of Iudah became thereby eclipsed Notwithstanding in the times of the later Prophets the like prouidence is continued by preseruing the Lights of the holy Genealogies a◅iue when the holy Spirit in the pens of Ezra the Scribe of Nehemiah the Prince their memorials and pedegrees were recorded vnto Iaddua the High Priest in the dayes of great Alexander where ended the Storie of the old Testament And in the New the holy Genealogies are set euen in the frontispice thereof and the first text read in the Gospel is The Booke of the generation of Iesus Christ the Sonne of Dauid the Sonne of Abraham Which well considered if nothing else could moue a reuerend desire to studie them yet at leastwise should it moue a trembling feare to despise them seeing that Christ is the subiect of that diuine text the Alpha Omega through whom they were writ and the Stone that bruseth his contemners to powder Genealogies then being the first step laid in the new Testament are for vse the first step that mounteth from earth vnto heauen as Iacobs Ladder did reach by which the great Archangell Christ from the top descended vnto the lowest staffe the Tabernacle of our flesh In them wee see the dispercions of Families in the peopleing of the World and in them the gouernment of the World when it was peopled In them the state of the holy and sincere worshippers of God and in them the wicked Idolaters and profaners of all his waies Briefly in them we see both the builders and pullers downe of the walles of Sion Gods mercy euer extended vpon his chosen the blessed and his wrath euer seuere vpon the reiected the cursed For from Cain to Lamech his seueritie continued through Ham Canaan Nimrod Amelek Ismael Esau it followed which last found no repentance though hee sought it carefully with teares and Agrippa his last was but almost perswaded to become a Christian. Wheras cōtrariwise the elect were led by Gods Angell through Canaan Egypt the Red Sea and the Wildernesse vnto Canaan their rest where Sion became the Lords delight Ierusalem his chosen Citie and the Lords Temple the very gate of heauen Vnto which without respect of Countrey Person or Tribe whether Iew or Gentile they that looked with the eye of fauour were againe of God fauoured as Salomon prayed for Such were Hiram king of Tyrus that forwarded the building of the Temple the Queene of Sheba that came from the vtmost parts of the earth to heare the wisdome of Salomon Ebedmelech the Black-more that pitied Ieremiah and drew him out of the Dungeon Cyrus the Lords annointed that released Babylons Captiuitie and Darius King of Persia that fauored forwarded the work of the second Temple Againe the healed Naaman was a Syrian the Widow of Sarepta was a Sidonian the supplicant woman was a Greeke a Syrophenician Candaces Eunuch was an Ethiopian the clensed Leper was a Samaritan and Cornelius was Captaine of the Italian Band. And this made Peter to confesse and say that God is no respecter of persons but in euery Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Search then the Scriptures for they testifie of Christ and as hee is sought for so is he found but no where more fully then in the sacred Genealogies which through seuentie fiue generations shew him to be the seed promised to subdue Satan the iust age of Abrahams life when he receiued the promise of seede in whom the World should be saued He is the Light and Life of the World let vs seeke him therefore whilest it is day for the night commeth when no man can work Saul in seeking Asses found a Crowne and we in seeking the Messiah shall find an immortall Kingdome Happy are they that so seeke and so finde for God is a rewarder of them that seeke him CHAP. II. That the Names of the Fathers and Patriarkes in the Scriptures Genealogies doe leade vnto Christ. MOses ready to goe the way of all flesh in his last Booke and leaue-taking of his brethren the Israelites among many other documents to them deliuered gaue this precept continually to be followed That the children should aske their fathers concerning the Lords Couenants euen since the day that man was created vpon the earth And the disputer in Iob from the same text giueth the reason For we are but of yesterday and know nothing because saith he our daies are a shadow vpon the earth If then from the wise wisdome is to be had what truer can be gotten then from the ancient Patriarkes Fathers and high Saints both before and after the floud they being the Parents of Christ and the patterns of all true holinesse The former for length of dayes and holy conuersations are best able to instruct vs ought chiefly to be knowne of vs for the parents of all Nations vpon the earth Whose Religion and seruice to their God Iehouah their sacrificing declareth and the propheticall naming of their sonnes sufficiently sheweth what hope they had of the other and how vaine they held this transitory world For Adam no sooner had Cain a possession but forthwith was borne to him Abel a vanitie and therefore his third sonne in name was Seth a setled foundation vpon the Rocke Christ. And Seth knowing the sinnes that should be wrought by the Sonnes of the holy Stem whē they for beauties sake should match with the profane but faire daughters of Cains race named his sonne Enos the sorrowfull as foreseeing the heauie relapse in religion and the turning of the grace of God into wantonnesse as vpon the like stumbling blocke the Israelites fell when twentie foure thousand fell vnder the plague of death for the like wantonnes with the daughters of Moab Vnto Enos was borne Cainan the Contrite and vnto him Mahalaleel the praise-God whose sonne was Iared the lowly and his sonne Enoch the Consecrated a figure of the resurrection by the translation of his earthly body into heauen from the society of men and the world His sonne was Methuselah the spearedeath and his Lamech the heart-wounded who fore-seeing the generall deluge named his sonne Noah the Comforter that should restore the earth which God had cursed and re-people the world which for sinne was drowned And the like appellations had the Fathers after the Floud when the yeeres of their liues were cut shorter by the halfe for Sem the second son of Noah was named Renowne who in his name Melchizedek is renowned indeed being the first King and Priest mentioned in the world and the figure of Christ in them both His sonne Arphaxad was a Healer and his sonne Sale a spoiler his sonne Heber a Pilgrim and his sonne Peleg a Diuision and so consequently of all the rest Where by
the fulnesse of time was borne of the Virgin Mary in Beth-lechem which signifieth the house of bread And that hee was the bread of life that came downe from Heauen himselfe declareth and was broken for our sinnes the whole Scriptures sheweth Lord therefore giue vs beliefe that wee may eate with him in his kingdome of glory Againe in the line of Iudah and Catalogue of the Fathers of Christ ariseth a waighty consideration and no greater then is needfull of a considerate resolution namely that in the new Testament by Saint Luke is added a man more then the old or Moses hath For in the Greeke and third of his Gospel a Cainan is set betwixt Arphaxad and Sala contrary to the originall Hebrew by Moses who nameth Sala to be the immediate sonne of Arphaxad without all mention of any such man And albeit Iansenius and Genebrard doe account this disagreement but a small slip in History and Mercerus but a matter of Genealogies not much to be stood vpon yet shall we see an vnsufferable absurdity follow had Moses omitted any generation in his Catalogue for so both the successions of the Fathers of Christs humanity had beene vncertaine and the chaine of Chronologie broken asunder the Worlds computation of those times being onely calculated by the ages of those Fathers But that Moses is free from any omission we must confesse for who can supply if he doe omit And that the Euangelist writ by the same spirit we must acknowledge for that both Testaments were breathed from one and the same God The resolution then of this question resteth vpon the certainty of the Septuagint now extant whether it be the same that the seauenty two Doctors of the Iewes translated into Greeke or no. That it is not the same the testimony of Iosephus who wrote after most of the new Testament was writ doth strongly enduce for approuing the truth of that their translation saith that it was most agreeable to the originall Text of Moses for saith he It being finished and openly read in the audience of the learned Priests and Elders of the Iewes was found to be so exact in all points as they desired it might bee enacted that the said Translation should neuer bee altered nor in one iot changed but continue inuioalable for euer But the saide Iosephus himselfe in his rehersal of the Fathers from Arphaxad vnto Abraham doth name no such Cainan in the saide Catalogue whereby it appeareth that the first and true Septuagint which he followed had no such man And the Chalde paraphrast of all comments the most antientest gathered by Ionathan of the Apostles times vpō that Text of Moses nameth no other son to Arphaxad then Sala nor no other father to Sala then Arphaxad without all mention of any such Cainan which hee would neuer haue done had the first Septuagint inserted that man Nay that Translation it selfe in the first Booke of Chronicles where euery particular Father is rehersed from Adam to Iacobs Tribes and in all agreeing with Moses of this last Cainan no mention at all is made And yet there want not some that will haue Moses to omit this Cainan only to make the number of the later Patriarkes from Sem vnto Abraham to be equall to the ten Fathers before the floud Nauclerus and Lucidus to carry an euen hand betwixt both Testaments will not haue two seuerall but onely one man to be meant affirming that the said Cainan bare the names both of Cainan Sala vnto whom the Tables formerly annexed to our largest Bibles seeme to leaue Others with the like reuerence to both thinke that Cainan and Sala were brethren and that Cainan the elder died issulesse and therefore is by Moses left out and Sala the younger in whose loynes Christ as then lay is recorded as in like case Pedaiah a Father of Christ is by Saint Luke omitted Lyra is of opinion that Cainan was a legall or an adoptiue Father vnto Sala but that Arphaxad was his naturall begetter for which cause hee saith the Septuagint did record them both And Engubinus the Romanist goeth further and chargeth both the Septuagint with error in inserting of Cainan and Saint Luke with remisnesse in giuing way to the time lest in departing from their Translation in great esteeme with the Gentiles the credit of his Gospel would be hindered And learned Iunius though not approuing the error somewhat inclineth that way in saying it was a faultlesse confession in respect of the time and not a slip or fault of memory as some would haue it Vnto all these allegations sufficient answers might be made but not any so fully as Saint Augustine Beroaldus and Beza haue made Saint Augustine in saying that the error was committed in transcribing the copy from Ptolomies Library Beroaldus that some Iewish impostor put Cainan into the Text of the Septuagint to depraue the new Testament of truth in varying from Moses And Beza saith that Cainan was put into the Text of Saint Lukes Gospell by the ignorance of some that tooke vpon them to correct it according to the Septuagint for among many Greeke Copies hee found an antient manuscript of his Gospell that had not the man Cainan inserted vpon which authority he also leaueth him out in the new Testament published by himselfe Yet doe I wish that a tender regard and a reuerend respect be had of those sacred Texts lest in our too curious searching we sinne in entring into the hid things that appertaine vnto God but rather in beholding the glorious order of that book laid in the Chest where Cherubins attend we couer our feete and faces the imperfections of our apprehensions and iudgements as did Isaiahs Seraphins and with the wings of the body with reuerence feare flie betwixt the Texts of both Testaments euer crying as they did Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his glory Another hard knot vpon the sacred Genealogies is cast betwixt the speech of Moses in the Hebrew and Saint Stephen in the Greeke touching the number of soules that descended into Egypt for whereas Moses in the old Testament writeth that seauenty soules with Iacobs went into Egypt and expresly nameth euery particular person proceeded from his four wiues Saint Luke in the new doth thereunto adde fiue more saying that Ioseph caused his Father to bee brought into Egypt and all his kindred euen threescore and fifteene soules This addition as the former resteth onely vpon the credit of the Septuagint Translation and therefore let vs here further examine their truthes and certainties without preiudice I hope either of persons or cause Their time was in the dayes of Ptolomy the second sirnamed Philadelphus King of Egypt who to grace his famous Library in Alexandria sent to the Iewes for sufficient men to translate their Lawes into the Greeke tongue whereupon seuenty two persons which were sixe
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
remaine to fill vp the number of Seuenty Seuens or foure hundred ◅nd ninetie yeeres predicted in Da◅iel Which time of the Persians both ◅n the diuision for those first Seuens wherein the Citie was built and ◅heir whole continuance vnto their ◅nd hath bred the greatest distur◅ance of Daniels propriety That their Monarchy began when ◅he word MENE was double writ ◅pon the Pallace wall and Babels◅ingdome ◅ingdome ended by the slaughter of ◅elshazzar the texts both of Daniel◅nd ◅nd the Chronicles doe shew and ◅hat it continued vnto Darius whom ◅e surnameth the Nehemiah◅oth ◅oth record betwixt whom is no ◅reater disagreements for the num◅er of their Kings and their names ◅en there is of yeeres for their ◅aignes and continuance not any ◅ne of them from first to last but ◅ath a differing number assigned e◅en by their best recorders For the number of their Kings ◅ab Saadah will haue them but ◅hree Aben Ezra saith they were foure and Rab. Moses alloweth them fiue of Christian Writers Tertullian Isidor and Annius Viterbiensis accounteth them eight Ioseph Scaliger will haue them nine Bullenger ten Beroaldus eleuen and Hierome with the ordinary Glosse no lesse then fourteene and as in the men so for number of yeeres they disagree For the Iewes generally to crosse the time lest it should meete Christ to be their Messia giue the Persians from the first vnto the last of their gouernment but onelie 52. yeres though Aben Ezra is content to allow them nin more Of Christians Pererius extendeth their time to 23 2. Lyra to 230. yeeres Clem. Alexandrinus giueth them 215. Dyonisius Hallicarnassis 200. Lucidus 190. Isidor◅ 180. Beroaldus Broughton and other late Writers 130 differing in their totals no lesse then 182 yeeres Whereby we may see how the smooth running waters of Shiloh are become a troubled Ocean vnto many ouer which gulfe of disagreeing accounts were not the holy Genealogies the bridge it were vnpossible for vs to passe For in their first number from the first yeere of Cyrus vnto the finishing of the Temple in the sixth of Darius are added vnto the proprietie of those Seuen Seuens fiftie seuen yeeres making of forty nine which they properly import no lesse then an hundred and sixe yeeres And in the like manner the time from that worke vnto the end of the Persians raigne is likewise ouerstretched to bee aboue fourescore yeeres more then the Sunne euer measured The maine cause of whose differences are the variable accounts of the Heathen and the vncertaine computations of the vncertaine Olympiads And therefore to direct these times the holy Genealogies are as the Reede in the Angels hand that measured the Temple and Altar of the holy City and the men then liuing a cloud of witnesses to cōfirme the Times certenty vnto vs. For seeing that the sacred Scriptures for story at the rebuilding of Ierusalem and second Temple did cease the disagreements of profane Writers in Times computation so manifestly apparant and the euer erring Olympiads the onely Chronicle of the Heathen so vncertaine of beginning and neglect for continuance no sure foundation can be laid vpon so sandy or soft a ground Nor may those profane authorities bee held fit pillars to support the waight of the waightiest speech of times measure and promise of mans Redemption reuealed in the old testament of God but are to be reiected in this holy computation as the vnmeasured Court was to be cast out and giuen to the Gentiles And yet wee deny not but where the Gentiles agree with Gabriels account they may be brought as witnesses to the truth and God by them iustified in his promises when he is iudged Therefore to approue the proprietie of Daniels Seuens let vs trauerse them by the Scriptures allowance both in the ages and liues of men That the first diuision of Gabriels Seuens which was from the going forth of the Edict to the rebuilding of Ierusalem fell accordingly and were forty nine yeeres to the finishing of the worke the answer of the Iewes to our Sauiour Christ doth so much import when demanding by what authoritie he droue the market out of the Temple and what signes hee shewed to testifie his authoritie Destroy said he this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it vp speaking of the Temple of his body But they ignorant of his meaning replied thus Forty sixe yeeres this Temple was in building and wilt thou reare it vp in three dayes And whereas some are of opinion that the Iewes vnpremeditated made this answere as they did of Christs age Thou art not yet fifty and hast thou seene Abraham yet seeing the account falleth according to the assignement we may wel think they spake vpon an Historicall knowledge for three yeeres added thereunto which were the yeeres from Cyrus his Edict vnto the hindrance of that worke by his successors and for which Daniel mourned three weekes of dayes Chapter 10. 2. make the number to be fortie nine euen seuen times seuen yeeres vnto which certenty some are so confident that they auouch these forty sixe yeeres did forefigure Christ his age vpon the earth and doe draw the yeeres of his life vnto the like number of forty sixe because as they imagine the body should answer the shadow the substance the figure and the true Temple the materiall in euery degree albeit herein they are much deceiued for that the dayes of Christ vpon earth came not fully to thirty three yeeres as by the yeeres of his birth and death vnder the raignes of the Romane Emperours Augustus and Tiberius is seene But that fifty seuen more should be added and the yeeres tentured vnto an hundred and sixe betwixt the first of King Cyrus and the building of the Temple the ages of diuers men in those daies will not permit and therefore by the holy Scriptures let vs see how the holy Genealogies stay them from rouing too farre First it is manifest that Zerubabel of Iudah was a Prince of yeeres and actiuenesse fit to leade and command the people in their returne from captiuitie in the first yeere of Cyrus and so hee is euer named in the catalogue amongst the returned and that in the second yeere and second moneth after their comming to Ierusalem he began to set forward the worke of the house of the Lord and to lay the foundation of the Temple is by Ezra recorded and as manifestly was it promised that hee should see that his worke finished for said Zechariah from the Lord Zerubbabel laid the foundation of this house and his hands shall finish it What age Zerubbabel was of when he vnderwent that Gouernment wee know not but must coniecture he was of yeeres fit for that charge but to liue from that age to an hundred and sixe yeeres more is more then without warrant can bee credited and yet for any thing
whether from father or husband most certen it is by the Euangelist Iohn shee was the sister of Mary the Virgin and that by the mother and not by the father And that shee had either beene or then was the wife of Alpheus S. Mathew doth inferre Chap. 10. 3. for Alpheus was the father and she the mother of Iames the lesse as also of Ioses Math. 27. 56. vnto whom Iudah was brother Luke 6. 16. and Simon is reckoned a brother among them Mat. 13. 55. But this Simon the sonne of this Mary and Bishop of Ierusalem saith Aegesippus was of the kindred lineage of Dauid for which and for his Christianity hee was accused vnto Traian the Emperour and patiently suffered death vnder Atticus the Consull as likewise many others of Iudahs Tribe for the same occasion of kindred vnder him and other Emperours did had done So as it may be obiected Iesus stood not sole heire vnto Dauids Crown but that this Simon and others also were interested therein But thereunto may be answered that albeit these and many others in those daies also were of Iudahs Tribe and Dauids kindred yet that prooueth not they were of the children either of Abiud or Rhesa the sons of Zorobabel from whō the right is deriued by both the Euangelists Nor were these men Zebedee and Alpheus the husbands of these Maries nor Cleopas whether husband or sonne knowne to bee of Dauids line or of Iudahs Tribe by any apparancy of text and therefore neither themselues nor sonnes could be heires vnto Dauids throne and Iudahs Kingdome But Christ being the sonne of the first borne Mary and himselfe the first borne of euery Creature is therefore before any of these Sons or parents in title to the Crowne the law hauing established the first borne to inherit For if in al things he was to haue the preheminēce then most especially in that of Iudahs Crowne it being reserued for him vnto whom it most rightfully belonged and hee the onely rightfull heire vnto Dauid as wee haue said Neither had Mary Cleopas the mother of Iames Ioses Iudah and Simon beene a former wife vnto Ioseph the Carpenter as consequently shee must had Ioseph been father to any of these her borne sons For it is euident that shee liued after the death of Ioseph the Carpenter for with Mary her sister she beheld Christ vpon the Crosse wherby is most manifest that with Mary her sister shee could not haue beene a wife vnto Ioseph nor Ioseph haue beene a iust man as Saint Mathew records him had hee enioyed two sisters at once but rather a transgressour of the law which saith Thou shalt not take a wife with her sister during her life to vex her And that Iames the lesse the son of this Mary was the sonne of Alpheus we haue shewed and how hee and the rest were called the brethren of Iesus wee may soone perceiue if wee consider that the vsuall custome of the Iewes was to call not onely any of their kindred brethren but them also of their Countrey and Tribe as Moses did the Striuers and as they of Israell were brethren to them of Iudah And in that sense did the Iewes call them the brethren of Iesus when seeing his person his wisedome and workes and knowing his parents kindred and education in the trade of a poore Carpenter with great admiration they obiected and said Whence hath hee this learning is not this the Carpenter Maries sonne the brother of Iames and Ioses and Iudah and Simon and are not his sisters here with vs And Iames the lesse being the son of Mary who was the sister of Mary the Virgin was then the Cosen-german as we speake vnto Iesus euen his Ants sonne and from that his neere consanguinity was called the Lords brother and not from Ioseph by a former wife as some haue imagined nor any similituder likenesse that he had vnto Iesus as Lyra saith he was of both in face and lineaments of body But much more propperly was Iesus euer taken and reputed to bee the sonne of Ioseph for that Ioseph was his bringer vp in the trade of a Carpenter and his maintainer of liuelihood the space of twenty nine yeeres And hauing no father vpon earth amonst men but Ioseph the Carpenter is therefore commonly called the sonne of Ioseph the Carpenter And Ioseph likewise for the foresaid causes is often reputed and called the father of Iesus and so doth Mary her selfe call him when finding Iesus among the Doctors in the Temple disputing shee said Sonne why hast thou thus dealt with vs behold thy Father and I haue sought thee sorrowing And vpon the same ground that Ioseph had no issue of himselfe begot is built the Perpetuitie of Maries Virginity who being blessed aboue women doubtlesse had not been subiect to the curse of barrennesse had Ioseph euer knowne her as his wife And the childe so begot and borne had beene heire to Iudahs Kingdome in the right of the Father Iesus being but sonne to the mother nor shee any wise interrested vnto Salomons Crown whilst Ioseph her husband liued or any childe from him But Ioseph being a iust man and beleeuing the Angell that told him his wiues conception was by the holy Ghost forbare to touch by mariage knowledge that her Virgins blessed wombe wherein the Sonne of righteousnesse had been incarnate For as the outward Eastgate of Ezekiels glorious Temple was commanded to stand shut and no more to bee opened and no man to enter in by it because the Lord God of Israell had entred in that way so that sanctified Virgins * blessed body remained vnknowne by man for euer because the Prince of Princes Christ Iesus her Sonne had entred the passage vnto his humanity through that holy gate of his Tabernacle Mary of all weomen the most blessed And as the Spices confection compounded in the f◅st Tabernacle was onely to bee imployed vpon and in the first Tabernacle where God did make his Couenant with Moses so the sweete composition of the eternall deity with the then assumed hamanity in the wo◅b of that Ros◅ or Lilly of Zion was no more to bee attempted in that sanctified Tabernacle wherein Gods couenant was performed in becomming the Immanuel for the saluation of man which wrought no doubt in Ioseph the husband a reuerend fo◅ bearance though the bed of mariage be holy and vndefiled These things being so as by the Scriptures we find them not otherwise Iesus his title stands firme for Iudahs Crowne for hee hauing neither brother nor sister vncle nor kinsman by any descent either from Abiud or from Rhesa any kindred at all is himselfe then the only immeate and next heire vnto them both both by Ioseph his father and by Mary his mother And by that do◅ble line