Of S. Mathews beginning from Abraham.

The full purpose of S. Mathew concerning the Kingdome of the Iewes, I will handle at large in due place: Now the rea­sons of Abraham made the beginnig may be touched only; 1. Abraham vvas the first man to whom Christ was promised in plain termes; that in his sede all the families of the earth should be blessed, So a beginning from him is fit for Iewes and heathen.

2. In that Eue had a promess that Christ should destroy the workes of Satan, who destroyed the vorld, & Kild Adam, to be dead in sin, & to leaue this world; our Lord his justice and death, & resurrection & ascension & restoring Adams soule to justice, & the new world wherein justices dwelleth, all these poinctes are closly taught; But contemned by the blinded of Satan, who delite to be vnwittj, & vvill not so much strain theyr care, as to vnderstand vvhat God speaketh. Novv to A­braham matters vvere shevved playner, that the destroyer of Satans workes; should come of him; & after death should be re­uiued; & figured by Melchisedek; & as Abraham & Sara dead from strength of generation yet by faith vvere quickened: and iustified by faith; So they should be, vvho beleued in God that raiseth Christ from the dead. For these causes the beginng of the Nevv T. is fitly taken from Abraham.

Of S. Marc.

S. Marc dravveth his entrance from the last prophet vv [...] Iohn Babtist is foreshevved: & from Esays comfort vpon spech of the fall of Babel. vvhich matter vvas plainly expounded fo [...] [Page] time, vvhen Cyrus destroyed Babel. & Marc his Gospell is of half a seauen; to shevv Christ his teaching of the covenant for many. And as God vvold haue S. Mark to fortify the Angels Chronicle for the time: So he vvould haue the other thre E­uangelistes to hasten to the same. As S. Mathevv doth, vvhen he told that our Lord dvvelt in Narazet; as in the volume of the prophetes Es. xj he is called Nazer; & in the Babylon Thal­mud in Chelek; Nazor is the name of the son of Dauid; Presently after Thalmadique handling of that his name, he co­meth to the Angel Gabrieis half seauen; & so doth S. Luke, & S. Iohn hasten to the preaching of Malachj the sonne of Za­charj. Wherby any might marveile hovv the Ievves could misse to receaue the King of glory coming to his ovvne hovvs. And thus all the four evangelistes shevved care to fottifie that part. And God vvold haue it famous, turning it into a prover­be; for afflictiones conformable to the afflictiones of Christ; by all [...]sio [...] to that time; That the afflictiones for Christ should be called the afflictiones of dayes 1260. or, of a time tvvo times & half a time; & monethes forty tvvo. So by allusi­ones our Gracious Lord teacheth vs to mark the four evan­gelistes, for the half seauen of our Lordes preaching; & speci­ally S. Mark; & to go back with him to Daniel. And our Lords ovvne tongue doth call vs to marke the time: in the Parable of the fig tree fruteles, hindering the Earth. Which spech may be gathered to be six monthes, before the cursed fig tree vvi­thered. As Bucholkerus maketh a goodly comparison, of that Parable, & of our Lordes half seauen. So our Lord calleth vs from Elias Baptist vnto Elias the Thisbite: hovv in his time heauen vvas shut three yeres & six monethes; vvarning that synce the heauens vvere opened at his baptisme, vntil his soule should returne from the cross to heauen, yeres should be three & six monethes. Novv the gathering of Elias times in the first of the Kinges vvold require long labour; But vve may be sure it vvas vvell knovven amonge the Thalmudignes; as S. Iames [Page] speaking to the Thalmudique maner, sayth, that Elias pray [...] stayd raine three yeres & six monethes. Thus the time of our Lords preaching is svvetely compared vvith other Scriptures. & vve may be sure that our Lord spake the truth; & seing ou [...] Lord told, in Daniel ch. 7. & 12. That Antiochus should cro [...] the lavves & offring▪ a time tvvo [...]imes & an half; He vvold haue his time for sanctifying the temple to be as vvell Knovven; & as vvell measured; seing the allusion Ap. 12. of a time, tvvo times, & half a time, is taken from his preaching.

In what moneth S. Marke beginneth his story: & the rest, the opening of the heauens by the second Elias.

Because our Lord was baptized, even beginnig thirty, & to open the Kingdome, by teaching the covenant to many, three yeres & six moneth: Seing his soules passage from the crosse to the fathes is certen in the fiftenth of Nisan; So his birth & Bap­tisme should be in the seauenth moneth, Aethanim. Which vvas the first moneth, after the creation of the world.

Of the moneth Ethanim or September.

It may somwhat help to mark old story of Aethanim from 1. Kinges. [...]. 2. All Israel assembled to the King Salomon, in the moneth Aethanim, in the feast, that is the seauenth mo­neth; And the sacrificers brought the Ark of the covenant of the Eternal, vnto his place; vnto the Dabyr; vnto the holy of holy; & the Cherubim spred theyr vvinges over the place o [...] the ark. This so Solemne should haue antitypon awnswearable in high matter. And what thing els can be, but that the most holy was manifest in his temple; & the army of Angels spred [...] [Page] theyr winges; to haue him honored at his coming then into the world.

The explication & story, of the moneth Aethanim.

The most Lerned Chaldy paraphast Ionathā speaketh thus: of Aethanim. It is the moneth of the ancient, & they called it the first moneth, of festiuity. But now it is the seauen moneth. Thus Dauid Kimchj doth expound him. Aethanim or strength is the month wherin they gathered the fructs & encrease of the earth, to theyr houses. For that cause it is called the feast of gathering frutes. So Aethanim meaneth strength: & fructes & entrease of the earth be the life of a man. And some of our doctoures expound Aetha­nim, the moneth in which the fathers were borne. The stay (Ae­thanim) of the world; as the spech, Mich. 7. 2. Heare ye mounta­ [...]ies; & ye strong foundationes of the earth. Others call it Aetha­ [...]im from the strength of the lawes that are geuen for this moneth [...]th feastes, & lawes. So Ralbag sayth. I think it called the moneth Athanim, for the feastes: the strong, & teaching iustice: which [...]re in this moneth. This for Ralbag. The first day had the trum­pets; the tenth, expiation; the fiftenth the feast of tabernacles for eight dayes. And Ionathans wordes cited of me afore, be thus expounded of Camchj. Before the time that Israel came from Aegypt, Tisri or Aethanim was the first moneth. For in Tisri the world was made. And by reason that the Children of Isra­el came from Aegypt in Nisan, it became the head of monethes, & Tisri became the seauenth. For so the blessed God sayd vnto them. This moneth shalbe vnto you the first of monethes. To you, by reason that to the rest of the world it is not first: For Tisri is the first. And this much for the moneth. So Iohn Baptist well might begin the first day; & assemble vnto him much People fourtene day­es: And our I ord come to him the fiftenth day; when they had lerned of the stronger then the Baptist, who wold baptize [Page] with the holy Ghost, & with fyer. So the four Evangelist [...]s Celebrating the Baptisme celebrat the birth which was the same day 29. full yeres. So as the first Adam & the other to Noah came to the world that moneth, Christ should come; & that time was fittest for Caesar to bid men resort to theyr cities; & most likely that shepheardes wold yet be abroad with theyr ship; & fittest for men to go into a riuer naked to be Baptized. And by Daniels half seauen Iohn brought in Bap­tisme; for heathen; as Dauid & Salomon only Baptized prose­lytes; Maimony in Asure Bia, tract. 12 & 13. And yf his war­rant had not bene sure, & plain, from Daniel, none might haue com to him for Baptisme. So our Lord begining a new yere of his age then, shewed the same time of moneth to haue geven vs his coming into the world. And the Rabbines in Middras Rabba conclude that Messias shalbe borne in Aethanim or Tisrj; full of feastes to teach of him. And God appointed no feastes for the winter; because of the vnseasonablenes of the weather. Chrysostome mistaking Iohns fathers story, thinking that he ministred not in june but in September, began to dis­grace the state of the Gospell. Hence Turk & Iew scoph: that we place the byrth where the conception should be; and can yeld no reason of our Gospels narrationes which we make most vnlikely to be true. And Arias Montanus helpes Chrysostom; that Zacharie should be high sacrificer, Wheras all Iewes know that the Candelstick, Table & altar of incense were without & dayly gone to by the ordinarie sacrificers. Eli­as, four times made the begining of Daniels half seauen, might haue taught the Iewes a sure note, what Elias Malachj spake off. Now the end of all the Evangelistes is in the first moneth, towardes leauing the Aegypt of this world at the Pascha. And at Pentecost, after, the law vvas giuen to Moses; when the fyerj lavv of the spirit vvas by Iesus geuen. So the concepti­on of Iohn, vvher men placed his birth; falleth to Midsom­er; & birth to the spring Aequinoctial, and likevvise the con­ception [Page] of Mary fell most fitly to mydvvinter, & our Lordes coming into the vvorld, to the first moneth after the creation, & his redemption, to the first moneth for redemption from Egypt; These matters agree vvith Scripture & plain reason. But novv the altering of the date vvold to much troble the vvorld. It may pass amongest vs; as fit for considering a time vvhen vvinter feastes, & leasure to heare the lavv read hindereth none vvorkes; & according to the conception; very many Lerned men haue cleared the truth, of late; & all are to blame that will folow an old errour here, that disturbeth law & Gospell. Iewes & Turkes look on: & the iust iudge, who hath eyes pure, that they cannot behold euell, will kepe from his heauenly city all that practise lying.

Of S. Lukes begining.

S. Luke joyneth the end of the old testament to the begining of the New. A most heauenly worke. And here note the very names. Zacharj & Malachj end the spech of God in the old Testament; & Zacharj & Malachj are in the first spech of the Angel Gabriel in the New. The Angel Gabriel; who did tell of Antiochus Epiphanes, for dayes 2300. & Generally of Gods hand vpon the Graecianes: he, tels of the second Elias; or Ma­lachj, vnto Zacharj; an holy man: & of the birth of Christ, whom he him self named Christ; Daniel 9. & here the time must be considered. Euen when the Grecianes were rooted out from vnder the cope of heauen: & had not the governe­ment of one city in the world; but at Romanes taxe, in Dani­el were vtterly consumed; as the former all, the Graecianes be­fore they vvere parted: & the Medes with Persianes, & the Chaldeanes; when the last of all these were consumed, then the Angel Gabriel cometh twise to tell the joy of the Kingdome of heauen; for Iohn Elias: & for Christ the most holy. Thus so heuenly a ioyning of the old Testament to the New should [Page] be celebrated of all that will kepe the commaundement of praising God with vnderstanding. And all teachers be wicked that wilbe spending time to theyr hearers, & them selues, in matters of this world, wher the hearers be so wise as they, and not study first the truth of these matters, so gracious & full of salvation, & after, teach them vnto the world. Bishops that wold teach with dexteritie to make all in the the Kingdomes able yf they wold to teach all the world, should never be en­vyed for theyr 200000 lib. per annum; But they should be coun­ted most reverend & right reverend fathers; & such Papae as Athanasuis, & the like in Grecia. But ours must alter much before all the lerned nobility vvill think them so referend & so learned, as some nobles be, & lower gentry, that never came in Pulpit.

Of S. Iohn begining the Gospel.

S. Iohn the last beginneth frō before the begining: from the Eternall, called the word of Thalmudiques infinitely through Moyses, as Onkelos nere S. Iohn foloweth them: sayng for, Ie­hova sayd, the word of Iehova sayd. S. Paul sayth they tempted Christ; vvher they tempted Iehovah. This vvas the main com­bat vvith the Thalmudiques: & Cerinthianes, & other hereti­ques. And matter required that myndes longe occupied in ea­sier matter, should at the last be called to consyder the Eternity, of the heyre of all, vvhich made the vvorld. And S. Luke sone after mention of Elias Iohn baptist, handleth the humanitie of Iesus Corist, vp to Adam: vvhom Satan overraught to bring darkenes vpon him self, before the sun euer left him in darke­nes; & then ioyneth a nevv combat to the old serpent; thence vvill I shevv the familie of our Lord: & cmment vpon it; & S. Mathevv shall folovv, touching succession to the Kingdom, & other dependantes, all for instruction of Ievves, & such as vvold not lay a trap to Ievves, & theyr ovvne destruction.

Prophecie of Iechonias.

As I live▪ saith the Eternal, yf Chonias the son of Ioakim King of Iudah, vvere a signet upon my right hand, I vvold pluck thee thence. O earth. earth, earth, heare the vvord of the Lord: vvrite ye this man Conias childles, a man that shal not prosper in all his dayes, for none shall grovv from his sede, to sit vpon the throne of David; or to beare rule anie more in Iuda. Thus all may see a plain end of Salomons house; and hovv dangerously those Doctors be deceaved, vvho bring Christ from Iechonias. They are litle better vvho take in hand to teach, and make not this plain to the simplest. The Bishop of our soules vvil hate such blind contemners.

Of Zorobabel, Agg. 2.

Thus Aggai sealeth his Prophecy; In that day, saith the Eternal of hostes, I vvill take thee Zorobabel son of Salathiel, & I vvill make thee as a signe [...]; for thee have I chosen, saith theAn he­auenly transla­tiō of the title Ps. 22. Eternal of hostes. This conclusion of Aggai, compared vvith Gods oth against Iechonias, should have stayed vs from con­spiring vvith the dogges that despised Aieleth ha Sachar Ps. 22 The morning star, as our Lord Ap. 3. and 22. & kimchi there, translate the Ebr. He hath not yet davvned to such Doctors.

Of zacharie teaching hovv zorobabel cometh of Nathan, chap. 10. 12.

Thus zacharie joineth to Aggei; In that day the Land shall lament ech familie apart; the familie of David apart, & their vviues apart; the familie of the house of Nathan apart, & their vviues apart; the familie of the house of Levi apart, and their vvives apart; the familie of Semei apart, & their vvives apart.

The notation of Zorobabel.

Zorobabel his name conteineth the stately prophecy of Ba­bels fall; vvher vvith Ieremy comforteth Iuda. ch. 51. 2. I will send against Babel, Zor-im; fanners, vvhich Zor o Babel. Mark here vvith-all hovv the golden head is fanned to chaff. And this much doth [...] Zorobabel conteine in name. And vvhen Babel the house of Nemrod & Cham vver fanned by Sem & Iapheth, then cometh an Angel to tell vvhen Christ the signet of God from Zorobabel should be sealed: that all men might reckon from yere to yere, hovv nere they came to the Kingdome.

of ther names notation.

As Zorobabel vvas also called Sa [...]betzar, glad in affliction; so his eldest son vvas called Mosollam: that is: he shalbe settled in Salem; as Naasson called Salmon in that sense, so he is called 1. chr. 3. & by an other notation, Abihu; Math. 1. The se­cond sonne is called Ananias; in remembrance of Ananias the noble martyr, the glory of men; that quenched the fyer. He vvas fitly termed so; a father to Christ; that quencheth Hell fi­er from burning his servantes; The same man is called by an o­ther name Rhesa, principal; being the second brother; Because he that is principall over all, shall come from him; & make the second brother principal to the first.

Names from famous ancient men.

The name of Nathan Dauids sonne might not be geuen to moo; as nōe but one vvas called Dauid, nor any in the right Li [...]e to Adam: to kepe the story from confusion. But the Like in notation are full many. Nathan is, HE (God) geveth & Mat­tatha, Matthat, Mattathias tvvise coming, & Matth▪ n Mat. 1. be all remēbrances of Nathan Dauids sonne; named after the prophet, vvhich promised Christ to Dauid. So they still knevv that Christ should come of them. So Ianna, short, or Ioanna longe, Ionā as the lxx expresse Ebrevv, all be Iohn: by vvhich name Iohaiada the good high sacrificer vvas called. So the se­cond [Page] Melchi, Amos & Nachum reuiue stories, & loke for Kingdome, strenght & comfort; So Elmodam reuiueth the story of Iocktās Elmodad vvher to avoyd loth some doublyng of D. the one is changed. Iocktans house highly angred God; falling to Babels Idols after many from, Sem Arphaxad, Sela, & Eber, folovved the godly fathers. Therfore God scattered them further to fill east & vvest India. Yet Christ vvold once call all; & one of his fathers shevved that, in his name, from Iocktanes Eldest son Elmodad. Others haue religions foundation, as lose, all one to Iesus, a Saviour; Eliezer, God hath strengh, Iorim, & [...]liakim God setteth vp. Her, the vigilant. These conteine the ground of religion; Others touched the lot of the particular familie; As Malea fulnes, Majnan, vvaters of encrease; vvhen Roboams house vvas decaying quickly. Some express the fa­thers confort in a sonne, as Chesly, my glory, Addy an orna­ment [...] & one remembrance of hard lot; Mahath, vexation. All be vvittely named; & our Lord Er the Aey vigilant, sayth; ye shall not seke me in vain. An idle syllable shall not be found in the names of Iesus his fathers. By these argumentes the vvic­ked Ievves that reiect the Kinges record knovven over natio­nes might be avvnsvveared & musselled.

Of Cainan, ioyned to Arphaxad; vvhich Cainan neuer vvas in the vvorld.

S. Luke shevveth to all lerned in tongues that he folovved the very syllables of publiq recordes: othervvise moo names from one Hebrevv as Ianna, Ioanna, & Ionan, he had expressed in one tenour. So he folovveth the lxx for Cainan, son, as it was supposed, to Aaphaxad. the lxx knevv that he never vvas in the vvorld; as nether Cainan the sixt son to Sem; Gen. 10. in the lxx; as they knevv that; Ioseph vvas father but to Manasses & Ephraim: vvhen Iacob came to Egypt; & not yet to the fiue added by them gen. 46 ch. vvhich make for Ebrevv lxx soules; in the lxx. they make 75. vvhich thing also S. Luke folovveth act. 7. I haue in my Consent shevved the reason. But here also [Page] it may fiitly be handled: yet a long discourse must come to open the vvhole nature of the matter.

Why the lxx hid their mind.

The lxx ij Ievves, six for every tribe are named, in shortnes lxx. vvhen Ptolemy Philadelphus ambitious of a great librarie sent to Iudah, to haue them bookes in Greke; so many translā ­ters vvere sent to Egypt vvith the holy volume; vvhich they tur­ned into Greke; but vvith exceding departing from the Ebrevv. And they caryed not vvith them the pomcted Bible, that they might more frely dally vvith the prophane heathen. One ex­ample may be in the yeres a thousand & many hundre the [...] vvhich they feigned. Of that I haue vvritten at large to Mel­chisedeck. An other strange departing from Ebrevv appeareth in Gen. 4 to this Ebrevv vnpoincted:

Halo im tetib sheeth, ve im lo tetib le petach chatathrobets. or thus le patteach, chatatha; Rebatz.

Is ther not vpon vvell doing, recompence? and yf thou do not vvells syns pay is nere at the dore. Because heathen should not plead hense in heathen maner; Do vvell, & haue vvell, they adde vovvls thus; yf thou offre well, & devide not vvell, thou hast sinned; be quiet. And this mockage they thought fittest for heathen scorners of truth. This vvas the vvell doing, spoken by God; That Cain, yf he vvold come to God, must beleue that God is; & is a revvarder of them that seke him. But Lagidae & Chemmis land, vvold not sone conceaue this sense. Ther­fore he that sitteth in heauen vvold scorne them: & the Eter­nall vvold make a mock of them. For this rule was from the beginnig; Cast not pearles to hogges; nor holy thinges to dog­ges.

An other daliance vvas this: Deut. 32. when the only High scattered the sonnes of Adam, he settled the borders of natio­nes according to the number of the Angels of God. The E­brew hath: According to the number of the sonnes of Israel. They savv vveighty cause of this dalliance; vvhich I haue prin­ted in a dedication to my Grek translatiō of the prophets dedi­cated [Page] to the B. of Mentz.

The 2. Psalme speaketh in this sort. Kisse the sonne lest he be angry; vvher is anger sone Kindled. Happy are all that trust in him. Flesh & blood could not open this vnto the vvorld, on­ly the father which is in heauen should reveale it. How God so loued the world that he gaue his only begoten son, to the end that vvhsoeuer beleue on him should not perish but haue lift everlastinge. At this they would haue skoffed; as hovv often skoffed they the King of glory in the dayes of his flesh. Ther­fore the holy vvordes vvhich proprely say Kisse the Son, they turne craftily thus; Lay hould vpod dostrine lest. vvicked men should say: Dauid maketh him self the Son of God.

So they vvere in danger of more then skoffing, in a comon brag. Thus they triumphed: as yet recordes shevv in Zohar v­pon exod; Col. 27. IACOB OVR father went to Egypt with LXX Soules: to recover the LXX families which cursed Cham bred by par­ted tongues for Babels Idolous tower. And the seauenty soules of Iacob match in valew all the families of the world; & he that will rule over them is as great a tyrant as an vsurper to reine ouer all the world. This bragge all Barbers & blear-eyed knevv; & yf they had not hid the trueth of lxx families Gen. 10. & som­vvhat in Gen. xj. by tvvo feined Cainans, & by fiue Gen. 46. fiue then not borne, they had bene more in danger thē vnder Aman; differing from all nationes in the feast of tabernacles; For that vvas their greatest open difference, as the Chaldy Es­ther toucheth. The lxx having thus dealed, & the Sanedrin or Synedrion having enacted a lavv that none should alter the lxx. Euseb praep. 8. S. Luke vvas to folovv the Greke; as a re­corder; & not as a judge both in Cainan; & in soules 75. act. 7. And he vvrote not to Siculis & Consentinis; but to vvise men that had their eies in theri head. He vvho vpon act. 7. feigneth that some late man added fiue act. 7. & to the lxxij gen. 46. vvold make all the Christianes in the vvorld very simple; that could not espie that; but marre all copies; & Arabiq translati­ones. [Page] Moreover vvhat vvill he say to the old Greke Philo; Equallaged to S. Luke; handling Abrahams 75. yeres & Iacob 75. soules Gen. 46. & exod. 1. & again but 70 in Deut. 10. 22. He discanting after his maner telleth hovv in dalliance soules vvere 75. in trueth but lxx. That number of fiue then vnbor­ne to Ioseph, I vvil not here declare vvhy to him more then to other enlargement vvas; & vvhy the number of fiue: my con­sent & aduertisement conferred may giue aduertisement. Fur­ther for Cainan one sayth he had a copy vvhich had not Cay­nan. I can vvell beleue it. For vvher the Apostles excede in vvisdome: as S. Mathevv in omitting hatefull Ioakim, some vvicked praesumptuous copier vvold nedes amend the text; to say for; Iosias begate Iechonias & his brethren; that is, Sede­kias the vncle that reigned after him: Iosias begate Iakim: Ia­kim begate Iechonias & his brethren. Geneva printed this a­bout 60 yeres; & vvith their folollovvers filled Europe vvith corrupt copies. Yet Beza revoked the vvicked copie; But vvho can revoke the milliones of the corrupted. The old consent of the Church hauing truth, should haue stood as vvell at the first as at the last: & a tovvne that feared God, should not brag hovv they giue the best Bible vvher they misse most deadly. And so vvhen they leaue out Cainan here Luc. 3. vvhen God set him in the text: pretending a vvarrant as praesumptuous that they savv a copy void of that Cainan▪ they should not be folovved in England. Morouver marke this; that Grekes in Eu­sebius make Abraham the tenth after Noe in story: though the 70 vvold make him the eleventh: & so Epiphanius maketh Iacob not the tvventy three, but after the Ebrevv the tvventy tvvo. And I had an Arabiq commen [...]arie vpon Genesis vvhich in dede folovved the lxx but vvith a note of misli king: But novv I haue not that. For one Mattathias Holmes caried my Arabiq bookes & Bibles Massorite, & greate Plantine & others the best in the vvorld all mine, to Ierne-land; & at his death told as M. Trauerse vvill testifie & others that they vvere [Page] mine, yet one that maryed his sister, dealt vvorse then any Turk; he sould them as his bookes of 100 lib sterling, lent of curtesie; vvithout any peny l [...]nt for pavvne: as, Middleburge knovveth. I humbly request the King to call him to accompts & all others to hould him as he deserueth for euer. Yf my ovv­ne book had bene left me, Canian from Arabia might be han­dled. And this much for S. Luke. Only one bad note of a Ge­nevean calling the Gospell into doubt, I must touch. He vvri­teth hovv he hath a copy venerandae vetustatis, vvher not S. Lukes men, but S. Mathevves be vp vnto Adam. He should haue brent, not sent to posterity that vvicked vvork. Some vvic­ked copier, that dreamed Ioseph his familie, to be handled in S. Luke, and knovving that Ioseph could not haue naturall fa­thers in severall families, thought good to frame a Gospell of his ovvne head: & to leaue out the most glorious familie in the vvorld. This rule the reader may take at my hand: That comonly the places in which the holy Apostles excell in Thalmudi (que) or Atti (que) Lerning, some rude copiers alter after their owne braine. But as any eares can discerne Cyclops Polyphemus Musike to come short of Aristoxenus: so any one Thalmudi (que) & Atti (que) vvhat the holy Apostles left, Rude copiers can never bring that vvhich hath rare vvisdome. So the copie of rare vvisdome must nedes be holden the copy of God: vvhen ther is difference betvvixt the barbarous & them. And the church in most Greke copies & old Arabiq, folovv the best. And none but voyd of iudgemēt & vvicked vvranglers, vvill deny that both testamen­tes stand in the original sure enough for copy.

What vse the forged Canian hath.

The foolish of God is vviser then Men. The lxx departing from Ebrevv truth, because heathen vvold not suffer it, shevv for all Diuinity, hovv the natural man cannot abide it. Speci­ally they shevved, that in the 75 soules & in Cainan. And that vvold our Lord teach Children in his ovvne familie; Bringing irony or mockage for a Cainan that never vvas in the vvorld. [Page] And by a man, that never vvas a man, teache wicked men, how they will become worse then nothinge: eternally miserable. So the forged Cainan hath great vse; & corrupt translations after corrupt copies should not be sold vnamended, after vvar­ninge: such as leaue out Cainan vvhom God left vs. And spe­cially because Ievves in every corner be thornes in our sides, & prickes in our eyes, vve should loth help to them; as in vvic­ked blaming the most heauenly purenes of the Greke testa­ment. And this much for our Lordes fathers set in S. Luke vnto Dauid. The notationes of all from Adam to Dauid conteyne the Abridgement of their story. But the vnebrevved vvold not sone conceaue them. All vvise studentes that take to Diuinity vvill lerne the holy tongue: & such, of them selues may sone see vvhat the names import. Novv Let vs look hovv S. Mathevv shevveth Messias to be man, Emmanuel, (as S. Luke) from Abraham to Dauid: & to be God in man: & King of the Ievves. These be the groundes of our faith: & our darkenes vvilbe exceding great, yf vve misse in these poinctes. S. Mathevves text shalbe first layd dovvne, vvith so much of the persones story as principally argueth doctrine for the King­dome of the vvorld to come: & of right faith in them, as in vs novv. The fathers of our Lord the first fourtene should haue their story knovven among their spirituall sonnes, to beimita­ted of vs; & the Kinges should be knovven: to consider im­perfectiones, arguing that Christ his Kingdome should not be as an earthly one. Novv the third rovv, vvill force vs to ex­amine stately stories of their enemies destruction: & hovv they by Daniel seauens, did knovv vvhen. Christ vvold come into the vvorld; & there I must defend our church: & many others against betrayers of the truth vnto Ievves: vpon that occasion in sundry sortes. They notorioushy vexe vs for our Doctours Babyshnes for confunding our Lordes holy fathers, vvith Aca­bean Kinges of Roboams Ammonean [...]ace; & for disagreing for redemption time; & for Daniels fourth Kingdome.

Observationes.

This narration dependeth vpon the demaund of the Persi­an Philosophers, vvho by Daniels prophecy, ch. 9. came to Ierusalem, to seke the late borne King of the Ievves the most holy. Daniel the vvise, full of grace, vvold not misse to take or­der that his nation & Susan vvher is rombe vvas yet honored of Elam, should reckon most exactly yere by yere, vvhen the King of glory vvold make his covenant, vvith all nationes. And the half seauen, of teaching the Gospell, vvas made knovven; & thirty yeres for to be a father in nature, Solon the old & Hesiod noted in poetry; & Sala, Paleg, Saruch, our Lords fathers shevv it in practise, fathers at thirty. And for governement; Ioseph as King in Egypt at thirty; & Dauid King in dede at Hebron: & the lavv for the Levites to begin their office of sad or heay charge at thirty. So all the vvorld as the Philosophers of Susan might knovv in vvhat yere since Iudah came from Babel, Christ vvas to come into the vvorld.

And a comfortable light in the ayer appearing at Susan strange aboue the course of nature, could not but move the Persian lerned men, to knovv Gods counsel, to loke for the King, told off by holy Daniel, so longe before. For this cause the Persians Sages come to Ierusalem. But Herod better knevv the time, as the Sacrificers & the vvhole nation; of vvhom none brought exception that vvay; none of any striving against the truth, for other poinctes. But Herod mistoke the nature of the King; & knevv not that God vvas in Christ, reconciling the vvorld vnto him self. To teach Herod, & the Thalmudi (que) & all the vvorld, vvhat kind of King Messias should be, S. Mathevv vvriteth this chapter; shevving fourtene, fathers after the flesh to the sonne Eternal; vvho savv his dayes afore & rejoyced; & although they vvere nor perfitect in doctrine seuerally from vs; yet heauen, the perfect blessing for the soule, they had vvhen they left this vvorld. All good men in priuate life; But the first King hardly saued him self; after he came to rest. Four­tene be of them: After them come fourtene Kinges: fathers for the Kingdome: but not natural fathers, to Christ all faulty, for governement, & many, greatly sinful; & not in Gods fa­vour. So, S. Mathew doth teach such as knew the law, that Christ his Kingdome was not of this world. And he leaueth Salomons house: vvhose natural succession did end vvith Ie­chonias: & thence he cometh to Salathiel, of Nathan: & to zo­rob. vvho ar [...]. And then he turneth aside to the Kin­ges line: vvher be ten. Mary & Iesus make vp the third fovver­tene: and all be called in Daniel heyres of the Eternal Kingdome. Great matters depend vpon their story: vvherby all­should be considered severally; as they are severally set dovvne for that purpose. And the principal matters that touched their story, shall be handled vvith them.

Of the first fovvertene; & of Abraham severally.

Dauid the King is once named first, because Herod demaun­ded of the King; & to Dauid first, the Eternal Kingdome vvas [Page] promised. After a touch that vvay, Abraham is set fyrst & the rest in order to make fourtene; vvher the last is King.

Why Abraham geueth the beginning of the story.

The Land of Chanaan vvher the Kingdome should arise, vvas first promised to Abrahā: & Christ vvas promised to him first of any man in open distinct plain vvordes. And he is made father of the heathen; vvhich vvold folovv his beliefe; & the heathen might offer first frutes at Ierusalem; as Maimony no­teth Bechor. Per. 4. So for Ievves & gentiles the beginning from him is very fit.

Of Abrahams glory.

Abraham is often commended vnto vs; vvhose commen­dation all his children by faith should gladly knovv & publish. He left the field of the Chaldeans being nere Babel, in the most propre Mesopotamia nere the meting of the tvvo rivers Ti­gris & Euphrates; & stayd at Charan till he make many Sou­les; & his father died there, aged 205. yeres. heauy by yeres, who toke his journey for Chanaan, & had not broken off, but by heauy yeres, & death: then was Abraham 75. by Moyses text: by S. stephans note vpon it; by the Greke Philo; whose (wordes I haue cited in the Concent in Latin:) & by sundry Ebrewes in Midras Rabba. And reason wold tell vs that Thara was dead before God promised Abraham that Christ should come of him: Otherwise as he took journey tovvard Chanaan; he had not stayd in Charan but by vveakenes.

An aunsvvear to M. Scaliger.

Because it is vvritten Thara liued seauenty yeres, & begate Abraham, Charan & Nachor, M. scaliger fighteth vehemently against Beroaldus & all that vvere afore of his mynd. And vvher he saith, still brethren be named in seniority; & for the obiection in Sem, Cham, & Iapheth; vvher Iapheth is eldest in the lxx he vvold haue Sem eldest, Cham next & Iapheth yon­gest, I aunsvvear; yf any vvil be contentions the church of God hath no such custome to S. stephen act. 7. he sayd: None yet [Page] vnderstood S. Luke. Then vvher is the fault in our vvit, or i [...] his pen? And in Bathshebaes sonnes 1. Chr. 3. Salomon the Eldest is named last; & Nathan the second is named third. And Ioachaz the second sonne of Iosias both is named first, & called the first borne. And seing Ischa or Sara vvas Harans daughter & but ten yeres yonger then Abraham, the Babylonian Thal­mud gathereth sensibly that Abraham vvas not the Eldest. So all the Eldest Ievves fight for S. stephen; & for S. Luke. And for S. Mathevv that Thara vvas dead before Abraham recea­ued the promisse. That still Abraham might be alone in the dignity of the promesse. So M. scaliger might haue spared di­sturbance of S. Mathevves begininge.

Of Abrahams Idolatry.

S. Paul calleth Abraham [...] as he vvas once Idolatrous; & such an one Philo & Rambam make him to haue bene; but by faith he vvas iustified. So S. Paul disputeth vpon him; against the Ievves thus; vvhat shall vve say then that Abraham our fa­ther found by the flesh? yf Abraham vvere iustefied by vvorkes he hath vvherin to reioyce. But he hath no vvorkes to reioice in before God For his request vnto Sara to hazard her Chastity vvas a fault; as Rabby Bechaia vpon gen. 15 doth make it, an e­gregious trespas, a gross fault, an exceding sin; bred frō great mistrust in God; & the cause of Israels sorovv & fall in Egypt. So he hath not to rejoice before God: Therfore he vvas not iusti­fied by vvorkes before God. S. Iames dealing vvith Ievves vvho then, as novv, think theyr reverence to the lavv, & belief in the trueth of the story, iustifyes them, shevveth that they are de­ceaued. For Abraham & all Godly shevv good vvorkes, to tell others that they honour God; as Abraham did: in not sparing his Sonne. Novv, vvher as God sayd to Abraham; Because thou hast not spared thy only sonne; I svveare, I vvill multiply thy sede; The very Ievves in Midras Rabba shevv the meaning thus; by the similitude of a physician, vvho promiseth to heale a great man of a dangerous sicknes; & after his promess geueth [Page] a most bitter potion; vvhich the patient taketh boldly; & then the physician sayth; Because you haue so taken the drench; I vvill svvear I vvill heale you. Thus the party is confirmed; & not called to a nevv beginnig. So Abrahams manifestation of regeneration is re [...]ompensed, in a confirmation: not vvith the fountain of his iustification. And still the Prophetes re­quire open iustice; & God punisheth every sin; but lesse, vpon charity; & in that sense charity covereth many sinnes. But the fountaine vvas Abraham beleued in God: & that vvas recok­ned to him for iustice; as Dauid sayth that they are happy vvhose sinnes are forgiuen. So Abraham vvas iustified by faith; beleving that Christ sbould come of him; & should be raised from the dead, as he knevv that yf he had killed Isaac God wold haue raised him again. So faith shalbe reckoned vnto vs for iustice; vvich beleue that God raised Iesus our Lord from the dead: vvho vvas killed for our sinnes: & raised for our iustifi­cation. These poinctes the Greke Crede handleth plainly; & the Greke fathers▪ & Porphyry and the oracles, that our Lordes soule vvent hence to heauen. And Ben Arama, vvho saith; Christianes beleue our Lordes soule vvent to Hell, doth the Gospell great iniury. Fot through infinite mention of death & resurrection, ther is never one syllable of going to Hell but in one oration in Iohn six times express mentio of going to the father. A vvise vvriter never repeates, but vvith some addition yf any can be. And seing the going of a iust soule to Hell, is more strange, then [...], the dvvelling of God in man; or resurrection; it had bene oftener handled in plain termes, yf it had bene true. One R. Man a Ievv obiected vnto me our Crede of going to Hell. I told him it vvas an heathen phrase; but meaned, as theyr Thalmudi (que) to go to Parad [...]se; & So des­cending in Moses Iosue, Iudges, Ruth, & Kinges, is for [...] & so translated; & more then once translated [...] ascēded. And [...] to go is translated Ascend & Descend & So [...] is vsed of passage; as from Nazareth to Caper­naum [Page] [...]aum in our Lord: & exceding often in the actes of the Apost­les: and Hades, for Abraham, is heauen or Paradise. For as Britanie conteyneth tvvo partes, England & Scotland; So Hai­des conteyneth Heauen & Hell; & in Abraham set in the begin­nig of the Nevv Testament, God vvold vse Haides Luc. 16 & tell expresly that God praepared Heauen to receaue Abraham the pilgrom & stranger, loking for the heauenly city. & hence the Ievves might haue lerned the meaning of our Crede: & for Paradise Luc. 23. the matter vvas plain; that our L. vvent thence thither. And no Ievves of Modesty vvold haue slaun­dered our Gospell to Mach mad: to forge beter Keys of Paradise. A phātastical Black smith, not a B [...]ssaleel he proued. Although this article should here be handled largely in Abraham the Patron of faith; yet I may be short: because L. Th. vvinton proveth against Geueveans by Iosephus, Ignatius, Iustin mar­tyr, Eusebius, Athanasius, (in his sermon) Cyrillus, Epipha­nius, Nazianzen, That Haides or Ca [...]achthonia to Godly, is hea­uen; & he fortifieth Geneveans faith; that by Grek our Lord vvent hence to Paradise; & iustly reiecteth Hell grefe from [...], as hated of Bible, Rabbines vpon Ebrevv, & Attiques vpon the Gospell. I shevved in six Greke vvorkes left in Germanie hovv lernedly the R. R. F. healed the Geneveans disease; vvho denyed a going to Haides vvher Abraham is; Luc. 16. & all faithfull soules, to crosse theyr ovvne faith: & deny soules im­mortality: & vvold haue all heathean, enemies for f [...]endes; & all Greke fathers, enemies, for frendes offering help. In that lerned paines, fortifying Geneva, L. W. doeth confute DD. B. & B. Purgatorie & Limbum. And vvith Abrahams story Children learne Abrahams religion; for the trinity, Incarnation, & re­surrection; & Paradise hence receauing the faithfull, as hoat fyer, the vvicked; & not to be vvaving vvith every vvind of Hel­lish Diuinity. The notation of Abraham is an high father of many nationes handled Rom. 4. from Genesis Ch. 17.

Of Isaac.

Abraham after the flesh begate Ismael: vvhence came the vncleane spirit of Machmad, & that nation the poyson of the vvorld. Yet Isaac, though conceaued in sin, as others, vvas quickened vvith Christ: and raised, & placed in heauen vvith him; vvho being vvilling to die, knevv that he should be raised vp again; Faith vvas in him the stay of thinges hoped for; & tryer out of thinges not sene. In Isaac shall Abrahams sede be called. But Esavv of Isaac cast off God; a profane man: vvho sold his birthright for a mess of Pottage. Isaaks name is laugh­ter; or gladnes; the Ioy of the vvorld. Iacob in name is a sup­planter; as Esavv complaineth, he tvvise supplanted him Gen. 28. He shevved most plainly his hope for riches, in Christ his Kingdom; vvhen he requested no more but diet & clothing gen. 28. Iob & Paul teach all to folovv him Iob. 3. 1. Tim. 6. Yea and this Epigramme diuine from one prophane.

Iacob savv a lather, reaching from the earth to heauen; & God vvas in the top of it; & Angels ascended & descended by it. He knevv that Christ vvas the Sonne of God; & that Angels should ascend & descend vpon the sonne of man; yf Herod had knovven so much, he had not sought to kill the lateborne King of the Ievves. The Trinity Iacob knevv; & nameth one & the same Angel that vvrestled vvith him, the Angel that vvold bless Ioseph; & the God of Bethel. And he taught his tvvelue Sonnes not to say: vvho can go vp to heauen to bring Christ dovvne? or vvho can go dovvne into the depe of the earth, to bring Christ from the dead; but to beleue that the God of Bethel vvold come man of him, & of Iuda: & that [...] as S. Paul Rom. 4. translateth Es. 53 after the 70 vvold [Page] pour his soule to death; & be recovered from death; as Isaac in type; & go from the cross to the father; & that all the faithfull should so do; as the nevv Testament teacheth continually; That Isaac Ben Arama after old Siphri might be ashamed to say our Gospel beleued that ether the Prophets or old iust, or our Lord euer vvent to Hell. The Church never beleued that; But the Deuels here triumph over such teachers. God left his vvord sure: & teacheth nothing in corners. And they are gods hated for Lerning that dreame of proving rules of faith from corners. The Patriarches rested in the incarnatiō & resurrectiō. And our Crede Goeth no further for [...] is any pas­sage, vp, dovvn; Ether term is cōmon for journeys in al autours & all Kind of vvriters speak so; & Haides most be told inces­santly to Babes that it is heauen in the light part for the Godly; as in the dark part hell for the vvicked. The dull & vnthank­full vvightes that raue against this, shall see Isaak & Iacob in Abrahams bosom in Haides; but in their course they hast vp to Gehennia.

Of Iudah & his brethren.

The tvvelue Patriarkes might haue taught Herod of what nature the Kingdome of Christ vvas. Ruben savv nothing here but Sorovv. Yet he liueth Eternally & passed from death to life; Symeon & Levy heard of a curse vpon their trespas; Iu­dahs confession of fault by sham [...] found glory: that none but such a Iudah shall haue praise of God; and as Iohn the fourth vvas dearest to Christ, so he to Iacob most glorious. All the rest had theyr sorovves for Ioseph; vvhen some sayd, come let vs kill him; as the Scribes, of Christ; & Beniamin became Ben-ony a sonne of Sorovv: For losse of his brother; & printed his so­rovv in his sonnes name: in Ros & Bicrj, Gall & biternes haue I for my Elder brother & Iosep vvas among his brethren sold for Sicles by Iudas aduise to saue his life: bus Christ by Iudas to losse of life: Ioseph in durance betvvixt tvvo, told the one of salvation, the other of death: so Christ told the one in durance [Page] with him, that on the right hand, of ioy: & left the railer to perish with the scribes: & the other rauers: that set their mouth against heauen. Briefly all the Patriarkes were bishops for their families: [...] vsing all care to teach theyrs frō their fathers spech what Sem or Melchi-sedek lerned of Ma­thusala taught of Adam, of the holy trinity: & hovv Christ by death should vanquish him that had the power of death. They wold not misse to Catechize their sonnes in these poinctes: & how our Lord should come of Iuda: the king of glory, the eter­nal, the framer of the world, of that poor shepheard, to be a man: to haue his tabernakel in vs; to loke throvv the vvin­dowes within our wall. They did fede vpon his flesh & blood, comforted in sorow by this hope. As Ioseph gaue [...] to fede his brethren. So all good Math. 25. giue [...] to fede theyr families soules. In one vvord [...] never vsed afore but in Ioseph vvith the 70. our Lord his gracious tongue cal­leth vs to the Patriarkes story: to look to heauen, not vnto Thalmudiques Kingdome in the earth that God cursed. S. Mathevv requireth so much to be consydered in these Patriarkes; to marke by induction through them all, the nature of the Kingdome of heauen. And for that vse they are so particularly set dovvne. Othervvise their pedegree vvas vvel knovven from other places. But Christ vvold haue vs to mark that these vvere the sonnes of Adam in vvhom the Eternall vvisdome delited.

Of Phares

Midras Rabba noteh vpon Genesis, hovv God playd delite­fully vvith these sonnes of Adam. Iacob vvas busied in mour­ning for Ioseph, as being dead; Ioseph vvas busied in his afflictiones, the other Patriarches vvere busied in theyr mariages, & the blessed God vvas in disposing counsel hovv Messias should come of Thamar; of Thamar, a Chananean: of Thamar, Iu­das daughter in lavv: of Thamar, by Iudah. Again Phares striving to be borne before Zara, (vvho first stredched out his hand) hath his name of violence, shevving at his byrth that he [Page] vvold lay strong hand vpon the Kindome of heauen; & is a patren for all, as Iacob, to striue for the Kingdome from yong yeres.

Of Ezron.

Fzron is by interpretation the midde of Ioy; as Eron vvas borne at Iacobs going to Egypt; 215 after the promess & 215. before the Pascha. Iacob knevv that yeres 400 from Isaacs af­fliction vvhich vvas thirty after the promesse, Abrahams sede should come from Egypt; & the promesse vvas 30 afore the af­fliction, vvhen Isaac entred six yeres & 55 after, Iacob is borne; vvhen Isaac is 60. & at 130 he goeth into Egypt so 215 vvere spēt in Chanaā; & Ezron vvas borne at the middle of their hope The notation of his name vvold haue lightened their darkenes vvho thought that the dvvelling of Israel vvhile they dvvelt in Fgypt, vvas 430. yeres. The meaning of the Ebrevv text is open in my concent & aduertisemen to; they that vvill, may fetch it thence. Wher I brought demonstration that Mose [...] should be dead forty before the lavv, by Genebrard: vvho vvold haue Israel 430 yeres in Egypt. And I cited old Rabbines moo [...] then one, for 215 & 215. as in my Ebrevv vvorke dedicated to Prince Maurice. That also I turned into Latin.

Of Aram And Aminadab.

The immortality of the soule vvas taught by Abraham, Isaac, & Iacob, by spech of their peregrination; shevving hovv they vvere strangers in Chanaan; & loked for an heauenly coun­trey. So Ioseph, svvearing his brethren to bring his bones from Egypt, shevved that he folovved Abrahams hope. And Gene­sis ending in Iosephs bones calleth all myndes to Ezekiels val­ley of bones, & to the generall resurrection. So Aram & Ami­nadab in theyr notation, teach the soules eternall happines; A­ram is high, as Israel base in Egypt, vvas high in hope of hea­uen. So Ammi My People Nadab is noble, loketh to the no­bilitie of the fathers from Adam to Noe; vvherin all faithfull are tvvise noble. Diodorus Siculus commendeth Egyptianes [Page] for their resolute opinion that Soules in [...] had florishing soiles for the Godly; & a prison for the God lesse. And Homer the Eldest, & Plato, & troupes, Elder & later Grekes, are true­ly reported; to haue lerned that, from Egypt. Novv from Israel did the Egyptianes lerne the same. As our Lerned, Clemens, Eusebuis, Theodoret, & vvho not, a [...] taught. And from the dayes of Aram & Aminadab, the high and noble in Christ did the Egyptianes lerne, that, [...] as Plato sayth. The soule aeides vnsene, goeth to the Aïdes, a place noble & pure & vnsene, vvith good iourney, to the good & vvise God. Novv the proud heathen trimmed them selfs vvith the ostriches of Israel, all in mynd as Aram & Aminadab in name. So vvhen the Romanes floris­hed in lerning their best from Tully dovvne 300 yeres shevved small resolution for Soules immortality: vntill Christianes in our Symbolon or note of faith taught the true foundation of a sound common vveael; That the iust crucifyed to death vvent to the father, by the holy phrase: to Haides by the heathen; vvher Abrahams bosome receaued the faithfull. Abrahams bosome in Haides, as Iosephus or Ireneus, or Iustine Martyr, or Lerned Caius teach. For the vvork is fathered vpon all these. Iohn of Zorobabel & other poor taught Luke of Anti­ [...]ch & Theophilus the Soules immortallitye. And the Deuels at the last could not retaine theyr auctority for vvisdome but by the same philosophie. Porphyry a frend of the Ievves, & ioyning vvith Iosephus for Haides to be the heauen for the godly: & not ignorāt vvhat our Crede spake, & as good a Gre­cian as euer could be, & vvith the Deuels an enemy to the re­surrection of Christ, yet recorded from oracles that Christ vvent hence to heauen. His vvordes are vvorthey to be cited Thus the oracle speaketh of Christ: Euseb. Ap. 3.

That mans soule in Godlines passeth all soules; and the soule of the Godly goeth to the rest of Heaven.

In that place of Porphyrie Christ is called of the enemy Porphyrie, [...], Godly & a dvveller in the arches of Heaven. But he said Christianes vvere mad that held him a God: for he knevv not that God vvas in Christ.

And yf he had not knovven full vvell, that Plato vvold have made him ashamed, yf he had denyed, [...] in the Godly, and [...] to be a most happy passa­ge to Heavē, he vvold not spared vvrangling vvith Christianes, yf they had taken that article in anie other sence, then this ab­solute meaning, that all just goe hence to Heaven. In Cant. 6. 12, My soule hath set me in the chariotes of Ammi Nadib, my people the noble; So all Godly be Aminadab, as the laten trāslation speaketh; because they teach Egyptianes, that the faith­full in Haides, be in Abrahams bosome.

Of Naasson.

Naasson hath a badge of faith in his name; that he should have EXPERIENCE hovv Israel should come from Egypte. So they loked to the very yeare vvhen their deliverance should be. As since Babel fell, they reckoned yere by yere, hovv nere they came to the kingdome of Christ. And vve should not be as Parrets, to regard the bare sond of name, but to knovv vvhat the notation told.

Of Salmon.

Salmon shevveth in his name that he should come into the rest of Chanaan. Naasson died in the vvildernes. But had great glory in the offringes: appointed first, as father of Christ. To Salmon Rachab vvas maried; vvho had greater faith then six­hundred thousand of Israel; for she beleued that God vvold giue Israel the Lād of Chanaan. S. Mathevv citeth for Rachab [Page] priuate recordes; as S. Paul had for him self vp to Beniamin.

Of Booz.

Booz cometh next; hauing a name fit for one that vvold be a piller in the hovvse of God. By it Salomō termeth one of the tvvo pillers; Boos, vvith strength, Iachin, he vvill settle. Ruth vvas maried to him, aged as an Abraham: & in Ruth leauing countrey, Kinsfolk & fathers house, lot is reuiued, vvho folovv­ing Abraham out of countrey, Kinsfolk, & fathers house vvas felovv in the blessinge: by Ruth that did the like.

Of Obed.

Of Booz & Ruth cometh Obed, [...] a stay in old yeres, to Boos.

Of Iessaj.

Of Obed cometh Iessaj. His name is substanciall; & is hone­rably mentioned a father of Christ; the root of Iessaj. He had many valiant sonnes; & again Seruiah his daughter had valiant sonnes; as Ioab & Asael.

Of Dauid.

Novv Dauid is one most glorious. The letters of his make, Christ his name; BELOVED through Salomons son­ges. To him Christ is promised vvith an Eternall throne. That is; in the vvorld to come. 1. Chr. 17. He, vvhile he vvas afflic­ted, vvas godly; at rest, he fell; in Vriah, & Bathseba; To be an example for all that shall beleue. And this much for the natu­ral fathers of Christ; al, teachers in theyr cariage, of the King­dome of heauen. And Bathseba the adulteress▪ rarely Godly in the end, is a grandmother of Christ; celebrated in the psalme of repertance. 51. & pro. 31 & all prophetes are in the King­ [...]me of heauen. Lu. 13.

Of the Kinges that vvere not fathers to Christ.

Salomon & his brother Nathan vvere sonnes of Dauid, by Bathsheba; But knovvledge of the holy trinity, & of Christ his incarnation & resurrection made them the best soules. And [Page] all vvho blame them for sodain in [...]mities, & commend the [...] not for their heauenly vertues, shall not be of Christ his brethren. Salomō glorifyed God in his infirnite vvisdome; com­pa [...]ing thinges visible to shevv the vnvisible of God; his eter­nall povver & God head; & speketh of the Eternall sonne Prov▪ [...]. hovv his delite is in the holy sonnes of Adam: as he gover­neth his peoples state in a most pleasant frame: that the blin­dest may see a clear provocation of all to salvation. His grea [...] povver, & building of tovvnes▪ suffred not his hart to rest i [...] the night; & his vvomen only overravvght him: to suffre, & by his charges to build, Idole places; vvher upon he savv that Gods threat vvold overthrovv his Kingdome; & before, he knevv from Moyses, Deut. 28. that the Kingdome should be overthrovven; & that in a strāge countrey Iuda vvold pray loo­king tovvard the temple Leu. 16. 1 k. 8. & God vvold hea [...] them. And vvhen by his practise suffring Idolatry, he occasio­ned the renting of his Kingdome; & foresavv destruction [...]f temple, city, comon vveale he vvriteth his Gospell, That al [...] vnder the sonne is vain, & the Kingdome of Christ is not of this vvorld; but the promesse of the Eternall throne to Dauid, vvas for the vvorld to come, that vve, should loke for the la [...] iudgement. Herod should most carefully haue lerned this much; vvhen he first lerned the story of Salomon. vvho vvas the first & last that had all this vvorld at vvill; to shevv that Christ his Kingdome is not of this vvorld. And yet this day the Ievves look for a pompous Kingdome; as I haue layd dovvne theyr vvordes, in Ebrevv & English, to Ecclesiastes▪ And Salomons case alone might haue taught Herod, Pilate, Cesars & concision that the Pompe of this vvorld is not fit to brede povertie in spirite; to brede morning, to brede mekenes, to brede hunger & thirst for iustice, to find the Kingdome of heauen vvhen the vvhole fovvertene pilgromes in this vvorld folovving heauen in a quiet priuate hope could not move He­rod, [Page] all being our Lordes fathers, & all best▪ in pri [...]a [...]e state, the first turning aside frō his liue noble in the vanity of this world, & leauing no hope for others to com nere, should haue vvar­ned that 'the King eternall vnvisible blesseth men only to his vnvisible Kingdome that is not of this vvorlds. So Herod had not Killed the yong children; nor had come to such an horri­ble death as Iosephus recorded, to haue shevved an entrance to his Eternal flames: because he vvold knovv vvhat the Angel & Daniel taught the Persian sages for the Kindome of Christ.

Of Roboam.

Roboam being forty vvhen his father vvas fifty tvvo; as Ievves vniversally & old Grekes from them do gather his who­le life, might vvell be knovven of Salomon, & touched in Kohe [...]th or ecclesiastes vvhether he vvold be a vviseman or a foole. A foole he sone proved: & could not rule that vvhich his fa­thers gate & mainteyned by greate care. And his mother Na­mah the Ammonite vvas not like Ruth the Moabite. And vve should not hope for both Lots daughters to be rare; vvithout speciall vvarning from God. Novv Roboam vvas vexed by vvar from Ieroboam all his time; & left for Herod a vvarning that Christ his Kingdome should not be like his; & that the sa­ges of Persia came not by Daniels Chronicle to look for such [...] Kinge. Abia his sonne is vvell coupled vvith him, to giue vvarning of the same.

Of Abia

Abia vvalked in all the vvayes of Roboam: a second vvar­ning to Herod that Salomons house vvold not be vpright vvith God.

Of Asa Iosaphat & the rest

Asa good, yet imprisoned the Prophet, a Pope father or Bi­shop from God; as yf he had imprisoned Christ him self. Iosa­phat a good King made bad affinity vvith Achabs house that Ioram should mary Achabs Daughter. Iezabels also she might vvell be. Athalia is the vvoman. Another Iezabel. Hence Io­ram [Page] killeth his brethren his ovvne bovvelles: & his Moth [...] Iezabel, as vvell she might be, killed the prophetes; & the lo [...] some muckhil, that her name soundeth, dreamed to kill the ho [...] ses and chariot of Israel: Elias the nevv Enoch. Then folovv exemples for Herode; to knovv matters to come, by former notoriours. Tvvo & forty yeres Omries house vvas a plage to Israel; & ochozias King of Iuda aged 22. vvhen his father died at forty, in the first yere of his regne, fell by partaking vvith Omries house against Iehu, fell to be Ben, in the giltines of the forty & tvvo yeres. Esra cunning in Ebrevv, vvhen he pen­ned the Chronicles, littel thought that men vvold be so barba­rous as to make him aged 42. & tvvo yeres Elder then his fa­ther, vvhom the propre story of the Kinges vvritten by Iere­my, made aged 22. for the same yere. Ezra a repeaters, pen­nyng the story eloquētly, of one caught in the giltines of the familie so long vvicked & caught in theyr sin; in the tvvo & for­tieth yere. The spirite vvhich beautified the heauens, vvold haue the story beautified vvith Eloquent Ebrevv, that they should be Barbarous that vvold not mark this to the bottom. Novv Herod might see in Athalia fit Motherhood for Anti­paters sonne. Such a vvife vvas fit to be Herodes mother. & Herod might knovv by her end vvhat his ovvne vvold be. And any might see that a Kingdom geuen ouer by God to the svvord of Athalia, vvas not of that throne vvhich God pro­mised to Dauid to stand for euer. Athalia Destroyed all the se­de of Roboams mother the ammonitilh, that might be Kinge [...] for her children by a former Husband; except Ioas vvhom his aunt saued, being an yere old Who is called of God six time [...] at the lest for propriety sonne to ochozias; a miserable sō to a miserable father. Ioas the Cain killed the Prophet zacharie that prophecied of Christ his Kingdome: killed him, betvvi [...] the alter & the temple; vvher none but sacrificers might come; The vvight most vnthankfull, & Gods hated killed him vvho s [...] father by his vvife saued his life. Herod might see & the Pha­risees [Page] might see them selues the sonnes of this Cain Ioas; vvhen they vvold shed blood speaking more forcible then Abels.

Touching a forged Table, pretending to reconcile S. Mat. and S. Luke, bringing Ioas & all after him to be holy-Fathers & our Lordes [...]; attributing folly vnto the Eternal wisdome of God, to bring the most holy, of the most wicked: I gave advertisement, & as I here, through Britany, it is wel taken. Other countreys also have it: I wold wish them also to marke these short speaches.

They, vvho vuold make the Apostles to teach all Thalmudistes, that they sinned, holding Ioas and all after him, to be of Salomon; and not to be holy men in S. Luke, termed by other names; passe Machmad infinitely in all extremity of impudenty: and Lucian the Dog vvold say, the vvheston vvas vvonne from his true story; by them vvho vuold feigne tvvelue men together, to be Kinges of tvvo names; and the one kind neuer [...]eard by the learned of that nation. I hope D. B. vvil hold this true at the last: and vvho could euer haue thought, that reasonnable vvightes vvold euer print or buy such a Table. And the miserie of the familie, might teach Herod, that Christs his Kingdome vuas not like theyrs. Wher Ochosias, Ioas, Amasi as, vvere all three sent up to Haides by bloody death, to give a­compt before Cods Throne, of theyr Sceptre; and the pleading ther at judgement vuold be as tolerable for the Kinges of Acab by father, as for them, thence by mother; and S. Mat. leaueth them out, as a shame to be named in Salomons hovvse; & unvvorthy of reckoning in the Nevv Testament. And here he teacheth Herod and all, by silence, more then any by anie cries, that none heauenly mynded, vuold bring Christ the King [...]rō such, or from such a Kingdome, since Dauid vvrote; Thy Thro­ne, o God, is for ever & ever: the Sceptre of thy Kingdome, is a Sceptre of righteousnes: thou lovest iustice, and hatest sin. Therfore it is [Page] most evident, that God thy God hath annointed thee with [...]yle of gladnes above thy felowes. Yet in the sixt generation from A­cab the vvicked, King Azarias found mercy; aged 4 yeres vvhē his Father vvas kild; and vvas ruled by the Councell, about 12 yeres; and so somvvhat better brought up, then yf he had bene ruled by his Father. Yet he dyed in a Leprosie, for offring in the Sacrificers office, in Christ his Kingdome; in vvhich of­fice Sem the great by the name of Melchisedek, vvas described a Sacrificer in phrase still abiding, as still alive. Azarias should have lerned that of his Father David; & that none of Iuda vverto come nere the altar. By Lavv death vvas the payment for the action: for endeuour a Leprosie brake out in his forehead: vnto his death shut up from comon companie. And by this punishment of Salomons hovvse, Thalmudiques should have lerned, that Christ should be a King in an higher person & of­fice; as the Eternal, the brightness of glory; having all the na­ture of God in him; vvho carieth about all thinges by his mighty vvord▪ & by himself performing a clensing ransome of our sinnes, should sit on the right hand of God. Vnto such a King Herod & the Scribes might hav looked, & to an Eternal thro [...] for thēselues. And in this age God shevved a shaking of Salo­mōs house. In the yere that Vzias died, the glorie of Christ filled the tēple, vvith a smoke of anger; & the posts of it trembled by the terrible earthquake, mentioned by Zacharie; at vvhich the people fled. Then Esay seeth Seraphin in the tēple; Angels representing the Chaldeans vvhic shall burne the temple; & i [...] taught of ten calamities to come afor the last destructiō; vvhich I haue ordered in tables in my Concent. These terrours made Ioatham a good King: but Achaz vvold not beleue, as did Eue, that the Sonne of God vvold be a man of a virgin. He had be [...] vvel plagued by Pekath; & his childrē vver kiled by the Arabi­anes. Ezchias vvas a good King; but after deliuerance from Sa­nacherib famous in Herodotus, he shevved the Chaldean his vvelth; as hauing some trust in it; & is told that his posteritie [Page] (by daughters) shal serue in Babels court. Manasses that savved Esay, savv all sin & slauerie; Amon vvas sone killed; holy Iosi­as, for vvicked subjectes vvas killed: Ioachas died in prison: Ioakim vvas captiued▪ and cast avvaie unburied; Iechonias vvas kept. yeres 37 in closse prison. Sedekias eies vvere polled out. And his children vvere killed; & the state felt Ieremies Lamē ­ [...]ations. And novv let us come to the third fovvertene.

Who made the third fowrtene;

These be the third 14; Salathiel; Zorobabel, Abihud, Eliakim, Azor, Sadok, Achim, Elihud, Eleazar, Matthan, Iacob, Ioseph, Mary, IESVS▪ These be called the holy of the most high Trinitie. Dan. 7 The Chaldean golden head vvas beaten to dust, the tree had the axe set to the root, the Lion vvas cast into fyre, for afflicting these. So vvere used the armes & brest of siluer, the Beare in the trobled sea, the Ram, of Madai & Pares; for not tendering this familie; so the Grecianes vvhole in Alexāder & his sonnes; sone rooted out▪ came to nothing, for Tyrannie ouer the nation vvher these should have bene honored. So the P [...]olemies in Egypt, the south to Iudea, and Seleucidae of As­syria north, both chalenging Iudah, & fighting stil vvith du­ble campes in Iuda, so wasting it, perished for injuries unto these. These Grekes whole & parted wereall the Image after the brest & armes. The Leopard & the fourth beast, & the whole Buck. And seaven times be every one of these set furth in the Prophecy of Daniel. The gracious Prophet so describing the afflictions of the third fourtene. And Iesus in Daniel cha. 2. is the stone which beateth the great image into dust, one like the Sonne of God. Chap. 3 one like the Sonne of man coming in the cloudes: chap. 7. Messias, or Christ, the holiness of all holiness. Chap. 9 Michael chap. 10 & 12. And the holy Prophet D. should be cōpared with this last 14: touching, Herod Ievves & Cesars, that the Kingd. of Chr. is not of this world. [Page] And the vvhole booke which I Ebrevved for Ievves, goeth upon the house of David, and chiefly toucheth these last four­tene; and may profitably be joined to the Commentarie upon the Parcels of these tvuo Euangelistes. And this much for them; profitable, as I deme, for all studie touching our Lords Familie. Certen further helpes shalbe added as tyme serueth. But thus endeth the explicationes of both Euangelistes, fo [...] our Lordes Fathers and Predecessours in right of Kingdome.

[...]

Positiones explicative of matter tow ched brieflie, and first against the slander of Isaak Ben Arama; sayng untrulie, That our Gospell teacheth that the Patriarkes had no [...] the perfection of ioy; but were in Hell, and that Christ went thither to redeeme them. Thus he writeth vpon Levit. 26. fol. 205 of the Venice Edition.

The first occasion of the Iewes fall; and the harme that cometh by it;

SAINT Paul speaking of the old faithfull, hath ben mistakē of Christianes, some, for these vvordes; ch. XI. V. last. All these, glorious by faith, receaved not the promess: God providing somwhat better for us: that they should not have the f [...]lnes without us. It is euident through the vvhole Epistle, that the Apostle disputeth on this; That the Fathers vvere taught [Page] in the old time, of Christ by the Prophetes; in sundrie maners; but at the fulnes of time, he spake by the Son, that God made him Heyre of all; by vvhom he made the v [...]orldes. But some Christianes thought he spake not of doctrine; but of joy to the Faithfull soules gone hence; that the old Faithfull had not the joyes of Heauen at the first. Vpon that, the Ievves inferre that vve taught the Patriarkes vvent to Hell▪ Yf they vvent not to Heauen. And that could not be true, that Abraham and Moyses, so familier vvith God in hovvses of klay, should not haue grerter familiaritie after their soules vvere freed from the corrupt bodie. This errour of Chrysostomes upon▪ Heb. XI. the Ievves uexed.

Euer since Chrysostome uexed them for Dan. 12; and limited times for affliction under Antiochus; and limited for yeres 400. Gen. 15; and yeres 70 under Babel; and so 490; Dan. 9. under Heathen. So that God had limited time of hope. Ben Arama cited an old vvork named Siphry; vvho uexeth us novv a thousand yeres; whence Machmad might feyn righter keyes of Paradise; and strenghten Arrianisme: as Arius, in Athana­sius; that yf Christ vvent to Haides, He had not the highest joy. And thus Ievves help Machmad, by mistakers of S. Paul▪

the 2▪ occasion:

To this day the Ievves continue the slaunder by the Crede; ill translated through all nationes; and badly expounded to disturbance of all Faith. To aunsvver them vve must shevv that by the Nevv Testament, our Lord and all just vvent hence to Paradise; as the Church did alvvayes expound the scripture; & the Crede.

the Church of Englands faith:

First England shalbe cleared, vvhich allovveth and commā deth [Page] the R. R. F. Th. Bilsom Bishop for his sermon: wher he handleth scripture & Fathers: & proveth by both, that our L. went hence to the high joy.

D. Bilsons profe by scripture from his sermon fol: 219

We haue no warrant in the vvord of God to fasten Christs soule to Hel, for the time of his death, that he vvent not hence to Paradise to the unspeakeable joy of the Faithfull: Thus the R. R. F. cōmended for one of the best of England; shevveth that all auctoritie vvil, that all faithfull vvēt hence to Paradise▪ And yf anie Ievv say, Englād holdeth faith vvithout scripture▪ Nabal is his name, and Nab [...]la his fame for folly haunts him▪ & for a foole vve vvill taunt him:

An other vnuincible profe brought on from Luc 16, for the terme Haides, which in A­brahams & Eleazars ioy, is a feasting

Thus from D. Bilsons vvordes a full syllogisme may be fra­med: of truth unvincible;

• Yf our Gospel place Abraham in Haides in joy, as th [...] vvicked in torment, Haides must conteine Paradise for Abraham, as Gehenna for the vvicked.
• Novv, as Iosephus, so S. Luke, makes Abraham boso [...] in Haides: & the place of torment: on high both; a [...] all Ievves confession in Cether Malcuth fol. XI
• Therefore D. Bilson proueth Ben Arama to be a slā derer; and himself a R, R, F.

A second syllogisme often printed, breaking all Europe. a work of Iohn Cant. & Th. Winton.

The place vvhich receaued our L: soule vvas Haides of the Crede, Ioh; Cant; and all Grekes:

Paradise receaved our L; soule, Th; winton, Lavv, & Gos­pell, & the old Grekes & late reformed Churches.

Therfore blasphemous Ievves may see they slaunder us; & vve conclude plainlie, the sound in Divinitie & tongues as the BB. & Nobles of England, BB. in their place by the scripture tongue, vve conclude, that Paradise is the Haides of the crede; & Ben Arama slaundereth, teaching that the Christian church ever beleved our Lord vvent to Gehēna. Never vvent he saith the Church, so beleved vve, that he neuer vvent; but vvent to Paradise. And thus our R. R. FF hau made a syllogisme of high esteeme: that moved all Christendom to yeld vnto them The rarest in Fraunce, novv ten full yeres since L; W: made Paules tremble at his syllogisme, honour and celebrate this conclusi­on; That the barbarous translation, to descend to Hell mea­neth in learned spech, fitted unto the most eloquent Greke of the Crede, plain to all Grek countreis, a going vp to heaven. The rarest in Holland, the floure of Leyden, folovv our Ecclesiasticall Bishops, Other in policy, Bishops of good calling; The best of Frisia, Westphalia, Steinford, and floure of straun­gers in Marpurge, and the vvhole Churches in Francfurd, and the learned of Hanavv, and the rarest in Eidelberg, vvhose let­ters be at Hanavv, yeld vnto our Ecclesiasticall and Politicall Bishops: teaching or allovving this conclusion; And the Sena­tours in Geneva spake to the penner of this syllogisme; vpon demaund vvhat our Bishops thought of their; D: Beza and such, vpon avvsvver sayd, Deus benedicat tuis studiis; Damus tibi licentiam imprimendi quicquid voles: Also Nicol; Serari­us a principal Iesuite, being thrise demaunded, vvhat should be aunsvvered for Pope to Ievv: thrise vvrote: the Pope never be­leued that our Lord ever vvent to vvorse lodging then the Pa­triarkes had; vvher Athan. Basil, Cyrillus, Theod; place them▪ [Page] who in all their vvise thoughtes place them in the highest joy for men: upon Davids Psalmes: Basil vpon Psal. 15 in his [...]o­lume. The other in fragmentes printed by Commelin; and so say the best Diuines in Theophyl. upon Luc 23.

of Athanasius seming to differ;

Because Athanasius saith of our Lords Resurrection [...], some thought, that Porters of Hell vvere here meant, but they are deceaved. For the vvordes being of the lxx. Iob 38. can meane no more then doth the Ebrevv there meane. And thus goeth the Ebrevv in the vvordes of God to Iob. cha. 38, 16; Haue the gates of death bene reuealed unto thee? Or hast thou seene the gates of the shadovv of death? The te [...] hath no more nor lesse then this. And this later is Greked as I cited. The levv vvhich translated Iob, vvas excelent in Poetry; & by veres might be Prophets scholer: to Aggay and Zachary, & knovv that Christ might tell Iob thus; Thou hast not seene the state of the dead; but in manhood I vvill breake these bar­res; by a resurrection that shall neuer again see death: as sha­king the postes of that hovvse. So Athanas. amazeth none lerned. And thus Athanasius striueth not vvith the syllogisme of the R. R. F. vvhen judgement in Ebrevv & Greke is used; O­thervvise a Ievv, or one bent to help Machmad for nevv keie [...] of Paradise, might find a trap to himself, and to as vvise as him self▪ But none, that can call the Greke Father to the lxx, & the lxx unto the Ebrevv, vvilbe anie vvhit moued. And if anie Alexandrean Ievv or Machmadist toke offence at Athanasius to brede nevv keies of Paradise in despit of our Gospel, he hath felt judgement. Athanasius saing, that our Lord vvent to Haides, neuer meaneth that part of Haides vvhich is Hell, but that part vvhich the faithfull held; vvhom he placed in high joy. Whither yf he had not gone, our soules should never come to [Page] their bodies. And so all the Greke Fathers aunsvver Arrianes, objecting as a basenes the going to Haides; vvher yet the faith­full soules be, as the most lerned Photius speaketh in Oecumenius, upon 1 Cor. 15. One D. ignorant of that, spared a truth to the K. of three Kingdomes; for vvant of surveyng Hell as aright. But yet he joined to the making of a good syllogisme, the best vvork that euer vvas made by our Bishops, the best to stop vvicked slaunders of Ievves for Machmad, against the Gospell. And all expositiones of the Crede out of this sence betray not onlie the Greke Fathers; vvhom yf Ievv and Turk foile, all is gone, but betray also the Gospel; vvhich vvill not be defen­ded by Hell-forget tormentes, rooting out all auctority of Di­vinitie, of Ebrevv, of Greke, of conscience in speach.

of a thyrd syllogisme; which the surveyer in an Enthymeme made vnto the King.

The usual Greke must be holden the Credes meaning [...]: to Catelthein [...]is Haidou in the Godly, is a pas­sage to heaven by usual Greke. Therfore a passage to Heauen is meant by the Crede. Ih. Whitg. rightly held Rhodaneanes senseles, that embraced not the Proposition.

And B. Winton in second thought surveyd that by the Gre­kes the phrase meant the soules comon lot: to have distinctiō by the qualitie of the persō; Parad [...]se Haides light for the good; Tartarus darkenes for the other. For the assumption, I com­mended to the K. 145 Greke Epigrammes from all sortes of Grekes in An [...]hologie: vvher all countreys and ages shevv vniformitie. And so three syllogismes, the R. R. F. hath made a­gainst Ben Aramas slaunder; Syllogismes all vnvincible, yee though, he himself vvold goe about to ouerthrovv them, he neuer could; they be so fortified; for Geneveans good; yf they had one drop of thankfulnes to accept it.

I mentioned Scripture, to prove going hence to heauen; & that Abraham, Isaac and Iacob & all faithfull be there; but I hold all Britanes rude, that knovv not so much; yet the simple may take these; Mat. 8, Luc 13, Iohn 5, Luc 23, 2 Cor 5. 1, cō pared vvith Lev. 26 10, Heb. 11, vvher Abraham desired the heauenly citie; and God had prepared it for him, and Eb. 9 & 10. I cited in my reply against a Patroclean dreame, and vvorse then Patroclean, for he feared not, but desired Hades. And novv I nede not cite mo places. Reason vvold tell, that all use litle reason, that reason not thus; seing the Apostles infi­nitly cite of our Lords death and resurrection, and neuer have one syllable of going to Hell; they be of infinite impiety and contempt of God, that dare vvrite of a going to Hell; seing no Prophet repeateth a former matter; but vvith some change, yf the matter suffred anie more to be spoken. So all these repeti­tions be stained, by the unlearned vightes, that honour Hell against all Gods vvisdome; and against Christ his vvordes, that six times in one sermō saith, I goe vnto the Father; Who vvold euer think that Christianes should so contemne God; or Scholers be so barbarous, or men so senseles. Novv because the sē seles barbarousnes pretendeth English custome from Davus in the marked take Positiones for the terme descending; & the terme Hell; then I vvill returne to the Greke Fathers.

Of tvvo vvordes, Descending & Hell, hovv the unlearned & unstayd do turne aside.

The termes Descending & Ascending are vsually taken for passages: vvher the ungrounded barbarous ignorant of vsuall speach, make ship vvrach of faith. By these particularitez they may be instructed.

Descending to Egypt, Gen; 262; and Ioseph Hurad vvas caused to descend to Egypt, that is in our Church Bible: Ioseph vvas brouhht to Egypt; Gen: 37; So Iuda vvent from his bre­thren; Ebrevv Iarad: Descended; And so infinitly in Genesis for passage to Egypt

And usuallie in Iosuae borders of land reching or going frō tovvne to tovvne, are said to descend:

And it vvold vvearie one to reckon the Iudges or defenders phrase of Descending, for going to an exploit;

In Samuel▪ Kinges and all the stories, Descend is the vsuall passage; and so Ascend; as Anabasis expeditio Cyri.

Some time it is translated [...] to goe, by the lxx, Gen. 43 5, or [...] 1 Sam. 294. To go, and [...] to pass through. And in double active; to cause to descend up the Arke; that is, to carie it. And the lxx translate it; to ascend Ruth 3 3 Io. 13. So Ievves and Ievv like may be aunsvvered: that the terme De­scending is plain for anie passage; and al passage of soules hēce is ascending Koheleth, or Eccles. 3. for they returne to God, Eccl. 12.

[...] is used in the same sence, for passage from Nazareth to Capernaum; passage to Samaria, Cyprus, Seleucia Cesaria Antioch, from Macedonia: likevvise [...] in Suidas; for passage avvay. So scripture should muse▪ sl [...]underous Ievves & Ievv-like barbarous. For the other vvord Haides is knovven to milliones in Britanie; and both together heard for 3000 ye­res use to meane a passage of soule to God: & in our Soile they are holden barbarous unlerned, that daregape against this. Shortly Germanie vvill so stop Ievves railinges, the vvicked helpers of Machmad. Let us marke Hades in the Nevv Test.

Now of the woord Haides or Hades, Hell in comon sense, but never for to particular, Gehenna.

The R. R F. cited thrise vvher God vvrote Gehenna, Mat. 5, tvvise, & [...]oonce; in al these places, he cited Hades, as though it had ben ther▪ not regarding the Test. vvhich God gave us: but making a nevv from his ovvne vvise head.

Yet all humane recordes, all together, all laid in a balance [...] are to S. Mathevves thrise Gehenna, lesse then the dust of a ba­lance. The true terme Gehenna, being a Thalmudique terme for soules place, confirmeth the Ievves comon place, vvho most learnedly teach, that the Ebrevv neuer nameth place of joy properlie; or of torment. Thus both are taught, Lev. 26. Yf you kepe my commaundements, I vvill dvvell amōgst you. In Paradise, saith the Rabbin; by a borovved spech from Adās garden. Yf ye kepe not my Lavves, my angry face shalbe upon you, Wher? before the throne of God, and the Lamb, Apoc. [...]4. on high. Cether Malcuth; as the Ievves in proprietie of spech express their mind. For their Midras or fabling commē taries, they have a rule; that none may stay upon them. And he that cited them shevved in fevv vvordes, that he vvas a babe in judgement. When the Zohar agreeth vvith the Nevv Test: then it is certen old sage, not late discanters bred the spech. A­ben Ezra checketh mightily the comon Midras; and comonly and notably Pref: to Moses; The valley of Hernnon nere Ierusalem vvas a place vvher children vvere offred to Deuels; brēt to death; And the old holy Rabbines borovved that terme, to expresse Eternal torment; and our Lord confirmeth that, and their judgement therin, for all their vein in the Lavv; & layng that dovvne once, tvvise, thrise, he teach [...]h all learned, to kep that terme in all translationes. All bodies shalbe cast to Haides; for it is the grave to the bodie; the miserable bodies only shal­be cast into Gehenna so the R. R. F. vvold by Greke of his ovvne making haue marred all faith.

To forged textes I nede not to aunswer. The Pentheus in Euripid., that seeth a double Thebes & a double Sunne, savv one; but this Pentheus seeth none. But vvhere Haides is in dede, he shalbe aunsvvered. The builders on the rock vvere not hindered by the gates of Haides. They feared not [...], the passe to the grave, death, and region of soules, as A thanasius speaketh. Capernaūi Hades is in Ebrevv Abne Bor; [Page] the stones or clods of the pit; vvher bodies vvithout life lye, a child might sone see so much Ebrevv & Greke; and Scheol for building tentes cattels and mens bodies num. 16 had no vvorse. A sound Divine vvill not say, that all men dead there, died the second death. Abrahams Hades, I often handled. That in 1 Cor 15 nothing helpeth the vvicked; ther for bodies it is the poison of Rottednes; Keteb a plagy ayer; Ps. 91, and Re­kabon. Rottednes ar centron sting in the lxx, the comon sting of the body: and Hades to the body is but grave and death. And ther Hades to the soule, as the most learned Photius in Oecu­menius teacheth, conteyneth all faithfull soules vntill the re­surrection. wicked and barbarous vvrangling vvith Scripture bredeth fevvell for Hell. Death and Hades vvherof Christ hath the keys, as the Rabines speak, should not take Iohn before the time, as Arethas saith Ap. 1. Hades that receaved Cesares and their troupes, had bene no nevves to the serpentes sede to be soules Hell; a gulf of buriall vvas there meant. When the sea and Hades geueth up the deade, the grave, and ayer as Origen and Methodius think, yeld the bodies. Andreas saith truly, though lesse fitly for a vision; [...]. The place vvhich receaveth our soules is Hades, there the vvicked are Death and Hades, Apoc. 20, as Arethas lernedly expoundeth the place; and they are cast into the Sea of fyer & Brimston & second death. Elihu vvas not bolder to say: Men of hart vvold speake as he; then the penner here; that Grecianes and Ebricianes, sound from childhood, vvill speake as he; that Haides is neuer hell in the Nevv Testament. But their tongues are set on fyer from Gehenna, that so teach; Ha­den properly to meane Gehenna Hell, either ther or in the Crede. None can deliver his soule from hell, Ps. 89. all faith­full shall deliuer their soules from Gehenna. So our Bibles ne [...]er meane hell of tormēt: but vvhen Gehenna is in the Greke. Neuer in all the old testament; but by consequent; that death to all the vvicked, comonly an hasted Scheol, or hades, hath [Page] Gods-hated in Hades the place of torment. An this much a­gainst the spech of Dauis in the market for the true meaning of Descending & Hell. Now let vs go to learned Euseb. wher Haides is most nobly handled & by B. Winton for Geneva: wher they could not help them selues. And now the R. R. F. his auctoures will confirme for poor Geneva all that theyr hartes can desire: & more then wicked Ievves vvish to stop theyr vncleane mouthes foming out theyr ovvne shame, as raging vvaues of the sea. Lyers & railers against all honesty.

Of Eusebius hovv B. vvinton citeth him: so that he might stop Ievves vncleane mouth.

Eusebius is cired by L. vvinton, speaking thus Eccl. hist. lib. 1. Cap. 13. He raised the longe layd in slepe; & brake the vvall, that never vvas broken afore. Here the raised be the iust: & from Haides: & the difference is; that theyr bodies never more returned to Haides. That is meant by breaking the vvall vnbroken till then. Here Ben Arama might be sayd to haue a brasen hard face, yf he vvold gather a going to Hell, or the long dead to haue bene raised thence: they gather vvell & truly, that the soules vvere raised to theyr bodies from that part of Haides vnto vvhich our Lord vvent. But because all heathen should tell vvhat Eusebius should meane: & they vvold say he m [...]ant heauen by Haides: & Eusebius doth so expound him self; B▪ vvinton might tell Ben Arama, that Euscbius vvold tell Siph [...]i & the Alcoran, that they greatly iniuried the Gospel; to ga­ther Hell vvher heauen is plainly meant. And herein B. vvin­ton fighteth for England & Geneveans, & theyr partakers, that the old iust, & our Lord, vvent to Hades vvhere Paradise Ly­eth. Geneveās vvish Grekes for that; & the BB. of England cite auctoures that vvill suffre no other meaning for their vvordes, And the right referend fathers should be the skumme & scom­me of the vvorld, yf any Ievv Lerned in Ebrevv & Greke, as all ought to be checkers of Bishops, yf he could prove they meant hell, vvher the Auctours meant heauen. perverting [Page] so grosly, & so crosly for to make their Hell from Eusebius Ecc. Hist 1. 13. vvho meaneth heauen Apod. 3. in handling the same matter by other termes. So Eusebius doth expound him self; that all might be Hesiodean old sucklinges that should mistake him. Also B. vvinton might prove that Euse­bius meaned as Ievves for soules place by Citing the Ievv Aris­tobulus, The Peripatetique as agreing vvith Christianes, & ci­ting heathen poetes of our mind: in praepar. Euangel. li. 13. fol. 401. in these vvordes.

[...]. The sum is; from Empedocles in Aristob. The Ievv allovved by Euseb. saith; the Godly going hēce are happie vvith divine vvightes in the same dvvelling. Thus the Athean Ievv vvas a lyer & a railer against all duty by B. W. that blaphemeth us, in teaching that the holy vvent to hell.

So Eusebius, B. vvintons auctour being soundly expounded stoppeth Ievves mouthes; & teacheth, that Christanes haue Ievves & Grekes for them; that the good departing hence are vvith the happiest. And Eusebius vvas to make good to hea­then, the judgment of Christianes in comon plain agreement; & not to be a vvicked sophister speaking as to the heathen ca­pacitie; & yet having on thing ready in his tongue: & an other thing hid in his heart. A Ievv, or vvorse then a Ievv should he be that vvold then peruert Eusebius seing he teacheth so plain­ly, that the godlies going to Hades meaneth in Ievves phrase; an adioining unto the Fathers; vvher they are equales to An­gels, as Philo speaketh of Abraham; hovv [...]. No Christian checketh Philo for this. But some had, yf they vvere of an other mind and durst combat. Therfore Ievvee should hold the best

of Gregorie Nazianzen for tartaros and Catachthonia: wherein Epiphanius & Cy­rillus, & S. Paul Phil. 2 be expounded.

Yf anie Buzantian and Ievv, angry that Chrysostome drove them there to shame, vvol be reuenged also of Gregorie Na­zianzene, vvished to be Bishop of Constantines Citie▪ and in great election, vvold quarell vvith him for Tartarus, or Catachtonia, in vvhich vvord Cyrill of Ierusalem folovveth him, vvith Epiphanius, or upō S. Pauls vvord [...], aunsvver is readie. These auctours, vvhich meant that our Lord vvent hence unto the happie, are cited by B. Winton, for the right meaning of the crede; vvho expreslie telleth, that no scripture denieth the going hence to Paradise, in ser. fol. 219, often ci­ted, and in manie vvorkes, vvhich may stop the uncleane mouthes of Ievves. Novv they shallbe expounded, hovv they no­thing help Machmades frendes for better keys of Paradise S. Paul saith, that in the name of Christ all knee shall bovv, of them in Heauen, or Angels, of them on earth, or the living here, or the lodged in the earth, of the dvvellers in heaven, or men liuing, no doubt can arise. The Thalmudiques celebrate infinitely, the high familie and the Lavv familie; and to their maner S Paul speaketh. So because the Psalme 22 entitled the morning starre, as D. Kimchi most lernedl [...]e expounds the Hebrevv title in Ail, doth speake of the morning starre, the au­ctour of resurrection, S. Paul in the [...]ame argument vvold heavenlie touch the phrase. The phrase vvent thus. Before him all that descend into the dust shall bovv the knee. And none (other) can quicken his soule. Before he had said, all the endes of the earth shall vvorship him; And the Angels are knovven for their vvorship Ps; 97, & Eb; 1; So S; Paul speak [...]th no nevv matter; but speaketh of the dead, as the Psalme: and Esa 26 19 of them that dvvell in the dust: vvho [...], or by a short spech, from the bodie are vvholy called, [...], the dvv [...]llers [Page] in the earth; as in the heate, in Homer cited by B. vvinton. Esays spech for this place must be remembred. Thy dead shal­be made aliue; my carcases shal arise. Avvak & reioiee yea that slepe in the dust. Novv as the Angels are called [...]. So [...] be the men dead; or in heathen Phrase the comon Haides as Nazian. speake [...]h vpon Coheleth. 3. vvhose vvordes I cited; hov [...] ther the faithful rest in ioy: as heathen vvold speake. And therin he expoundeth the other tvvo fathers saing that our Lord vvent [...]. And Cyril of Alexandria is evident vpon the psalmes, to meane that all the holy vvent hence to Kingly tabernacles. And Nazianzen being as one soule vvith Basil, vvold meane in this comon place, as Basil meant vvho teacheth vpon ps. 15. that Dauid & the old iust vvent hence to Gods holy hill as Mamony tract Poenit in the end bringeth the Ievves comon opinion; & he vvas [...]he conningest in the Ievves affaires of all that euer they had, Moses Mamonides: that Ben Arama vvri­teth of him the comon saing; Frō Moyses to Moyses, no [...]e like to Moyses. And this great Egle as they terme him, serching all the termes that in the Hebrevv touched Gehēna, yet durst not bring scheol for any. The citers o of Midrash [...]th, speaking to memory of phrases as one c [...]te [...]s Midras Tillin for le Sheola ad Scheol vsque, that Scheol is ther Gehenna, such in fevv vvords may shevv great vnskilfulnes in Rabbique studies. And this m [...]ch for Grekes against Ben Arama; from those Grekes by vvhich the lerned father. B. Th. vvinton proueth most sound­ly for Geneva, that vvhich he affirmed, soundly: That our Lord vvent hence to Paradise. And no Ievv ever d [...]rst say, that any old Christian thought of a [...]ourney from Paradise to Ge­henna; or of going to Haides after the body vvas buried. Lesse thought of triumphing ther over Devels; or that Deuels are yet tormented [...]here.

Of an other Iudaique poinct.

A Ievv of Amsteldam named Rabbi Dauid Farar, a revolted [Page] Christian, as of late I have ben informed, and as it semeth, for he is readie in our I a [...]in scholmen, and a great sercher of ad­uantages, by our ouersightes, vvas savvvd in hart, vvhen he savv my Ebrevv Catechisme for R. Abr. Ruben: wherin Na­thans Prophecie to Dauid, vvas deriued from Dauid, not by Salomon, vvhose house, Ammonean, & Achabeam came to r [...] ine; but by Nathan Salomons brother, 1 Chron. 3. 5, vvo, vvas [...] Father in the flesh, to the Sonne Eternall: vvho then vvas in his loines. This ouerthrevv all Ievves hope: vvich upon Ecclesiastes I shevved to be a spiders vvebd. He vvas further greueth, vvhen I gaue him my Latin Concent: vvherin he savv S. Mathevv, not a Publican, but a most eloquent Lavvier; vvho in Kinges spech, maketh the successour, Sōne; though the predecessour died vvithout children: as Achab is Sonne to Baasa; no kind to him, 1 K. 20; and Sedekias Sonne to his brothers son, yonger three yeres then himselfes. So Salathiel the heire, exceding far off, vvas sonne, in Lavviers phrase, as Iulian, to Romulus, in Caesarib. This greued the scholeman Ievv. For he thought a longe time to haue vvon the spurres here; to proue that our Gospel could not be of God: vvher Salathiel & Zorobabel should haue Fathers up to Salomon by Iechonias, & up to Nathan by Ne [...]i and Melchi: and he vvas sure to oue [...] ­throvv the Gospel, against all, that graunte, that Iechonias had naturallie children. For they vvho here faile, bring ruine to the narration. In the which, if anie lie or falshood be found; all the hope of life is gone. Our traitours, vvil not marke that; but the enemies doe observe it: and dravv revolters. The heaven might be astonished, hovv the Doctours of the Lavv could be blind: on Ieremie 22, all savv, that Gods decree pas­seth absolutelie upon Iechonias, that he should die childlesse. Maimonie saw that, tom. 1. tract. Poenit. as in a common place to all consent: Ialcut noteth Gods oths passed; which Moses repentance could not call back being passed: all note this▪ Yet the Ievv seing my resistance, and the Dutch of his mind, desi­red [Page] that I vvold giue him leaue to reply on me an vvhole af [...]er none in open audience; I vvas content; the place vvas appoin­ted; a Great colledge hall vvas appointed; & many vvillingly met: I gaue him the vpper end of a long table, and I took the nether; and vvrote all his reply; that non should giue fal [...]e re­port: experience taught me that. For vvher, I once defended the Greke, Act. 13, [...], af [...]er a sort 450 yeres; to be pure in letter, against Rhemists rejecting the Greke, and folovving the Latin, vvherby Pope or vve, lost the ground; and vvere vvicked in our foundations; an ungrateful Libeller, brutish for vvant of lerning, cauterized for consciēce, vvold be winning the whetston, writting that I defended the lxx; whom all learned, these 1300 yeres, knevv to haue i [...]fi­nite milliones of faultes; and I, who made a nevv Greke translation, should be thought to knovv so much, so well as another; and no wit could tell to what conclusion Papistes and I should theri [...] striue. But wher our side graunted the Pope, that ether, the N. Testament was corrupt, or Dauid neuer borne, wherbie Pope and Iew fell the Gospell; I de [...]ended, that wee had a pure N. Testament, and the Remistes modestlie told, that none of their, spake ill of me, but [...] Lucianes or Iulianes.

In memorie of this I wrote the [...]ewes argumentes, and still made him wearie by plaine aunsweares, and to flee t [...]still; & then he touched other poinctes, a [...] Daniels Image in E [...]sebius meaning, worse then Iudaique; and Daniels seauens, in the Thalmudique meaning; and priuatelie since, the text of the N. Testament. Wherin if I haue no more thankes then of the libeller for the yeres of the Iudges, my labour wil bring labour upon labour. This much I wish all to weigh, that we must defend not onelie the Hebrevv text to be pure, but also the Ne [...]u T. & our hartes might blede to see our p [...]uishnes to help [...]euues to hold the ceremonies neuer ended; and to place East mat­ters in the West, & precedent tokens going before the incarna­tion, to folouu [...], or the daies of Christ his flesh. [Page] Of these I vvill vvrite alitle for Amsteldam & the portugalles, & our Iscariotes, vvho for 30 sicles vvold sell Machmadean notes vvith the Bible.

Of the fourth Monarchy.

He at the first vvold haue Syrianes, Persians, Grekes, & Ro­manes. But being vvarned hovv so he left out the Chaldeanes, denyng all the Prophetes, left Eusebius in that poinct: vvher in all Ievves held the trueth: & cometh to the fourth King­dome: vvherin since, he hath vvritten in Latin a treatise to me & against me.

Thus reasoned D. Farar.

Yf the fourth Kingdome, vvhich must be dust in the image befor God of heauen his Kingdome is set vp, yf this Kingdome be the Romanes, yee mistake the true Christ

But the fourth Kingdome is the Romanes.

Therfore the true Christ is not yet come

Br.

I denie the assumption; The fourth Kingdom is not the Romanes; But the parted Macedonianes; a parted Kingdome from the third; & called one in respect of clayming Iuda, to both sides; & by ioyning mariages still, Syria vvith Egypt; & the Romanes had bene vnfitly figured by tvvo legges being one Kingdome. Besides the mariages together had bene no distin­ctiones. For all nationes mary vvithin them selues. But the mariages of Seleucidae & Lagidae pass al in all stories; continued nere 300 yeres handled in many vvriters, Strabo, Appiane, Pausanias, Livi Trogus, & moo full many. Besides the Ro­manes had made the inages legges longer then the gyant Ty­phoeas vvhom Iuppiter buryed in Tinacria vvhose head vvas vnter one mout; & his tvvo feet reached vnto the other. But Gods providence contriued all to a fit proportion of a mans body. The Chaldean of short time to haue a short part; 70 ye­res. the Persianes in brest & shoulders to let dovvne the armes 130. nere double to the other Alexander & his captaines sone [Page] destroyng one another 23 beside Seleucidae & Lagidas, to belly & as so many ribbes: & all sone cutt off to haue the shortnes of a belly: & the reason is plain, that Alexander vvas to be sone cut off; because he vvold be a God, proud by successe; And a Poet vvold say, he should be cut off least he vvold make vvar­res for heauen. Novv the tvvo legges vvhich continued dou­ble the Persian time; & in mariage; that Cybiosactes a supposed Seleucides maried the late Gleopatra these haue a fit proporti­on; &, strong a vvhile, are thick thyghes: vveaker are the slen­derer legges; And vvhen Antiochus Epiphanes ruled Egypt & Syria, Gyges Asia, & Egypt, & Phayt or Phaytons Lybia, as Ezekiel told. Ch. 38 & 39. & Polychronius the Greke vvhom I gaue you vvith porphyrie & other Grecianes, doth him & these matters rightly handle: vvhen Epiphanes ruled both; then the tvvo vvere one Kingdome; & for vvarning touching his altering of the lavv, the visiones vvere chiefly shevved; & Ch. 7. 8. 11, & 12. agree to the parted Macedonians to every vvord of Daniel; & your expounders confesse that the Greci­an Epiphanes vvhole rage is of dayes 2300▪ & Rabbag sayeth that the legges conteine the same matter; & that the Kinges of the north & south Ch. XI are the tvvo legges; & for Ch. 12. Io­sephus sayth as Daniel, that he held Ierusalem three yeres & an half; & your Machabees note that sone after (at a month) his army smarted; & sone he (after dayes 45) fell by Gods hand. And heathen stories agree to Euery svl [...]able; vvhich by chaunse could not fal out one vvord by chaunse may fal fit to a matter not purposed; But as an hog may dig the letter A, vvith the nose, yet cannot dig Andromachaes vvork of Ennius; so heathen could never fit Seleucidas & lagidas to every vvhit of Daniel vvhom they never savv, but that God closly ruled the Balami­tes to teach Israel. Moreover it is most senseles to think that the Macedonians vexing your nation, vvith double campes in your nation; eating as vvith teeth of iron; for fiue Kinges of one side & fiue of an other, & treading all dovvne by campes [Page] vvhich they coul not eate; it is most senseless in you to think [...] that no prophecy should tell you of these poinctes, but 300 ye­res should be passed over; & Turke, & Caesar, & south Kinges late in Aben ezra vpon Dan. should be meaned. Gehenna i [...]stly devoureth your natiō, as fevvell ready for it, that despise Gods goodnes, leading you so clearly by Daniel vnto Christ his birth, by the Image; & vnto his death by Aben ezraes vvordes Dan. 9. That seauenty seauens of yeres are from Daniels prayer to Seale the Messias the holynes of all holynesse. And doth not this speake as vve, that God vvas in Christ reconciling the vvorld vnto him self; vvho in death overcame him vvhich had the povver of death; & the vvorld vvas subiect to the son of Enos, a litle inferiour to Angels by suffring death, but Crovvned vvith glory, by resurrection & ascention. To vvhat sonne of Enos could the vvorld be subiect being a bare man? vvhat bare man durst the Angels vvorship at his coming into the vvorld: by ps. 97. & Kimchi confesseth that to be spoken of Messias coming into the vvorld. And Sadaias vpon Dan. 7. confesseth Messias the sonne of man coming into the vvorld; & sitting vpon the right hand of God by ps. 110 And vvher your Thalmud denyeth that vpon ps. 110 Iarky & Aben ezra cannot agree. But Iarki vvith Sadaias vpon Dan. 7. say Messias is ther meant; & the person ther sone returneth to the Euerlas­ting: & thence ruleth all Kingdomes: coming into the vvorld as sone as the Romanes tribute shevved that the Macedonianes the fourth Kingdome had not one tovvne of governement vnder the cope of heauen. And hovv can you be saued despi­sing so great salvation; vvhich telleth by so many stories in Daniel; yf this & this for 500 yeres fall out as vvas foretold lok for the redemer in the yere that Aben ezra told; & to be Mes­ [...]as & the most holy by Aben ezra: & to sit on Gods right hand by Rabbi Sadaias. Thus ye may se that not the Romanes but the Macedonianes vvere to be the destroyed, before Christ came into the vvorld. And you might rede vvhat a gracious [Page] commentarie the N. Testament maketh vpon this poinct; yf you haue any vvorde to gainsay speak on.

Farar the Iewe.

None but you & D. Iunius make the parted Macedonianes the fourth Kingdome M. Plancius & the Preachers of this tovvne are against you for Salomōs hovvse, for Daniels Chro­nicle, for the Crede, & for the fourth Kingdome; & hold not the nevv T. to be pure in text. And the BB. of England be a­gainst you in their notes vpon the Bible for the fiue poinctes; & specially that yee haue no Nevv Testament from God. For they vvrite plainly vpon many places, that your testament is most corrupt; Ievves of vs vnderstand English; & Beza far pas­seth in that: him in latin I can rede.

Broughton.

Of all I haue vvrirten yonger then novv by 20 yeres; & combaters yeld; therfore, doe not oppress me by them vvho reiect them. But for the present Question of Kingdome, you iniurie many. Not Iunius only but also Tremelius, & all Ge­neva in there last Bible, & D. Piscator a very learned man, & D. Polanus, after that I came to Basil, as once he yelded for Dan. 9. but revolted again to the groser Olympiades, all these stand to me for the legges; & many in dutch Homilies, & Ro­mistes after Bodinus full many▪ & tvvo very lerned of Bretany; & no B. of England that the Prince of the nation made B euer despised my book of Concēt; & many Britanes & others think that none vvold; but some one counted the skum and scomme of the vvorld.

The Iesuites of Mentz humanelie confessed, that they vvold graunt all that book; and long agoe by tvvo Cardinales advise, vvold haue moued me to haue taken a principal Cardinalship; sayng, th [...]t I might do much good to the Church, yf I had a Prince that fauored my studies; and I told them, I hoped I had: all these I must defend against you. A Bishop in syrname, brēt certen bookes of mine, hindring his gaines for notes upon the Bible, damned of old. But of him I complained to the Lordes; so B; Cot; exc. brent bookes comme [...]nded by the K▪ & Arch. VVh.; most highlie a litle afore his death; and others against you; vvhich none but a Ievv in hart or errour, vvold hav [...]brēt: and complaint vvas made to the Lords against him; and some promised to moue the K. for a verie great stipend to teach you Ievves in Ebrevv. And for the Bishops of England, none of the Princes making, or vnlothed deadlie as enemie to the Bretish nation vvill thank you, forsayng onlie D. Iunius is vvith me. Milliones of milliones through [...]urop vvold shevv, they agree vvith me. As you maie think Polychronius and enemie Por­phyrie haue bred milliones novv manie ye [...]es. Thus your cita­tion of testimonie is aunsvvered, as untrue: & here your Iev [...]es vvhom you lead [...]o Gehenna, should knovv by one crime, all your trecherie; and vvhat a Sinon you are. You knovv Virgil, & as Sinon, Incendia mis [...]es, ridentem dicere verū, Quid vetat?

DAVID THE IEW. I will write a book in Latin; that aunswer you in print. BR.

As the Thracian modestlie prouoked me in Ebrevv, so ther­in vvill I aunsvver, from Rabbines ovvne syllables. To turne your nation, & you seeme little modest to call me to combat vvith you in Latin; vvith you, vvhom milliones of our yonge [Page] men could breake. I told you sadly that you spake many vvor­des, for fevv. But never one vvise to my hearing. But your vvork shalbe printed, send it me. And this much for our dispu­tation, vvhich occasioned all the former booke. A book he sent vvhich Hidelberge hath to avvnsvvear, or to shrink.

Of the Angels determining Clearly vvhen Moyses lavves should be buried, by the burial of Christ.

I translated the Angel Gabriels spech into English, as cir­cumspectlie, yf manie be not deceaued, as anie hath done into anie tongue; omitting no letter of aduantage, for the clearnes of Chrsstianitie; nor vvresting anie vvhit; that a Ievv might say I vvas partial in a Grammer cause; and some thankfull DD. of Oxford thought it dutie, to tell others: that I translated the Angel spech, better then anie before me. Yet, some R. R. F. al­lovved M. Livelie to translate ridiculouslie, Ievvishslie, & dead lie; and to raue against me, being at the Alpes farr off, in Zuit zerland; vvho to my face, neuer durst hold himself my equall: but hath bene often blamed of me, for extreme vvant of judgement, in Ebrevv; Arch. Wh. cannot be blamed: for, M. Liue lie told a Bohemian, felovv in vvagin for Cambridg, that he vvrote against Beroaldus and me. But the Arch. shevved no countenance to him; but all of high discontent. For heathenis­me in the Persian Kinges he shevved him senseles, to astonis­ment against the last propheticall bookes; Daniel, Ezra, Ne­henias, Esther, Agges, Zachary. And his commender shevved him self most vvicked, & vnlerned extremely to astonishment: & impudent extremely to athean madnes; that vvold foyle the bishops rightly folovving the Ebrevv text; For, To Seale sin: though the margent haue; To Finish. Readinges are 848 in the Ebrevv; vvher the text, & the margent are both pure: & the margent checketh not the text, as corrupted in Babylon; but [Page] both text and margent are from God. Arias Montanus hath made an whole work of textes, as corrupted; and so Plantines great Bible is printed in deede corrupted. For this I have bla­med Arias of extreme ouersight: otherwise the man was of rare learning; but for scripture tongues; I feare not to censure him. And I have shewed in Helue [...]ia, Marpurg, and Mentz, the reason of the double reading, & none euer before me, from Iewes testimonies, or plain reason. The commender of a foi­ler of our BB. so referend, and so learned as the libeller him self commendeth them to be, should be counted a brainsick foole: & receave into his owne bosome, all the vilenie of his libel. who the partie may be, that determine I not. But all will determin, that he was a shameles asse: that wheras the Bishops held the right: the Line word, allways the safe, and not chect, but expounded by the margent: and so protest in word, that our nation holdeth not the text corrupt, in none of the 848 margent readinges (for they are all of one auctoritie;) he wold stain the sagenes of our BB. & commend a blasphemer eight hundreth forty eight fold, of the pure text: which, yf we be­tray, the scripture may not judge controversies; as a corrupt judge, but Rome, clayming to be the Church, must judge, as not erring. This Lonchios the blind Knight, that can perce the scripture to the hart, with his prophane speare, shall see what he hath perced: & the disgracer of the BB. wher they better de­served, then in all their desertes, this Lonchios should be este­med, as a blind Bayard; & nōe should for this, gev him honour.

Of Farar the Iew.

Farar the Iew, that openlie in a Colldge Hall at Amsterdam, as I told, disputed vpon Daniel to disgrace Christianes: yet ne­uer durst blame our BB. for translating the text. But the libel­ler is more Iewish then anie Iew, to disgrace the BB. & stealeth their auctoritie, to prove, that they missed of the Bibles words; Yf a straunger had so condemned them; namely that they knew not what the Bible was: theyr pleading had bene easier. [Page] But now a creper into their bosome, damneth them by their owne auctoritie; to make them befoole themselves, whē they deserued rarelie well, 848 times wel: by honoring one place, that draweth al of the kind 847 with it. So the hart of the foole was on the left hand. And herein he is Iew is her in rancour a­gainst Christian good, then anie rancourous Iew. In these o­ther poinctes, the Iew is equall and a felow And the Iewes damne him in the former; but in the folowing, he joineth with the Athean dogges.

1 In denial, that our Lordes supper ended the lawfulnes of sacrificing. M. Livelies wordes I cited in my advertisement; how he held sacrifice lawful in Vespasianes times; So the Iewes hold, and none moo; but M. Livelies commender. So Farrar the Iew, & they, be equallie enemies to Christian faith. Chri­stianes think, that our Lordes death ended sacrifice & offring; and we celebrate our Lordes supper, as a seale, that our Lord ended Moses sacrifice; when he went through the veile of his flesh into the holy, to find eternal redemption. Both these the libeller denyeth; he denyeth that he went hence from the cros into heaven; and holdeth sacrifice lawfullie continued; as did M. Liuelie; the first he did, commending Patrocles.

2 Farar the Iew denyeth, that 490 yeres just, were from Daniels prayer, vnto the sealing of Christ. So doth M. Livelie: & his commender. More Iewish then Aben Ezra; who being an enemie, as well lerned as ever was enemie vnto Christianes; yet protesteth this to be most certen (as I touched afore, and often may profitablie;) that the seaventie seavens are, from Daniels prayer, vnto the sealing of Christ the holie of holie. His syl­lables I haue expressed in copies Ebrew, Greke, Latin, English; in copies, above ten thousand and the best lerned in Christen dome haue in print shewed thankes; But M. Livelie & his libeller wold be more Iewish then Aben Ezra: and not cite Iewes for Christ; but folow Iewes against Christ: and likewise also against all Christianes.

Of the name Messias twise in Daniel Ch. 9. meaning Christ properly, & vndeniably.

Vhersoeuer the name Christ is in all the Nevv Testament, it calleth the reder to returne vnto Daniel, specially the tvvo places, vvher Messias, the Fbrevv vvord, is in Greke letters; & that in the mouth of simple folk; as Andrevv the fisher; & the Samaritane vvomans, shevving that the Samaritanes then as all he Ievves, knevv vvhen Christ should come into the vvorld. M. liuely denyeth Messias in the Angels tongue, to sound the redemer. Thirty yeres agoe I checked him, speaking so, sayng that he should be forced to alter his mynd. And then he sayd: he v [...]old not stand in his opinion. Yet finding a commender, he returneth to agree vvith the basest of the faithles Ievves, to greue all Christian mindes, for euery place of the nevv Testa­ment vvhich still calleth vs vnto the holy name Messias, or Christ: & vnto the holy ministring spirit the Angel Gabriel: from vvhose doctrine, vve are called Christianes. So the com­mēder of M. liuely [...] returned to God, should plead of force, vvhy he commandeth a joyner vvith the grossest athean Ievves; vvher their better lerned vvold be ashamed to Cross Gods vvord: but in one place or other, vvold shevv that Daniel spake of Messias; vvhich vvord vvas never simply pro­pre before the Angel spak it. So his commender commendeth layng an axe in a lunatique phantasy, to the rote of the tree of life [...] Deutero. 32. 2 & Pet. 2. And this much for the Ievv Farar; to vvhose hate of Christ, Iscariot Liuelisequa ioyneth, vvho the party is, I vvill not resolutely affirme. The Bishops, vvhose au­ctoritie he drevv, to countenance Iudaisme, should find him out; as their deadliest fo: & a blasphemer vvith the Ievv Fa­rar. God Killed the printer of the libell: against the scottish mist; & yf milliones haue not payd for it, the plague & deluge [Page] payd. And God called, afore Liuely, the stationer, charge man of printing liuelea. Let all mark hovv God vvill deale vvith the vvounder of all the Bible; vvounder of the holy name of Christ; & stayner of the auctoritie of Christianitie: a vvonder to be extolled in a common vveale of Christianity. And this much for Farar, & Liueli sequa yoked together for infidelitie of Heathenisme in Liueleis & his commender, & vvorse then He­athenisme, in madnes, putting tvvo Kinges betvvixt good Ar­tax; & him self, & cutting of him into Kinges tvvo; and of be­ing in Cimmerian darknes for Ezra vvith Nehemias; of these I haue giuen aduertisemēt elsvvher. And because the defender hath no lerning to defend him; & Athean railing framed from his ovvne cariage, vvill not novv serve, vvhen the mist is tur­ned into a sun: & he can never avvnsvver to one poinct of a thousand of his errours: & madnes, it is better to leaue him to the iudgement of God & the King; vvhile the party may be mistaken, then to press him further. But some think the levv­ish vvell knovvē For one & the same vvork, telleth that one & the same man four times skophed the scottish mist; vvhen the Nero hoped to see his ovvne cuntrey on a flame; & ioyned vvith Ben Aram for Hell; vvher D. Bilson proved most substan­tially that as [...] in African us & Euseb. Apod. 8 fol. 242 is the Ievves going vp, as the scripture speaks, from Babel to Ie­rusalem. So it is, for our Lord to go vp from the Cross to Abra­hams Haides; vvhence mē should think of revenge & the same mā is auctour of both equaly bad doctrines A noble of Scotland noted fovver times vvith vermiliō his scoph; & milliones novv note the poison of his heresie; though D. Bi. vvrite to the King only of tvvo, having forgotten him self in his vnvincible syllo­gisme to be a third. But vvisdome vvill make all yeld vnto obe­dience tovvard King & Gospell; & cover much mischieff. Yf God meane not to pluck avvay all Bishops landes; vvhich yf it be vvithdravven, both vniversities vvilbe cold. Bishops in lear­ning so far passing tvventy vicares in learning, as in revenues, vvold make our nation the glory of all Kingdomes.

Of M. liuelies skill in Iudaisme to translate against Christianitie; & what learning a translatour should have.

I request the gentle reader to mark M. Livelies skill in Ebt. and mine; by both our translationes of Gabriels wordes Dan. 9. Yf God sent me & lent me anie judgement, M. Livelie u­sed litle; and his commender as much. In the advertisement, both our skill may be tryed, of him & his learned defendour, I will dispute no more. His translation vvill shevv agrement vvith Iudaisme; and fight against all Christianes; and here for all, I vvill lay dovvne a fevv rules; to shevv vvhat learning a trā slator should haue, for Ebrevv and Greke: and for all artes, to judge of Equiuocationes.

Of Ebrew.

1 He must knovv that the letres Ebrevv, the 22 vvhich vve have, vvere not invented by Ezra; as manie fabled, but giuen in the Tables to Moyses, and knovven of old.

2 The Greke Alphabet, vvhich deuided Homers Iliad & Odyssea, is elder much then that age; of Babels captiuitie; & it is named from the Ebrevv; and the Ebrevv much elder then it; and the Characters that gaue the name, yet much elder; and ordered in the Alphabet, for like forme; and so ordered in the Psalmes Prov. 31; and six times Lam. in all, 21 times; therfore an Ebrician vvold not be found Analphabetus, to learne his, A, B, C.

3 In Noas time Podamim & Dodamim; Piphath and Di­phath. Thubal and Chalyb by transposition, noted the letters to be of old as this day; and manie countreis in Heathen na­med from Noes familie; differing by mistaking letters. David Kimchi noteth manie such 1 Chr.

4 The lxxii, had old dimme copies; as 1000 yeres old, or more; wher theyr eies often missed, by letters like; as yet they be. D. Drus. noted that vvell in Ciun & Rempham; a transla­tor of courage vvold put Ciun Act. 7. from Amos 5.

[Page]5. Vovvels had Gods auctority in the tables; as Tiphereth Israel teacheth. Their infinite varietie could not be from man; & no mans auctority could prevaile to force a nation to [...]ake them; yf the prophetes in all ages had not settled them, as theyr age spake.

6. Accentes haue vse to stay spech by the argument; as De­mosthenes excelled by pronuntiation. I brevv accentes teach that to Ebrevves: & that, not Musique, is theyr vse.

7. Elias Leuita doted vvhen he denyed that any old grammarianes afore him of renovvne: sayd, that vovvels vvere of old. kimchi vpon Hoseas expresly [...]elleth, that Ionathan Coaeual to S. Pauls Rabbi, the sage Gamaliel, had Hoseas poincted.

8. Azarias blameth Elias; by that all nationes haue vovvels; then specially Israell; more curious in style, then all Greke po­etes.

6. Tiphereth Israel sayth sagely, that all the lavv is now at this day vvith vs, in the 22. Letters in vovvels & in accentes, as in Moses time. The Pope, vvho beleued Elias, vvarring against them vvho say the poinctes, & so the accentes are from God, the Pope beleving Elias, and vvekeninge the auctoritie of Gods vvord, herin dealeth not vvell: nor any of ours that fo­lovv him. No mans vvit could invent 14 vovvels; vnless at the first they had them; nor nedeless variety of poinctes, to great difficulties of grammer, vnless autours had vvritten so at the first. So Benj, my son, hoseas 11 & Math. 2. might as vvell be Banaj, my sonnes. So Gnasaj, God, my makers, for mysticall tri­nity in Elihu, might as vvelbe Gnosi, my maker. And seing Iewes [...] from Babel, as Iulius Africanus in Euseb. Greketh, ascending to Ierusalem, folovved Arabians to haue vovvels, comon, as Mariam & Miriam, Salomon, & Solomon, Abel, & Ebel, Gog, & Gyg, Cores, & Cyros, it vvas not possi­ble for late Ievves to persuade one man to rest in many late-in vented vovvels.

[Page]10 Two kindes of Chananean Bibles we have now; vowel­led, and vnvowelled; so they had at the first. The one for certentie, yf doubt came; the other for expedition. As we write vnvowelled. So R. Ruben to me; and I to him, in my late printed workes. The lxx vsed only the vnvowelled; to hide with more facilitie, holy thinges from dogges; when danger was.

What Auctours we have to help translation in Hebrew.

The Apostles translate exceding much of the old testamēt, even as the lxx have done before them. So much must be fol­lowed: & the harmony deliteth: and the Apostles Greke wor­des, in notable places, migh be set profitably in the margent. Also the Apostles translate much of themselves. Therin they will be dull contemners of God, that follow not him. Wher Apostles translate not, Arabiq Moses, the Chaldy Paraphrastes, and Thalmudiques in Moses Chair, are good warrantes. Super intendans are slender in learning that are Babes in this kind. And knowledge [...] haumeth mē, which spent short life in longe discourses, for matter wherin, all mindes know more then any tongue can tell. The incarnation and resurre­ction, how it hath ben folowed or contemned from the beginning: with civil plain cariage in Gods; and Satanean in the contrarie, this conteineth the summe: and they will lie against this infinitly▪ or spend their life in idle Ceremonies and heavy lawes, whose soules are not seasonned, with the exact style of Gods word; Burst with envy towards painfuller student; and as sure to hav pay, returned upon their heades. More Academies of Alamanie then one wold sone see these wordes just.

Of the New Testament.

All the New Testament is penned from God in Greke. The [Page] Reporters that S. Math. vvrote in Ebrevv, or S. Paul to the E­brevve; neuer marked the Greke styles of both in Attiq for­mes of spech, that Salem hath not. And the holie Ghost neuer translated book; but kept still the originall, of all that he vvold have translated. Here be four Dialectes, the Attiq, Iudean. Thalmudiq, and Apostoliq. By ignorance of vvhich, much darknes covereth dealers vvith the N. Testament: as I haue cō victed one Doctor, to haue shevved ignorance of all these in one question, so grosse, that a man vvold marveile vvith vvhat face he durst chalenge anie disputation.

Being cumbated,

Projicit ampullas, & sesquipedalia verba.

The vvise man casteth off Atti (que) and vvhen Homers com­menter vvas cited for hard vvordes; he could not think of Ari­starchus in old Didymos; but of late Eustathius, as vvhom S. Peter could not reade; shevving yet therin all his learning; as though Eustathius cited his ovvne; and not Heathen, elder thē the Machabees. [...] are the plague of quiet opening holie truth. Ignorance of Iudean Septuagint hath apeared strange; vvhen he said; Aey Sheol is Hades; and the Greke Fa­thers vnderstood not the lxx. But S. Augustin had great skill. Forsooth [...] for erroneous Latin; Quinta generatione exi­verunt ex Aegypto, droue him to a tedious disputation. It is strange, that a sage man should speak, so voide from the vvho le tenour of learning. And vvher S. Augustin knevv not vvhy the lxx added so manie hondred yeres, & vvhy Mathusala by them lived beyōd the flood; the blind vnthankfull vvight vvell might haue sene that, handled first in England. And vvithout observing vvhat Ebrevv the Apostles translate a nevv, he can­not hear the dum stones Apoc. 21, tell all the old story of both Testamentes; a matter precious, and better then all the Iev [...] ­els of the vvorld. Lastlie, for ignorance of Thalmudiq: vvorld to come, or Haides, the vvorld of soules: he placeth hell in this vvorld; and vvold rob Grekes for the one part of Hades. Thal­mudiques, [Page] compared vvith Attiques, had here holpen him. The Nevv Testamentes translater should profitablie joine to the Greke, the Ebrevv, set to the lxx, or to their ovvne nevv translation: and the Thalmudi (que) to their phrases; and note the Attiq by their auctours; and Thalmudiq: and joine an absolute Table of all these; and regard all in English.

Of the Text purenes. Rabbi Farar.

Your Nevv Testament is corrupted in text. And that your Preachers graunt; and some Amsteldamean Ievves haue dvvelt in London: and read English condemnation of the text; & Be­za in Latin, often amendeth the text. Novv you vvill graunt, it is not of God, yf it be corrupted.

Br.

Much rancour is vttered in your fevv vvordes. Matters to have made you a Christian, plain, is there; vvhich your vveak head might learne; and not put quarels as [...], to proue your self full of poison, and voyd of lerning. I vvill for disputation sake, make my self an enemie to the Lavv, & thus reasō vvith you. Rabbi Farar vvill graunt, that yf the old Testament be corrupted, God gaue it not, and I am sure it is true. For Gods Prouidence vvold kepe pure, all bookes that he vvold haue cō ­tinued; as vvhen Ieremie & Ezra abridged manie bookes ned­les for all aages; those God vvold not haue more copied; but left at the Ark, vvhich vvhen the Temple vvas brent, could not escape: or othervvise, God vvold haue to decay. But Ieremies Kinges, & Esraes Chronicles, to be kept to euerie letter. Yet I, as an enemie vvill thus dispute.

Yf in Carui Ps. 22, for Caru, all ye Ievves, have corrupted all copies this 600 yeres against the Massoreth, & haue in Dan. 8 Chaldean Kings name prophane vvith shin afore Aleph in this notation; Bel enricheth, & not as ch. 7 vvith Aleph afore Shin; Bel giues a fire of vvoe: a [...] the Massoreth vvarneth; yf all you herefolovv corruption, [Page] God gaue not the Lavv; or you are vvicked;

But all eyes may see vvhat you doe:

Therfore by you God gaue not the Lavv.

Novv Rabby Farrar, vvhat yf a Turk thus disputed vvith you: vvold you not be turned into a stone as [...], or, in vvordes unvvise, of Hecate God vvold stir diligence: & I dare defend the copies pure Psal. 22 & Dan. 8. But I cannot defend your troupes. So you should not object unto me our troupes. You haue my Latin Concent; ther you see my judgement; that the Bible is settled all as one bodie; pure, clear, & perfect; Tri­nitie, Sonnes Incarnation, and Assumption to Heauens, is the Diuinitie; Life by the light uniforme in all soules for cariage, is the humanity; as perfect as Moyses in the 613 Lavves; No good thing can be taught; but that is required in the Nevv Testamēt; No ill thing can be thought, but that is reproued in the Nevv Testament; Ben Arama might have sene this, and all Thalmudiques from S. Paul 1 Tim. 1. But Esaias sixt, makes you as I doles, that have eies, but vvill not see. But you vvil be carpinge, as seing to much. You could not see Gods vvisdome in geving Zachary the name of Ieremie. And knovv you not that, to be most usuall in Ezra & Nehemia speciallie, & in Ieremie spe­ciallie; in Nechlemite, & Magor-Missabil. And vvhy could not you carp at Barachias Mat. 23. for Iohajada. He is neuer called so in the old Testament: but you knovv the notation to be all one. Novv Zachary vvrote Christs his exaltation, a King riding upon an asse, sold, for 30 Sicles, as a servant kild by an oxe, but destroier of Ierusalem: after vvaters of life made to spring from his heauenlie Ierusalem: vvher all thinges shalbe used to Gods glory; horse bridles, as Temples vessels. So Zacharie hath the name Ieremie, abridging all his vvorke. And Christianes had neuer taken the strange vvord, but for the glorious exalting of Christ; who did giue the ox that kild the seruant to the Romane butchers.

But Enuie bursted your panches, vvhen you see all Scripture, [Page] & all learning, contrived unto Christ. And thus I haue aunswered for S. Luke; that Iesus, Fil. Ioseph opinione, est ve­re filius Eli, &c. filius Dei; and for S. Mathew, that Iechoni­as, the man childles, a King, neuer childless, begate his succes­sour: and [...]ee [...] or bipotentes Macedonas; parted Grecianes in the Image legges; and Moyses clearlie ended by a set time for our Lordes death. And that vvhich Ben Arama moued, was handled by collaterall occasion, that our symbo­lum, or mark of faith speaketh in Greke, as the Gospell in ho­lie spech: to go to the Father. I haue proued that by a B. D. Bilson, from Grekes abondant, that our [...] tels so much. And for Scriptures old, I have shevved, that vve Christianes, know your Hebrew, better then your selues, for Massoritiq exquisi [...]enes, for preseruation of euerie letter. Massoreth is a rule; and Massoritique: one cunning in rules that way. And your Ievves confess to the Princes of Germanie, that frō us ye rede the purest Hebrevv, that vvas written since the Prophetes wrote. That confession should make you know, that Chist is God, who maketh Iaphets sonnes his seruants so speak with lippe of Chanaan. Yf you be of God, you will teach your contreymē what is aunswered to al your objectiones: at which you stumbled to Gehenna hitherto; Now walk in the light of Christ: whom God made Heyr of all; Psal. 2, by whom he made the world, Prov. 8: who being the brightnes of glorie, Esa. 4. hauing the name of the Father in him, Exod. 23. by himself hath payd a clensing of our sinnes, Esa. 4; and sitteth on the right hand of God in the highest; Ps. 110. Therfore while it is sayd, to day, give glorie to our God, the rock Deut 32.

To the learned Nobilitie, and all other Chrestianes.

As Iewes exceding busied in the Prophets, serched all meanes to disgrace the Gospell, by errours of teachers unskilfull; true defenders should raquite them with groundes of Faith▪ [Page] that wold make them in their owne harmes Gods hated: and force them, yf they haue anie drop of grace, to bow their knee at the name of Iesus. For this, I will heare laie downe a few rules; with this humilitie, that yf anie can laie downe better, he yeld, upon occasion, the better.

1

The meanes to know God, is the Word of the old Testamēt & of the New.

2

The Ievves and vve, hold the old Testament, to conteine as great wisdome, as God shewed in the frame of the vvorld.

3

Ther is nothing there, vvhich allureth not, unto the knowledge of God, for saluation; and all of abilitie, should spend daielie a parcell of time that vvaie.

4

As the Prophecies of the old Testament, conteine the vvis­dome of God; so the Ievves should think, that the unchangeable God being the first, & manifest in Prophicie, vvold be the last, and shevv performance.

5

The Nevv Testamēt is in euerie respect, equal in vvisdome, to the old; although the Greke tongue doth not express natu­rall Philosophie in termes fittet to matter as the Ebrevv; yet the wisdome of God is equal in both. The old Testament was to shew, what wisdome Adam once had. The Nevv Testamēt is fittet in spech to the Heathen weakenes.

6

In the litle book of the New testament, God hath sent so great a varietie of pure wise wordes fittet from the dept of wis­dome, to the present matter, that the language might tell God to be the auctour of the work; & all are worthie of eternall flames which may spēd their life in it; & delite more in word­lie pleasures, then honoring God for his wisdome to life in it.

7

The small N. Testament from fishers of Galilie, and the tet maker of Tarsus, and the Physician of Antiochus Magog, will call a learned reader, to the best Grekes through their troupes; from their first to the last; from Homer to Philemon, and Menander. He that knoweth Grecianes, from Homer to Me­nander, should find, that the little New Testament, will call his memorie through all. One fit for an Archbishoprick in England, wold be commended with such knowledge; & the LL. of a Kinges counsell; who, by Attiq Greke, are all, Episcopi, and Kinges, as Antigonus for all Asia.

8

The Greke translation of the old Testament, made by Ptolemie Philadelphus request, by 72 of Iuda, and used of Iewes, wher the Macedonians scatered them, to South, East, North, and in part to west, this translation, is so skilfullie cited of Galilean fishers & the rest, that all the wittes in the world to this day, cannot folow their steppes, to applie their Greke unto Ebrew. Disdain not, dulnes is the cause of the blindnes. Bishops of Kingdomes should all be Papae, Popes of their owne soile; all [...], Overseers; as in the lxx; All of anie charge be [...]. Babes be deceaved in termes. But God deliteth not in fooles. That Episcopus, that knoweth not what God spea­keth in the old Testament in Ebrew, nor what in the New in Greke is too too lerned; when he dareth teach others, that which he neuer lerned himself.

9

The Apostles had disputationes with the Thalmudiques; who speake after the maner of the whole natiō upon the 613 Lawes of Moses: because the letters grauen by Gods writing, were 613; and the Law and Gospel, hath no more matter, they devided all Moses Lawes into 613. A few moo or less they might have made them; but they saw, they fell out verie fitlie to that number. To these Lawes al the Apostles write; & most [Page] upon these two; Iehovah, thy God, Iehovah is one: &, thou shalt make thee a King of thy brethren. Because the Eternall Sonne, who made the world, sayd, he was the Sonne of God▪ the Atheist high Bishop, in Bishop Eleazars roome, rent his clothes; as he, and all after him, deserue to be rent with wild horses, that after will take his place; or nevve Ievves Policie. So, because he sayd, he vvas King of the Ievves; they made this a meane to haue him King of the Heathen, and themselves slaves to Cesar. And, vpon this Lavv, Thou shalt reuerence my sanctuarie; vvhen the vvord Eternall, vvho had his taber­nacle in us, expounded most graciously hovv the Tabernacle & Temple called unto him; they vvold make this, death, to say: Destroy this Tabernacle, & in three dayes I vvill raise it vp againe▪ And they as he bade, destroyed the Tabernacle, to their eternall fall, & he raised it up again the third day. They vvho knovv not to vvhat Lavves of Moses these thinges are penned, can neuer take delite in Moses: vvherin Kinges speci­allie, as David & Salomon, should spend their time, to be Pa­pes & Bishops of their people; the King able to confer Moses vvith Iesus, vvold be the glory of the vvorld. Novv the ho­ly Apostles folovving the Thalmudiq plain comon places, force all men, eyther to despise God in them: or to be cunning in them. And all vvho protest learning should be ashamed to have them in their librarie, & not in their head. As Bodinus, vvriting of English Lavves, vvas found vnskilful, so al that speak of Salē Lavves, not brought vp in thē, vvill trip in speaking of thē

10

A fourth kind of Greke the holie most vvife Apostles have. Termes of Athenes, applied unto voices of Salem in most heavenly brightnes. [...] the brightnes of glorie Ebr. 1. 3. from Esay 4. is used to break the revolting Rabbines. That is spoken of the eternall son our Saviour; & Esay al goeth upon that terme; & Ieremie & Zacharie, aliàs Ieremie, Mat. [...]7, termed by notation, the exalter of Christ, and Zachariefa­ther [Page] to the second Elias.

Very manie such pearles, the Apostles have, vvhich I vvold handle, yf the King giue that, vvhich novv elv yere, upō vvord, I looked for.

11

Manie before me, and I after others, have shevved, that the Thalmudiques haue speches, that proue the Trinitie, vpon Ecclesiastes, & in my two bookes in Ebrew, that, to the Grave▪ of Hanaw, & the other to the Landgraue, I have shewed that▪ & Iewes without envy speak the best to all the Princes of Ger­manie. S. Paul saith for further matter, that he differeth not from the Scribes, for the incarnation and resurrection.

Touching all that the Apostles have written, this must b [...] vnderstood; that they wrote to the simple of Iudah; speaking most plainlie to their capacitie. And all their speches differing from Heathen maner, are plain to all Thalmudiques; and the Apostles tendered the weake of the world; speaking to the capacitie of the plainest: that no City but the dullard, that crucified the God of glory, wold say, the scriptures are hard; and religiō is reduced to these principles.

Conclusion.

Thus I have shevved our Lordes familie; and questiones depending therupon; & I wish all that hope for life, to know first the familie of life. No familie in the vvorld, nor all together match it. Geve glory to our God.

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