inherited by the line of the mother as Iair did twenty two cities in Gilead and therefore Iacobs sonne by that law could not be the sonne of Eli. Howsoeuer then Eusebius fauoureth that reconciliation and wisheth others to preferre the same for the agreement of our Euangelists yet seeing it standeth vpon no firmer ground than that himselfe hath built vpon we may without preiudice mistrust the foundation For saith he Herod the sonne of Antipater pricked in mind for the basenesse of his birth burned the ancient Records of the Iewes Genealogies supposing thereby to deriue himselfe of noble parentage But certaine men of the affinitie and kindred of our Sauiour trauelling from Nazarites and Cochoba castles of the Iewes into other Regions expounded the foresaid Genealogies out of books of Chronicles as farre as they extended But who those trauellers and expounders were or what authentike warrant those bookes bare he nameth not and therefore such testimonies suffice not Where to manifest Iosephs sonneship vnto Eli let vs insert the sayings of Rabbi Haccanas the son of Neâ—…umiah a Doctor of great esteeme among the Iewes There was a Maide saith hee in Bethlem of Iuda whose name was Mary the daughter of Heli of the kinred of Zerubbabel the sonne of Salathiel of the tribe of Iuda who was betrothed to Ioseph of the same kinred and tribe Where by him we see that the virgin Mary was the daughter of Eli and by her Ioseph is his sonne and not by a second marriage or seede raised to the deceased but rather by the law of matrimony as Moses of Leui was the sonne of Iethro the Madianite and Dauid of Iudah was sonne to Saul of Beniamin And the same law that made Ioseph to be the sonne of Eli made Iesus likewise to be the sonne of Ioseph and that he was so reputed and taken let the testimonie of the latter Iewes witnesse whereof Suidas reporteth in a conference happening betwixt Theodosius an eminent Iew and one Philip a Christian Merchant in the dayes of Iustinian the Emperour whose words to this effect are thus In the Temple of Ierusalem quoth the Iew therewere two and twenty ordinarie Priests and as soone as any of them died the residue chose another in his place Now it hapned that IESVS for his singular godlinesse and doctrine was chosen by them and to the intent they might know the name of his father and mother and inregister it according to the custome they sent for them and Mary came thither alone because her husband Ioseph was then dead And shee being asked the name of the father of Iesus answered vpon her oath that she had conceiued him by the holy Ghost and reported to them the words of the Angell Moreouer shee told them the names of the women that came to her labour vnlooked for and vpon due inquisition thereof when all things were found to fall out true they registred his name in the Register of the Priests in these words IESVS THE SONNE OF THE LIVING GOD AND OF THE VIRGINE MARIE Which Register was saued at the sacking of Ierusalem and was afterwards kept in the Citie Tiberias and I being one of the chiefe among the Iewes saith Theodosius haue there seene it so that it is not ignorance that holdeth mee in the Iewish Religion but the honour I haue among my Countrimen By which and others their owne testimonies is euident how Ioseph was the sonne of Eli by the mariage of his daughter and how Iesus was the sonne of Ioseph by the marriage of his mother both which were according to the law and not by any naturall descent CHAP. VII That Christ Iesus descended only of Iudah and tooke no part of his humanitie from Lâ—…i neither by his fathers nor by his mothers THat Christ tooke any of his bloud or humane nature either by father or mother from Leui is more then the Scriptures doe warrant God so distinctly seperating the Genealogies of Iudah and Leui for the Crowne and the Miter that not any could claime both by any due descent Yet some without proofe haue imagined that Anna the mother of the virgin Marie was the daughter of a Leuite wherby CHRIST IESVS as they affirme was both King and Priest in a lineal descent from either Tribe In which opinion Suidas is so confident that he saith Christ in the right of Leui was chosen a Priest into the seruice of the Temple and that he by that authoritie in the Sinagogue at Nazareth expounded the Prophecie of Isaiah and at Ierusalem taught daily in the Temple Therein following those that thinke Marie by the mothers side of Leui because Elizabet the wife of Zacharie was of the daughters of Aaron and by the Angels testimonie cosin vnto Marie But that Marie therefore should be of Leui it prooueth hot For albeit that daughters which were inheriters were to bestow themselues vpon men of the same Tribes lest their possessions should be transferred or in the yeere of Iubile reuerted vnto the inheritance of others yet in others and especially those of the Kings and Priests line we find the practise contrary and that vertuous women without breach of this law did marrie into other tribes For so did Elisheba of Iudah match with Aaron of Leui and Miriam of Leui with Hur of Iudah Hezron of Iudah matched in the tribe of Manasses and Dauid tooke Michal the daughter of Saul to wife The mother of Hiram a daughter of Dan married her second husband out of the tribe of Naphtali and Iehoiada the high Priest of Leui married â—…ehoshabeah the daughter of King Iehoram oâ—… Iudah which thing haâ—… it been vnlawfull these godly persons would neuer haue done it And the oath had been needlesse which the Israelites made in Mixpah that none of them should giue their daughters to marry with the Beniaminnites if the law of God had debarred tribes from mixtures before Vpon this warrant therefore Elisabet must be held a branch from Iudah and not the blessed Marie to bee a bud from Leui whose parents were all of them knowne to be from Zâ—…rubbabel Dauid and Iudah by the Rabbins owne testimonies And albeit that Tribes matched into Tribes and Iudahs many times into that of Leuies yet so distinctly hath the holy Ghost separated Iudah from Leui in the catalogue of Christ that of those mothers whereof hee came and tooke flesh none are recorded to come from Leui nor indeed from any other tribe knowne of then from Iudahs Excepting Thamar Rahab and Ruth who were of Canaan and Moab And they by diuine prouidence into Iudahs Tribe were conioyned that so by them the Gentiles might haue interest with the Iewes in the Humanity of Christ who is the spirituall Temple as they had been interested in the materiall Temple whose foundation was laid in the threshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite a Canaanite The Scepter and Censer
for thou hast shed much blood and hast made great warres But when thy dayes shall be fulfilled and thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers I will set vp thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy Bowels Hee shall build an house for my name and I will establish the throne of his Kingdome for euer I will be his father and hee shall be my sonne if hee sinne I will chasten him with the rodde of men and with the stripes of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul whom I put away before thee And albeit this house and Kingdome in their spirituall meaning were built and established in and by Christ yet litterally they were performed in Salomon whose works were so glorious and peace so famous as they were figures of the true substances following But that Salomon sinned is manifested by his story for his wiues turned away his heart after other gods when hee suffered the worshipping of Ashteroth the Goddesse of the Zidonians Milcom the abomination of the Amorites Chemoâ—…h the Idoll of Moab and Molech the Diuel of the children of Ammon For which cause God did chastise him by the rebellions of Hadad the Edomite of Rezon King of Damascus and of his seruant Ieroboam that rent his Kingdome after him and carried away ten Tribes These in part were the Rods in Gods hand that corrected his offences but his mercy hee tooke not from him as he had promised whose saluation notwithstanding these his great sinnes is confirmed by these many and more testimonies of Scriptures He loued the Lord 1 King 3 3 and is likewise called the Lords beloued Nehe. 13. 26. His Iedidiah 2 Sam. 12. 25. He pleased the Lord 1 Kings 〈◊〉 10. was a true Prophet 1 Kings 8. 48. a figure of Christ Luke 11. 31. and a repentant King as his Booke Ecclesiastes sufficiently sheweth His sonnes after him for the most part were extreamely wicked for of nineteene Kings of Iudahs throne from his loynes descended twelue are noted to bee extreamely impious who often prouoked and lastly procured the vtter subuersion of that glorious Kingdome which whilst it stood was the glory of the earth and a figure of the Celestiall that is to come The want of issue then which failed in Ieconiah was the Rod of Salomons line wherewith God scourged him and his Kingdome and how that fell out let vs see the seuerall rents that therein were made The first rent of Salomons Kingdome may bee said to beginne in his owne life time when Ahijah the Shilonite rent the new garment that Ieroboam wore into twelue peeces retaining onely two and deliuered him tenne by which was signified the tenne Tribes that God would take from Salomons Throne and Son and giue them vnto this Ephrathite the Sonne of Nebat Who no sooner was made King but that he set vp two golden Calues the one at Dan and the other at Bethel for his people to worship lest in returning to Ierusalem their harts should returne to the Lord and their subiection vnto Rehoboam With this his sinne all the Kings of Israel were polluted onely Shallum and Hosheah excepted for with that sinne they are not charged though otherwise they were as wicked as the rest And this was the cause that moued the Prophet Hosheah to say Thy Calfe O Samaria hath cast thee off Another rent was threatned to Salomons issue and Kingdome when his house ioyned with Omâ—…ies in Ioram the sonne of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah and in Athalia the daughter of Ahab King of Israel For Ahabs whole house that is both male and female must vtterly perish according to the threats of the Lord by Elijah the Prophet Behold saith he I will bring euill vpon thee and will take away thy posterity and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall as well him that is shut vp as him that is left in Israel And I will make thy house like the house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahiiah for the prouocations wherewith thou hast prouoked and made Israel to sinne The dogges shall eate him of Ahabs stocke that dieth in the City and hee that dieth in the fields shall the Fowles of the ayre eate And that the whole houses of Ieroboam and of Baasha were both of them extinct and their remnant swept away as dung from the dung-hill and all gone is most apparant by the holy Text and so must the whole house of Ahab be hauing the like threats of destructioÌ„ from the same Spirit that did not repent which presently beganne in Ahab and Iezebel themselues Hee wounded to death at Ramath Gilead by the King of Syria and shee throwne out of her window was dashed to death in Iezreel by her Eunuchs Ahaziah their first sonne was brused to death by a fall through his lettice window in Samariah And Ioram their second with all his brethren the sons of Ahab and his Kinsmen were all slaine in Iezreel by Iehu vntill hee left none remaining saith the Text of the whole House of Ahab And as Gods wrath followed Ahab in his sonnes vnto destruction so did it in his daughter Athalia the mother of most of the Kings of Iudah and most of them following her sinnes were also swept away till they were all gone For the three first Kings that succeeded of her descent were all of them slaine in battell and in conspiracy And Vzziah the fourth put from the peoples presence died a leaper Bad Ahaz distressed by Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel made himselfe seruant to Tiglah Pileser King of Ashur who carried his treasures away vnto Damascus And good Hezektah was told that his substance and seed foreshewing his treasures should be carried captiue vnto Babel The blood shed by Manasseh called as Abels for Babylons punishments and Amon for seruing strange gods was slaine by his seruants The godly Iosiah was told of captiuity curse and destruction of people and place which yet was deferred all his owne life because his heart melted at the words of the then found Booke of the Law but his sonnes succeeding soone pulled those plagues by his life kept back vpon themselues and Iudahs estate For Iehoahaz the first inthroned was captiuated by Necho carried to Aegypt and there died and Iehoiakim his successor made subiect to Nebuchadnezzar was for his rebellion slaine and his carkasse left vnburied to the heate of the day and the frost of the night Zedekiah was made blinde chained and carried to Babel where he died the City Ierusalem sacked the Temple t burned the Priests u slaine the people pillars and holy vessels transported to Babylon and all of them polluted and subiected to the Chaldeans that bitter furious and terrible Nation
though shee was elder then his afflictions by an hundred and seuenty yeeres And more obsurdly they marrie her to Simeon her brother naming her the Canaanit mother of Saul Iacob they faine to haue had a twin daughter borne with euery of his sons as Adam by them is fained to haue had And good Thamar that got Iudah vnto her bed they make to be the daughter of Melchisedeck king of Salem who died ninty seauen yeeres before Iudah was borne So likewise Ruth the Moabite hauing no father named in Scripture nor Eglon king of Moab any daughter Rabbi Iarchi and others faine Ruth therefore to bee daughter to King Eglon. Keturah likewise the second wife of Abraham the Rabbins will haue to be the same Hagar that had bâ—… him Ishmael lest incontinency should be imputed vnto him for marrying another woman hauing knowne Hagar before And from the sonnes of the said Keturah they bring both Balaam the Gentile Prophet and Queene Sheba that came to heare the wisedome of Salomon As also doubtlesse from the Rabbins the Christians Origen and Chrysostom from the said Balaam doe bring the wise men that from the East followed the Starre vnto Christ and so Dorotheus and Epiphanius make Ionas the Prophet to bee the widowes sonne of Sarepta whom Elias raised from death In like sort when some great personages are but once named in the Scriptures they make them to be some other famous men by other names So Ethan the Ezrathite the Author of the 89. Psalme Kimchi Iarchi affirme to be Abraham because that Psalme goeth before the Psalme of Moses the man of God and because Ezrathite may be translated Orientall So Chalcol and Darda whose wisedome Salomon is commended to exceede they feine to be Moses and Aaron Elihu the Buzite to bee Balaam Ibsan to bee Boos and Putiel to be Iethro So likewise the forenamed Rabbins Kimchi and Iarchi make Uriah mentioned in Esay to be the same man that Iehoiakim slew though there were an hundred twenty yeers betwixt And Zechariah mentioned in the same Prophet to be the same Zechariah that with Haggai prophecied after the returne from Babylon betwixt whom were aboue two hundred yeeres But the writer of the Booke Tobit falleth into farre greater sinnes in making an Angell to bee of the seede of man as hee affirmeth Raphael to acknowledge his kinred from Azarias and Ananias men well knowne vnto Tobit contrary to the Doctrin of the whole Scriptures which teach that Christ Iesus the great Archangel tooke onely mans nature vpon him and that the Angels haue neither flesh nor bones but are ministring Spirits to attend his Elect. Which blasphemie the blasphemous Rabbins further teach in affirming that there should come two Christs the one of Dauid and the other of Ioseph vpon which ground they build who say that Hee whom the Iewes crucified was not the same man that had beene borne of the virgin Mary but another in his similitude and likenesse In the contrary extreamity I would to God Christians had not offended in denying Christ to bee the Messiah mentioned in Daniel the ninth a text most pregnant shewing his office of Redemption in abolishing Sinne and the effecacie of his Death in ending Sacrifice and oblation in the place once holy For whereas the Angell Gabriel in the first yeere of Cyrus and last of Babels seuentie was sent vnto Daniel to declare the present liberty for his people decreed and to assure a future and fuller by the death of the Messiah determined after the expiration of seuentie times seuen yeeres they deny the words to bee meant of Iesus the sonne of Mary and â—…abbinically apply the text to other purposes and persons whereby a stumbling blocke is laid before the blinde Iewes and an vnchristianlike testimony left of Christian Iudaâ—…sme For more to shew conteÌ„tion â—…hen truth or Religion in a booke of that kind thus it stands written Of all the places in the old Testament touching the comming of Christ whereof there is great store that verse 〈◊〉 Daniel meaning the 24. of the ninth Chapter is most excellent and â—…leere yet withall I deny saith the Author that by the Name of Messiah in the verses following Christ our Sauiour is vnderstood for neither the true account of yeeres will suffer it nor the text of holy Scriptures beare it Two strong supporters verily if the foundation be sure but seeing hee setteth the one vpon the vncertaine Olympicks and the other vpon a priuate and vnchristian interpretation wee may safely deny what he doth affirme Concerning the first then or credit of the Olympiads to the disabling of other Chronologies the iudgment of Marcus Varro the learned Roman is brought who will haue all vncerten before the first Olympiad for from the beginning of men to the first flood for the ignorance of things therein happening he calleth obcure or vnknown From the first flood to the first Olympiad for the vaine tales contained therein hee calleth false or fabulous But from the first Olympiad to his owne age for the truth and certenty of things therein recorded he calleth Historicall prouided alwaies by master Liuely that yee seeke them no higher then Iphitus their restorer And these Olympicks doth that holy tongues reader make the onely computators of the Suns course in incirculating the earth for the space of 530. yeeres and by them doth order that time which is of most moment in the Scriptures of God For by them hee will haue the Angels speech for the death of Christ accounted by them the raignes and yeeres of the Persian Kings from Cyrus to Alexander numbred and by them the time from the rebuilding of Ierusalem by â—…he returned to the finall destruction thereof by Titus the Romane calâ—…ulated Affirming them to bee of a sure Bulwark for Chronologie warranâ—…ed by the mouth of Heauen it self â—…y the Astronomicall eclipses therâ—… happening and the only Key to â—…nlocke the shut and hid meaning â—…f Daniels oracles without which â—…y Scriptures alone saith hee can â—…euer be opened whereunto wee â—…nswere That Varro was a heathen and â—…ad not read Moses who seeth not whose writings notwithstanding were extant of things done from the first Creation vnto the entrance into Canaan nor the sacred Histories from his death by others continued vnto Nebuchadnezzar the great King else would hee not haue made these times obscure that are most plaine nor that the plainest which is most obscure And if wee shall throughly examine those his so highly commended Olimpicks either of beginning continuance restoration or agreements wee shall finde them to be but a Babel of confusions anâ—… the truth of time by them as harâ—… to be trased as is the way of a Shâ—… in the waues of the Sea or the flight 〈◊〉 an Eagle in the ayre the tract of
linked together by the liues of the holy line and sacred stories assigned euen from the first creation vnto the first yeere of the first Persian Monarch are as strong for continuance and as glorious for accounts as was the golden chaine that Salomon drew before the dore of the holy Oracle But in the link of the Persians time is so broken a sunder by the vncertaine records of vncertaine authorities as it may rather seeme a vexing of the truth then to leade vs to the true time of Christ his sufferings therefore to measure the stone by the square and the Persians whole continuance by the limits of life let vs see yet further how the sacred Scriptures do direct vs therein Nehemiah a Captaine in Iudah famous in his booke canonicall saw both the beginning and ending of the Persians Monarchy as the text apparantly sheweth for in the first yeere of Cyrus among the sonnes of the prouince that went vp out of captiuitie according to the Edict this Nehemiah is said to accompany Zerubbabel the Prince together with Ieshuah Seraiah Mordecai and others And that this was the same Nehemiah who with large grants from King Artaxerxes came again to Ierusalem in the twentieth yere of his raigne is further confirmed by himself where he saith I found a booke of the Genealogies of them which came vp at the first with Zerubbabel Ieshua Nehemiah Mordecai and others And againe the same man returned to Ierusalem in the two and thirtieth yeere of the said Kings raigne whereby we see that this Nehemiah was in the first yeere of Cyrus and thirty two of Artaxerxes For to admit as Petrus Galatinus hath done two Nehemiahs two Zerubbabels and two Mordecaies seeing the Scriptures approue them not were to make two Moses two Samuels and two Dauids And that Nehemiah liued to see the end of the Persians raigne appeareth by his mentioning of the high Priest Iaddua and of Darius the Persian And that this was the same Darius whom Alexander ouercame and the same Iaddua before whom Alexander fell downe to worship that God whose name he saw ingrauen in the golden plate of his High Priests Miteâ—… besides many Christian Writers Iosephus the Iew in his eleuenth booke of their Antiquities doth euidently declare whereby the supposed long continuance of the Persians time is bounded within the limits of one mans life and some part of that also spent before they aspired to their Imperiall Crowne But against this some obiect that Nehemiah in his old age might liue â—…o see Iaddua borne heire to the high Priest-hood and so record him And â—…hat Iaddua likewise might be very â—…ld when he met and told Alexander that he was the man of whom Daniel their Prophet prophecied that should destroy the estate of the Persians But to the contrary we see by Nehemiah himself who in the thirteenth Chapter and twenty eight verse of his booke saith that one of the sonnes of Ioiada the sonne of Eliashib the High Priest was sonne in Law to Sanballat the Horonite whom he chased from him And who that sonne was Iosephus in the foresaid eleuenth book of Antiquities tels vs to bee Manasses brother vnto Iaddua the High Priest who had married Nicazo the daughter of Sanballat for which marriage saith he he was expulsed by his brother from the Altar Whereby we see that Nehemiah saw not only Iaddua of yeers capable for the dignitie of High Priest-hood but also his younger brother Manasses a man married and of yeeres sufficient to serue at the Altar which must bee twenty fiue at the least as the law for the Leuit enioyned Numb chap. eight vers twentie foure And that Sanballat likewise though the wicked come not to half their dayes might see both the beginning ending of the Persians raigne is apparant for he being of policie both able to hinder the worke of of Ierusalems building and to entrap Nehemiah the builder must bee of age answerable to his designes and therefore of like yeeres vnto him And the same Sanballat liued to assist Alexander in his surprise of Gaza after he had ouerthrowne Darius in the last battell And that Nehemiah and Sanballat were of like age and equall yeeres the said Iosephus seemeth to auerre testifying of Nehemiah that he was laden with age and that Sanballat two yeeres after the taking of Gaza died being very old But to conclude that no longer continuance then foure hundred and nintie yeeres may in these seuentie seuens bee granted let vs measure them from the first to the last by the liues of the high Saints mentioned by the Euangelist Saint Matthew where wee â—…ind Ioseph the husband of Mary to be the tenth in discent from Zerubbabel a Prince of Iudah in the first yeere of Cyrus and that Ioseph liued to the twelfth yeere of Christ as apparant yea to the thirtieth by the testimony of Suidas who saith that Ioseph was but newly deceased when Iesus was chosen a Priest in the Temple The many yeeres then and the few successions therein contained inforce the times continuance no longer then foure hundred and ninety yeeres For euen in that number each of these ten generations must successiuely haue their Sonnes borne vnto them at fifty yeeres of age or not much lesse Now in like manner the like number of yeeres euen foure hundred and ninety by the Scriptures sure account were expired betwixt the gouernment of Samuel and the captiuitie of Ieconiah in the eight of Nebuchadnezzar Babels King And in those yeeres we find recorded by our Euangelist Saint Luke twenty generations from Nathan the sonne of Dauid vnto Neri the father of Salathiel in the dayes of Ieconiah King of Iudah but to giue these latter ten generations more yeeres by many then the former twenty did passe through in their liues standeth neither with course of nature nor hath example in those last times of closing vp the Scriptures records These ten Fathers therefore so enforce Daniels seuenty Seuens limitation that some who extend them to more yeeres haue thought the Euangelist Saint Matthew hath omitted certaine discents in his record And Tilemanus Stella aduentureth to faine fiue men more into that Catalogue whom he nameth Hananias Phaltias Iesseiah Raphaia and Arnaim onely to draw those yeeres to a longer account But wee must not admit any such fainings lest in giuing that liberty against the sacred Record the authoritie thereof be infringed and the literall text turned to serue any turne Thus then the holy Genealogies are as the key of Dauid to open the truth of Story and as Salomons pillar to support the waight of times proceeding without which it is impossible to reade the Scriptures with true vnderstanding Let this then suffice for their vses in the sacred Chronicle wherein I vrge them no further then the Text it selfe doth inforce and againe appeale to the consciences of their opposers whether any
is here in this ensuing Table expressed to sight so plaine and for truth so strong that a man running may reade and imbrace it with faith A generall Table of the Ancesters of Christ. ADAM Seth. Enos Cainan Mahalaleel Iared Enoch Methuselah Lamech Noah Sem. Arphaxad Salah Eber. Peleg Reu. Serug Nahor Terah Abram Isaac Iacob Iudah Pharez Hezron Aram. Aminadab Naasson Salmon Booz Obed. Iesse Iesus Christ by law is heire vnto these DAVID Salomon Roboam Abia. Asa. Josaphat Ioram These with Joakim are omitted by S. Matthew Achaziah Joash Amaziah Ozias Ioatham Achaz Ezechias Manasseh Auion Josiaâ—… Ioakim Jeconiah dying child Jesse his sonne is Salathiel Pedaiah Zerobabel Iesu Christ supposed and by law is son vnto these The Saints of the most High Dan. 7 Abiud Eliakim Azor. Sadoc Achim Elihud Eliazar Matthan Iacob Ioseph the husband of Mary JESVS CHRIST Iesus Christ by nature came of these DAVID Nathan Matthathi Menan Melea. Eliahim Ionan Joseph Iuda Simeon Leui. Matthat Jorim Eliezer Jose Er. Elmodan Cosam Addi Melchi Neri Salathiel Pedaiah Zerobabel Iesus Christ by nature is Son vnto these The holy Seed the Substance Esa. 6 Rhesa Ioanna Iuda Joseph Semel Matthathias Maath Nagge Essi Naum. Amos. Matthathias Joseph Ianna Melchi Leui. Matthat Heli. Ioseph the husband of Mary JESVS CHRIST CHAP. IX How the Euangelists Saint Matthew and Saint Luke doe agree in recording Christ Iesus to bee the sonne of Salomon by Law and the sonne of Nathan by Nature SAlomons House ending in Ieconiah according to the Prophets and Zerobbabel of Nathans familie made Prince of Iudah the right that Christ had to Dauids Throne is diuersly from them by our holy Euangelists inserted for Saint Matthew from Salomon Ieconiah Abiud and Ioseph legally interesteth Iesus vnto Dauids Crowne but Saint Luke naturally from Marie Eli Rhesa and Nathan asâ—…ndeth to the first man Adam to shew him the Immanuel according to the promise of God in Paradise both of them breathing from one and the same spirit that Christ is Dauids sonne and Iudahs King And with the former Prophets agreeing that in his person alone met al the promises that Goâ—… had made for his sonne Christ and so carrie themselues in making him heire of all as no discord is heard in their heauenly sounds But that the spirits of the Prophets may be subiect to the Prophets and the text not forced to a prâ—…uate interpretation let vs see how Salathiel is brought to be a sonne to Ieconiah by law and by Saint Matthew whom Saint Luke makâ—…th to be by nature the sonne of Neri vpon which seeming disagreement rests the supposed difference betwixt our Euangelists The affirmation of Saint Matthew is taking his record out of thâ—… first booke of the Chronicles that Iâ—…coniah begat Salathiel with this addition annexed After they were brought into Babylon In which place as Ieremie tels vs Ieconiah liuing Assâ—…r a captiue the space of thiâ—…tie seuen yeeres euen to the last of Nebucadnezzar was in the first of Euilmerodach King of Babel taken out of prison placed amongst his Princes and maintained in Kingly estate to the day of hâ—… death When hauing no issue of his owne body begot Salathiel his neerest kinsman must needs be his heire as the law required for thus by Moses it standeth written If a man dâ—…e and haue no sonne then yee shall turne his inheritance vnto his daughter and if he haue no daughter â—…ee shall giue his inhâ—…ritance vnto his brethren and if hee haue no brethren ye shall giue hâ—… inheritance vnto his fathers brethren and if his father haue no brethren â—…e shall giuâ—… his inheritance vnto hâ—…s kinsman that is next to him of his family and this shall be vnto the children of â—…srael a statuâ—…e of iâ—…dgement In this state then stooâ—… Ieconiah without son without daughter without brother without vncle or fathers brother 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 was pro claimed a childles man When according to the prescript of the law Salathiel his neerest kinsman was declared successor and in that sense is hee called his sonne who was by nature the sonne of Neri as Saint Luke in recording the naturall line hath laid downe Salathiel thus made a sonne in succession his owne successor likewise is said to be his sonne which was Zerubbabel his grand-child the sonne of Pedaiah as 1. Chron. 3. 19. But the said Pedaiah dying in Babylon before his fathers adoption and Zerubbabel made Prince ouer the people returned hee is therefore called the sonne of Salathiel and in the bookes of Ezra Nehemiah and Haggai where the gouernment is touched Pedaiah is euer omitted and with the like silence for that cause is ouerpassed by both the Euangelists Lyra vpon Matthew iudgeth that his mention was smothered with the roles of Genealogies which Herod consumed when he burnt all the princely pedegrees of the Kings of Iudah intending thereby to deriue himselfe of some great parentage as saith he by the same combustions the old Testament is silent from Abiud to Ioseph either for names or actions onely the bookes of the Macchabees are some stay for stories of those times This silence then ouershadowing Abiud and Rhesa by those names vnknowne in the old Testaments record are notwithstanding by the learned iudged to be Meshullam Hananiah the sons of Zerubabel therin mentioned whose Genealogies as now they stand in our Euangelists escaping the flames of Herods destruction were preserued they thinke by some faithfull Iew or else were receiued from God by holy reuelation as many other things were at the comming of Christ. Which later opinion liketh some well who make a symptome betwixt the first age and this last thus As the first Fathers were reuealed by Gods owne oracle vnto Moses without president of writ so the last Fathers by the same Spirit were reuealed vnto the Euangelists without any prescrit of record which notwithstanding seemeth rather a shadow then any shew of truth But by what warrant soeuer they wâ—…ot this is most certen that their Records were neuer contradicted by any Pharise Scribe or Priest then liuing who daily waited occasions to impugne their Doctrines which thing in that age then yeelded vnto by the most malicious Iewes may not now with out offence be called in question among vs the beleeuing Christians And that the sonnes of Zerubbabell continued a race of posterities the Rabbins themselues doe auerre who in their Commentaries as some haue obserued auouch that Dauid in case of succession ordained if Salomons issue failed then the posterity of Nathan his other son by Bersheba should succeed which in Salathiel it did and those great Doctors daily expecting their King that should come with such power vndoubtedly kept the Genealogies as carefully for the times following as they had been diligent obseruers of the families before But to the purposes of the Euangelists Saint Mathew recording the heires of
King of the Iewes so called and acknowledged liuing after death the same humane body though being also glorified had the same faculties preheminence and prerogatiues of life and rights thereunto belonging as before in his body was subsisting For death hauing no power to retaine him in the graue his humane body after his resurrection was againe verily a humane man among men vpon earth the space of forty daies In which at sundry times hee was seene both saith the Apostle of the Apostles and at one time of aboue fiue hundred brethren at once All of them being faithfull witnesses of his presence in the flesh for of the vnfaithfull after his resurrection hee was neuer seene in his flesh And now Dauids Kingdome come to the full period and the wall of seperation betweene Iew and Gentile puld downe when the vaile of the Temple was rent assunder Christ Iesus then that was heire of of all before all beginnings is thenceforth King ouer all vnto all eternities For being the Seede the Shiloh and the Sonne promised to sit on Dauids throne for euer Acccordingly came of Abraham of Iudah Dauid of Mary in the town Bethlehem as the Prophets had tould and by the title of King of the Iewes was sought for acknowledged and so stiled as the onely next heire to Salomons Crowne as we haue shewed But that earthly Canaan vsurped by Herod and the Caesars hee came not by strength to recouer the terme of that tennor so neerely expired but rather taught that Caesar should haue Caesars paid tribute as a subiect though himselfe the Sonne was free and would not giue iudgment of death for Adultery when it was not lawfull for the Iewes his nation to put any man to death For his comming as the Angell tould Daniel was to a farre more heauenly intent namely to expiat sinne to abolish iniquitie to establish righteonsnesse to seale vp vision and prophecie and to annoint the most holy But of the earthly he shewed that both City and Sanctuary should bee destroyed And so much Sain Stephen whose face shone Angel-like affirmed vnto the cheife Priest of the Iewes when he said that Iesus of Nazareth should destroy that place and change the ordinances that Moses had giuen them Which most manifestly hee did when his body the true Serpent was lifted vp betwixt Heauen and Earth to make an Attonment betwixt heauen and earth his bloud as the Lambes sprinkled vpon the Altar of his Crosse making cleane the conscience of the offender and lastly his voyce vttering this last Period of people and state it is finished when ended the Ceremonies and holinesse of the place And hauing conquered Sathan Sinne and the Graue is entred into his Kingdom of glory is set in Maiesty and power at the right hand of God his Father and his enemies made his foot-stoole for euer O thou that hast the Key of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth open our hearts to beleeue in thee the King of glory and the Gates of thy Kingdome that wee may enter in the day of thy Mariage and behold thee our King crowned with Salamons Crowne CHAP. XI A touch of some Iewish and vaine Genealogies which hinder truth Against which Saint Paul warneth with answere to Master Liuelies Iewish obiections HAuing thus shewed some principall vses of the sacred Genealogies for Story for Christ and for his Kingdom therein haueing vrged no more then the Scriptures inforce it followeth by order and desired satisfaction that some-what bee spoken of their forced abuses falling vnder the check of the holy Ghosts pen. That there are Gâ—…nealogis endles which with fables breed questions rather then godly edifying the Apostle sheâ—…eth and among foolish Questioâ—…s Contentions and Wranglings about the Law ranketh Genealogies that are vnprofitable and vaine And vpon these texts some presume so farre as they thinke themselues freed from the search of all Genealogies and others demand whether saluation consisteth vpon their pregnant knowledge or damnation vpon the ignorance therein That wee are not freed from the search the commandement of Christ doth inforce who enioyneth the search of the Scriptures and the reading of Moses in whose writ and whose pen wee finde all the Patriarks recorded from Adam in Paradise to Ioshua the Captaine that placed the Tribes in the Land Whence the writers of the Chronicles of Ezra Nehemiah and Ruth continue their memorials vnto Zorobabel and thence likewise by the same Spirit they are recorded to Ioseph and Mary and euen vnto Christ Iesus himselfe That Paul therefore should contradict Moses being brought vp in his lawes at the feete of Gamaliel and should condeme those for foolish which he maketh the pillars of his stories may not bee consented vnto neither that in his Apostleship hee should account the search and knowledge how Christ was come in the flesh for vaine seeing among the many graces of the Iewes for Adoption Glory Couenants the Law seruice of God and the promises himselfe she weth that Christ from those Fathers came and tooke flesh vrging the doctrine of his humanity in most of his Epistles and putting his Disciple Timothy in minde To remember that Iesus Christ was made of the Seede of Dauid And that the Scriptures are of an equall esteeme the Rabbins in that thing onely commendable affirme who hold these words in Genesis The sonnes of Cham were Cush and Mizraim with the like wisedome from God as these words in Deuteronomie Heare Israel Iehouah our God Iehouah is one being both of them breathed from the same Spirit And Rambam witnesseth that Manasses was of old time condemned because he held that the Families of Ishmael Esau and such like had not the like vse for histories as the others had and therefore hee forbade the reading of Moses as bookes not penned by the wisdome of God But how true so euer this accusation is of Manasses most certen it is that the Rabbins and others their like haue fained many and so false Genealogies as might very wel moue the Apostle to forbid their abuse For vnto our first Parents the faire foure children to be begotten and borne of Adam and Eue in the first day of their Creation And in the first world they say that Giants were begotten by the falne Angels vpon the faire daughters of men Noah the righteous they make vnrighteous in faining him to take to wife Naamah the daughter of the double wiued Lamech and sister to Tubalcain so should that holy Patriarke not onely sinne with the Sonnes of God in choosing a wife of the daughters of men but the latter world also should bee replenished from a branch of that cursed roote Cain Dinah the daughter of Iacob hauing no husband in the Scriptures record they marry to Iob the great man in the East