This distinction Hierom will teach them on Ephes. Ch. 1. where thus he writes. Dupliciter sanguis Christi et ca [...]o intelligitur &c. The blood and flesh of Christ is tvvo vvays vnderstood: either it is spirituall and diuyne, off vvhich Christ speaketh. My flesh is verily meat. &c. or it is the flesh and blood that vvas crucified. Fat were the auncients from Romes dreame: for euery off them (for any thing I se) did with the sacred scriptures vnderstand and teach A body proper and improper. Augustine on Iohn and Tra [...]ate 50. saith this: Thovv hast Christ present and to com: Presently faith present by Signe, present by the Sacrament off Baptisme, present by the meat and drink off the Alter &c. In regard of his Majesty, of his prouidence, of his ineffable and invisible grace it is fulfilled that is sayd: Behold Iam vvith yovv all days, euen to the consummation of the vvorld. In regard off the Flesh vvhich the VVORD assumed, in regard of that vvhich vvas borne of the virgin &c. Ye shall not haue him alvvays vvith yovv. VVhy? because he conuersed vvith his disciples 40. days accordinge to bodily presence and they being ledde by seing not follovvinge, he ascended into heauen and is not here. The blood and flesh off Christ thus vnderstood to be Natural and spirituall / Common and Sacramentall / the knot both off the sacred Canon / as also off Ecclesiasticall writers / it is easely without Romish sence auoyded.

So / som cannot heare the word Sacrifice to be affirmed off the [...]o. his supper / but straight they cry / Properie: not vnderstandinge that the word doth admit moe sences thē one. Not only it is sacrum-factun A sacred action as it is giuen by Christ to his church / but also / as the Church offers theyr solemnization there off to the eyes off theyr heauenly father. Iff we offred no sacrifice to god / in vayne had Peter called vs A Preisthood / and Iohn termed vs Preistes. But indeed / not only that Supper but also all religions duties sanctified by faith they are A sacrifice off sweet smell in the Nosethrils off our father.

Vers. 19. Therefore he blessed him. The lesser is blessed off the Greater / Hebr. 7. 7. Abram therefore decimates off all he had: nor can I thinke that he wold tenth any off Sodoms substance / because that had bene an oblation polluted. His exceptinge afterwards off that the yong men had eaten / and what others were to haue for theyr labour / there being no exception off any thing tythed / it vrgeth me to thinke he only offred off his owne: otherwise Sodoms king shold haue had occasion to haue saide / that Abram was fre off other mens goods. Melchisedek blesseth Abram, and then he blesseth the God off Abram, that so Abram may k [...]oe that the Victory had by him the Creature, it was effected by El the Creator. All the Victories off the Church must be attribute only vnto God th' efficient cause / though enacted [Page] by Man / the Instrumentall Cause. The faithfull with Abram they must looke for the soueraigne blessing [...] when first they haue ouercom. To him that ouercommeth etc. Reuel. 2. and 3 As also / hauing receiued A blessinge from God they ought to contribute off all they haue, Gen. 28. 22. Galat. 6. 6. 2. Cor. 8. [...].

But comparinge this with Hebr. 7. 9. 10. the Anabaptistes reason thus against Christ his taking flesh off Mary: Leui being Yet in the ioynes off Abram, he is said to pay tents vnto Melchisedek. If Iesus therefore shold haue had his Nature in the loynes off Mary, then with Mary he may be said to haue synned: iff his Beinge was in the loynes off Dauid, Abram Adam / then he may as truly be said to haue synned in them / as Leui to haue decimated in Abram: but that Iesus any way sinned is false: therefore also false that he had his Nature or Beinge in Mankynd. Not regardinge what answer som haue made hereto / I only answer thus: The Si [...]ile is A [...]issimile: wh [...] le they think they reason from the Lyke / they reason from the Vnlike: for theyr Argument concluded rightly iff Iesus had bene, as was Leu [...] / A naturall byrth / but Iesus was not conceiued as was Levi by Man / but by the Ho. Ghost his ouer-shadowing / and therefore A byrth supernaturall. Yet seinge our Seede was taken off him / though in A supernaturall sorte / our syn was vpon him / though not in him: yea he was made Syn for vs / as verily as we are made the righteousnes off God. Nor could we haue com so nere him / iff he has not fyrst com so nere vnto vs.

Vers. 21 etc. Then the kyng off Sodom. [...]o the ho. Gh. brought Melchiseked sodainly in / so sodainly he remoues him / returninge againe to Sodoms King: who offereth vnto Abram the recouered substance / but refused off Abram for himself / though not for others. He wold not take it / not because it was vnlawfull / but because it was vneryedient. If it had bene vnlaufull / he wold not haue insi [...]nated the guifte off any parte there off to any off his family. He tooke off Egipts King before / for then he was poore: but he takes not off Sodoms King / because he was not poore There is A tyme to gather & A tyme to cast avvay. Eccles. 3. 5. Yet his owne Magnificency / it impedes not acceptance off such substance in others (blessed is he that judgeth vvisely off the poore) for the Prudent discerne wisely of Circumstances / that nothing either in plenty or pouerty may darken Iehouahs Glory / or justly discourage others from fighting his spirituall battailes.

Gnaner, Esheol, Mamie, they are brought in for as blessed Neighbours to Abram / as the Sodomits were accursed to Lot. Holy Abram and these 3. they dwelt togither in. The sit [...] off Ki [...]iath-arbagn / or the City Arbagn: that is appellatiuely / off Fovv [...]e. The Hebrues in the Commentary Breshith Ral ba / they say that it had the name Arba or Fowre off Abram and his 3. Neighbours there inhabitinge: as also because from thence Abr [...]m did pursue the 4. kynges. As also / for that the 4. patriarks Adam, Abram, Isaac, Iaakob, togither with the 4. Matrones Heuah, Saraj, Rebecca, [...]eah were Buryed there. But as the situation is before called Ma [...]te, I doubt not / off the proper name Ma [...]ire / Abrams good Neighbour: so also / it is not vnlike so be called the City Arbagh, not off th' Appellatiue 4. but off the proper name Arbagn who was the great father off the Gyants / Iosh. 14. 15. called lastly Hebron off Calc [...]s fall / appointed by Ioshua to be A City off Refuge. First Mamie secondly Arba / thirdly Hebron, fourthly A city off Refuge: the sober spirited may from hence pick out A fowrefold Mystery. Gnane [...] by transposition off letter / Nagnat, it is A yong man: Eshcol is A cluster of grayes: Ma [...], is turned Vision.

Here businesse doth break me off.
The Sequel do expect,
What tyme or tymes, God giues the meanes▪
Meane-tyme this Myte accept.

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