in the ending of Salomons line in Ahaziah yet touching Nathans right and families he hath spoken well in bringing Ioseph Mary Zorobabel and Salathiel from Nathan and Nathans issue to be successours vnto Salomons Crowne But in following his forged Philo he erreth exceedingly in saving that the Kings of Iudah recorded by S. Mathew are the same men whom Saint Luke recorded by other names But that Kings should lose the Maiesty of their names knowne at their coronation and afterward be called by other names of their inferiour subiects no necessity constraining as Lucidus affirmeth twelue of Iudahs Kings to haue done is not againe exemplified in the world and is so far from credit that neither Turke nor Iew will belieue the Texts of the old Testament are so to be vnderstood But to encrease the error he goeth further and endeth Salomons line in Ahaziah or Ochoziah without any apparaÌ„t shew of truth For hardly shall be found in Scripture a sonne oftner named from his father then Ioash is from Ahaziah as these sixe seuerall Texts approue 2 Kings 11. 2 2 Kings 13. 1. 2 Kings 14. 13. 1 Chro. 3. 11. 2 Chro. 22. 11. 2 Chro. 23. 3. The dissolution then of Salomons house was not at Ahaziah in the seuenth generation as Philo and his followers dreame but continued vnto the eighteenth to Ieconiah the childlesse as the Prophet pronounceth him whose pedegree from Salomon to himselfe both in the bookes of the Kings and also of the Chronicles is apparantly laid downe Neither hath any Iew the most diligent searchers of the Kingly line ended that of Salomons in the said Ahaziah but rather haue assaied to continue it long after the birth of Iesus lest our Christ should be their King That Salomon sinned we know by his story that his successours were wicked we see by their acts but that God wil bring his house sosoone to a period is not manifested either by speech or by prophecy And the property of God is to warne the punishment before he doth strike for so saith Amos the Lord will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets But where was heard the sound of that threat that Salomons issue in Ahaziah should end and the glory of his kingdome should be giuen to Simeon a poore subiect and of another family And why should it end in Ahaziah rather then in Ioram his father who sought the vtter destruction thereof by murthering his sixe brethren all the sonnes of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah many other Princes of Israell and was himselfe so diseased in his bowels as to mans seeming his naturall fecundity was altogether hindered Againe this is a generall obseruation that when God for sinne taketh his blessings from the offender hee doth bestow them vpon the more worthy as hee did the birth-right from prophane Esau gaue it to Iacob that preuailed with God when he reiected disobedient Saul he chose Dauid a man after his own heart and when the rebell Abiathar was put from the Priest-hood the faithfull subiect Zadock was set in his place But in this change of state and of persons we find no such differences For Ioash whom they faine from Nathan continued the like wickednes as they from Salomon had done and with Cain is compared in shedding as he had Abels the blood of Zachariah betweene the Temple and the Altar euen the blood of him whose father had both preserued his life and raised him to his Kingly estate which his sinne the Rabbins amplifie in the Treatise of Penance in this manner In seuen transgressions Israell sinned that day they killed a â—…riest 〈◊〉 a Prophet and a Iudge sheâ—… 〈◊〉 blood and polluted the 〈◊〉 betweeâ—… the Temple and the Altar vpon the exâ—…ation day and when Nabuzaradan came thither he saw the bloud vpon the pauement and asked whose it was they said the bloud of a sacrificer a Prophet and a Iudge which prophecied against vs all that thou hast done vnto vs and we stood vp against him and killed him Then he caused eighty thousand youâ—…hs of the sacrificers race to be slaughtered for him A wicked beginning verily to be brought into good Nathans line and no better continued in most of the Kings following For did not u Amaziah set vp the Idols of Seir for his God King Ahaz made molten Images for Baalim and after the aboâ—…ation of the Heathen burnt his children 〈◊〉 the valley of Hinnon and sacrificed vnto the Gods of Damascus Wicked Manasses built high places for all the host of Heauen euen in the Court of the house of the Lord caused his children to passe through the fier and shed much innocent bloud whose sinnes so prouoked the Lords wrath that they are remembred for destruction vnto his fourth generation Amon sacrificed vnto the carued Images that his father Manasses had made and augmented his sinnes daily more and more Iehoahaz was euill the short time of his raigne and by Necho was carried prisoner into Aegypt where he died Periured Iehoiakim burned Ieremy his Roule was captiuated by Nebuchadnezzar drawne and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem and buried with the burial of an Asse Ieconiah a despised and broken Idoll was kept prisoner in Babell all his life and by a solemne proclamation was pronounced childlesse as the last of that race that should beare rule in Iudah A wicked generation surely for him that hated wickednesse to proceed from or the Scepter of his righteousnes to bud from such rootes For albeit that Christ came of sinners as from Adam he could not otherwise doe yet hee honoured his earthly fathers with such notes of graces especially such of them as were noted with outward imperfections as that their saluations are manifestly seene For Adam was faithfull and beleeued the Promise Noah was righteous and his sacrifices accepted Terah remoued with Abraham from Idolatrous Vr Iacob was blessed Iudah praised and Dauid beloued from Nathan to Mary not any one blamed of any impiety neither from Abiud to Ioseph in that line but are all called the high Saints of God that should possesse a Kingdome for euer And the like wee may affirme of those his mothers which are set euen in the frontispice of his Gospell where not any one of the vnblameable are named as the beleeuing Euah the obedient Sara the faithfull Rebecca nor the louing Leah for these were graced by text sufficient in the old Testament but euen they whose conuersations were marked with some touch of infirmity as Thamar in deceiuing Rachab in incontinency Ruth from incestuous Moab and Bathsheba with wâ—…onging Vriah his bed And yet these also lest their liues should staine the holy line are noted by the pen of grace vnto saluation For Thamar by Iudah his own testimony was mâ—…e righteous then himselfe Rahab acknowledged the God
falsifyings of their Text. Some Chapters in this second Edition are added vnto the first and the Chapters of the first somewhat inlarged with matters of like kind The purpose of all is to shew that God in Christ reconciled the world to himselfe And that Christ is the seed in whom the world shall be saued In former ages reuealed a farre off as in a glasse darkly and through the vale of Moses But in these last times is seene of vs Gentiles in his humanity face to face where the vaile of the old is withdrawne in the new The search of both in both is commanded for therein saith God standeth thy life and all must be meditated for therein saith Moses is not a vaine word And Christ giues the testimony that Heauen and earth shall passe but not a iot or tittle of the word perish It was Timothies commendations that he had been studious in the holy Scriptures of a child And the men of Berea are named noble for examining Pauls doctrine by the Scriptures Let not then a fore-staled opinion of their hardnesse diswade thee from reading nor a secured conceit that many things in them doe not concerne thee the brand of that Iron that searcheth the conscience for man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And in their learning saith the Apostle thou shalt saue both thy selfe and them that ◅e are thee Of which learning the Primatiue Saints were so carefull as Saint Hierom recordeth that euen seely women contended which of them should learne most of the holy Scriptures without booke by heart And that * Taylors Smiths Weauers Semsters Deluers and Neatheards were so skilfull in the sacred Texts as Theodorat writeth that the most secret mysteries therein contained were familiarly knowne vnto them But not any so great as is the my◅rie that God became man nor more behoouefull to be knowne then is his Humanity in whose righteousnesse the Law is satisfied and in his fufferings the world reconciled Vnto him therefore the chiefe corner stone of this our building be as◅bed all s Praise glory wisedome honour and might for whose comming in power to make all perfit let vs with the wise Virgins attend to enter the chamber of our Bride-groome Christ in whom I rest euer thine IOHN SPEED The Summe of the Chapters contained in this Treatise Chap. 1. THat the holy Genealogies of the sacred Scriptures are of great vse and being penned by Gods holy Spirit ought of all to be knowne Chap. 2. That the names of the Fathers and Patriarks in the Scriptures Genealogies doe lead vnto Christ. Chap. 3. That the Scriptures Genealogies are the Scriptures staies for Chronologie Chap 4. That the Scriptures Genealogies doe limit Daniels seuens not to exceed 490 yeeres Chap. 5. Some difficult places of the Scriptures Genealogies explaned The difference of Saint Luke in the Greeke from Moses in the Hebrew And Saint Mathews omission of foure Kings in his Catalogue examined and resolued Chap 6. That God became man and from what men discended the Scriptures Genealogies doe euidently shew Chap. 7. That Christ Iesus descended onely of Iudah tooke no part of his Humanity from Leui neither by his Fathers nor Mothers Chap. 8. That Salomons house was rent and all his posterity vtterly extinct long before the comming of Christ in his flesh and that neither from Salomon nor any of his successours the Kings of Iudah Christ Iesus tooke any part of his Humanity Chap. 9. How the Euangelists Saint Mathew and Saint Luke doe agree in recording Christ Iesus to bee the Son of Salomon by Law and the Sonne of Nathan by Nature Chap. 10. That Christ Iesus by his naturall descent was the onely immediate and lawfull King of the Iewes and that none other had any claime or title thereunto Chap. 11. A touch of some Iewish and vaine Genealogies which hinder Truth against which Saint Paul warneth with an answere vnto Master Liuelies Iewish obiections Chap. 12. That according to the Scriptures of God Christ came at the fulnesse of time in his flesh And that in him all Genealogies of the sacred Scriptures are ended Errata Page 11. for doe reade did p. 18. f. proceated r. procreated p. 59 in the margin f. 830. yeares r. 83. yeeres p. 59. f. fasciulus r. fassiculus p. 59. f. achab r. Rachab p. 76. f. and r. nor p. 78. f. translater r. translators p. 124. f. faithfull r. faithlesse p. 2◅6 f. they doe r. they doe it not p. 230. f. speeches r. speaks p. 234. f. no other r another p. 250 f. the faire r. they faine 241. f. hath bin r. had bin A CLOVD OF WITNESSES CHAP. I. That the holy Genealogies of the sacred Scriptures are of great vse and being penned by Gods holy Spirit ought of all to be knowne THat this subiect of the Scriptures sacred Genealogies may appeare to bee both holy and vsefull before we enter into the particulars let vs view the frame of the whole how that frō the seed of the woman in Paradice where the first promise was made of our saluation they leade vs to the Sonne of a Virgine in Bethlehem where the first appearance ◅n our flesh was of him that wrought our saluation Betwixt which persons and times God himselfe was the Recorder and with that finger that first writ the Law led the hand of Moses to name from father to sonne the persons produced euen from Adam that fell from a pleasurable Garden of rest vnto Ioshuah that led and set the people in a pleasurable land of rest being thirtie generations in a direct line besides their collaterals In all which the promises of God appeared that was made to man in his Christ In Noah the comfort that the world in him should enioy In Abraham the Promise that the world in him should be blessed And in Dauid the sonne and King that should raigne euerlastingly All which things the Genealogies doe testifie and we know that their testimonie is true and how carefully their pedegrees haue been kept wee see still recorded by the holy Ghosts writ In Moses all of them euen vnto himselfe and where Moses left the Writer of Ruth doth continue thē vnto Dauid And Dauids sonnes likewise both Kings and collaterals are most exactly registred and for the most part with their matches and mothers out of seuerall Tribes named whilest that stem of kings bare any branches And the care of preseruing the holy Genealogies the holy Ghosts pen hath well shewed in the first booke of the Chronicles where the first nine Chapters doth affoord in a manner no other matter besides the rehearsall of the generations from Adam to those times As the like is done for the present by the books of the Chronicles of Kings and the Prophets vntill the Captiuitie of Babylon cut off their Kings and the glory
of these are the vaine Genealogies whom Saint Paul condemneth and so proceede forward to their further vses CHAP. 5. Some difficult places of the Scriptures Genealogies explaned The difference of Saint Luke in the Greek from Moses in the Hebrew and Saint Matthewes omission of foure Kings in his Catalogue examined and resolued IT is the saying of an ancient Father that the Scriptures are a Sea wherein the Lambe may wade and the Elephant swimme God so ordering his word as it is made sufficient for all For vnto the humble and meeke therein is meate giuen to feede vnto life and vnto the wise wisdome to vnderstand But to the high conceited and naturall man for reach is so deepe as he hardly can comprehend what a spirituall motion is according to the demand of Symonides who still doubled the time to make answere what God was How plaine or profound soeuer this is commanded that the booke of the Law bee meditated day and night and the Scriptures searched to finde eternall life for God in sluggards takes no delight Among the search then of the sacred Word none seemeth more plaine then doth the frequent succession or naturall generation of man and yet in them such profound deepenesse is found as may make vs with the Apostle to cry out and say O the depths of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his Iudgements and his wayes past finding out I meane not onely in that mystery that God would become man in the flesh and be made like vnto vs sinne onely excepted but in them also which were procreated according to naturall course and breathed their beings as all others did For if we looke into the Kingly line of Christ or into the other collaterals of Iudahs and other Tribes we shall find such diuersities of Father-hoods as may cause vs with Iob to lay our hands on our mouthes and admire the purpose whereunto God worketh Not to mention then the first age or long life of man wherein some saw fiue hundred yeeres before they were Fathers though the peopling of the World stood then more vpon necessity Iudah is the person of eminent note who in the space of forty three yeeres saw himselfe after a sort a great Grandfather in his fourth descent For Phares might haue beene the sonne of Shelah as is seene by Thamars discontent for that shee was not made his wife he then being of yeeres sufficient for mariage And Phares we know was the Father of Hezron who was one of the seuenty that went with Iacob into Egypt and from the yeere of Iudahs birth vnto this of the descending into Egypt were no more then forty three as before is proued by Iosephs age accounting two yeeres more for the births of Er and Onan that died in their sinnes A matter strange and yet is againe exemplified in Salomon Achaz and Amon Kings of Iudah each of them fathers at as yong yeeres But let vs obserue the next generations following namely Hezron Aram Aminadab and Naasson the last three of these being borne in Egypt and the time no lesse then two hundred and fifteene yeeres by which account they could not bee fathers before each one of them attained vnto threescore yeeres of age though Naasson as truth is was aboue twenty at his comming out of Egypt Num. 1. 3. 7. And that he died in the Wildernesse is manifest by the Text where it is saide Among them that were to enter Canaan there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron numbred when they numbred the children of Israel in the Wildernesse of Sinai for the Lord had said of them they shall surely die in the Wildernesse Now from Naasson let vs continue the succession thorow Salmon Boaz Obed and Iesse all of them Fathers not much younger then Abraham was when Isaac was borne and Rachabs brest as drie to giue sucke as were Saraes when she bare her sonne For from the first yeere in the Wildernesse vnto Salomons Temple were yeeres foure hundred and eighty 1 Kings 6. 1. And Dauid was borne but seuenty foure before the foundation thereof was laid for he was thirty when he began to raigne and raigned forty And in the fourth yeere of Salomon that worke was begun by which Texts these foure were each of them Fathers at an hundred yeeres old for among these foure foure hundred yeeres were runne Which so long a time and but foure generations betwixt hath moued Fasciulus Temporum to imagine that Saint Mathew hath made a leape of two hundred seauenty two yeeres betwixt Boaz and Obed and Lyra to thinke that there were more Boazes then one the Grandfather the Father and the Sonne in Ruth cap. 4. Gods purposes therefore touching the vnusuall courses of begettings in these ten generations must be admired and the depths of Scriptures therein searched according to the precept of Christ who affirmeth that Heauen and Earth shall passe but not a iot of his Word euer perish In the search whereof many learned haue diligently laboured to vnfold the mysteries in the sacred Genealogies as Iacob did to vncouer the well in Haran and doe make these as all others are a meanes to withdraw the vaile from before Moses his face that Christ in them may be seene a Sonne of promise aboue all naturall meanes or hope For none of the Fathers betwixt Iudah and Dauid receiued such pregnant promises of the Messiah as the former Patriarkes before them had done neither was there any of Christ his Parents either Prince Captaine or Iudge in that first established gouernement that might allure expectation wherby the world might perceiue a farre greater glorie was to proceede through them then either worldly pompe or meanes of naturall procreation could beget Which thing also was not more manifested in these his Fathers then it was made apparant in most of his Mothers according to the flesh who beyond expectation receiued their fruit and wrestled as Iacob did to obtaine that blessing Such were Lea and Rachel who stroue for their husband for no wanton dalliance doubtlesse but to be faithfull Mothers of that blessed Seed So likewise Ruth left her Countrey and abandoned her kinreds to be a Mother of the Messiah And in the rest wee may see nature as it were both oppressed and quite dissolued for did not the drie wombes of Sara and Rachab as hopelesse of conception force nature the acts of Thamar and Bersheba as they were cōmitted offend nature And the conception of the most blessed Virgin wholly dissolue and breake nature when her most happy wombe was made the Tabernacle of GOD and Cradle of Christ Vpon whose conception birth learned Erasmus paraphraseth thus As Christ in the first time was promised to the Virgin Euah in Paradise so Christ in
mention of Iacim at all Concerning then the persons omitted wee see they were foure Kings of Iudahs Throne Three of them in a direct line of succession and the fourth nine discents following which were Ahaziah Ioash and Amaziah and the last Iacim the son of Iosiah For whereas Saint Mathew saith that Ioram the sonne of Iehoshaphat begat Ozias it is most manifest by the Bookes of the Kings and of the Chronicles that Ioram begat Ahaziah and not Uzziah and Ahaziah begat Ioash and Ioash begat Amaziah and Amaziah Vzziah 68 yeeres after the death of King Ioram But why these foure particular persons aboue the rest should be omitted is questionable some thinking that it was the mistaking of St Mathew in writing Ozias for Uz. ziah and by obliuion left that line of Ioram vnto his third descent which in no case may be admitted For God forbid that the first writer of the new Testament should be ignorant of that which the olde wrote whose pen though his and he a man yet was the Inditer the Spirit of Truth and farre from all imperfections of men Some likewise alleage that for the Iewes weaknesse Christ would not haue his holy publican Mathew to name the wicked Ahaziah the Cain-Ioash the foolish Amaziah nor the Atheist Iehoiakim in that catalogue vnto which himselfe was the onely heire but as the scumme of the World vnworthy of remembrance leaues them vnnamed as though they had neuer beene And some again iudge these foure to be omitted for their many impieties both in their liues and raignes and for their euill ruling to be left out of that holy Text as worthlesse of names or remembrance Whereunto we answere that the Iewes were not weake in the Texts of their stories we see by their many Comments though in the applications many times they missed but especially in the line of their Kings were most ready from whom they expected their potent Messiah And had they beene ignorant yet Christ the truth would not haue smothered the truth in regard of their follies Neither doth their silence for bad life and euill ruling onely satisfie for many other Kings as wicked or more are notwithstanding by the Euangelist recorded as Ioram that compelled Iudah vnto Idolatry for which his guts by peece-meale daily fell out and his life so loathed as it is said of him He liued not being desired Ahaz that shut vp the doores of the Lords House and made him Altars in euery corner of Ierusalem and high places in euery City of Iudah to burne incense vnto other gods and to sacrifice vnto the gods of Aram. The periured Zedekiah whose eyes were pluckt out himself bound in chaines and carried to Babel where hee died a naughty figge as Ieremiah calles him And Ieconiah so naught that hee is called a despised Idol a vessell wherein was no pleasure and the Signet pluckt off from Gods right hand Saint Augustine in his questions why of seuenteene Kings three are left out answereth It may be thought saith he that the Euangelist followed the meaning in◅oram ◅oram so continued in Ochozios and the rest so that none of these either for any respect due to themselues or for any good desert of their fathers ought to be accounted in the number of the Kings To this may be answered as Ezekiel doth the prouerbe The Fathers haue eaten sower grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge As I liue saith the Lord all soules are mine both the soule of the father and the soule of the sonne and that soule that sinneth that soule shall die the sinner for his owne sinnes and not for his fathers And the Gospell preaching saluation in Christ regardeth the sinnes neither of Father nor sonne though neuer so many but beginneth with the saluation of sinners in such of the Mothers as were most tainted with sinne And if the goodnesse of the Father be regarded in the Son why was not wicked Iehoiakim the sonne recorded for his fathers sake good Iosiahs And therefore we may think some other cause moued the Euangelist to omit their names Saint Ierome likewise from the letter of the Law doth gather the reason of the thre◅ first omissiōs namely from the threats therein contained against Idolatrous posterities where it is said The Lord is a iealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation And these saith he being the seede of most wicked Parents vnto the fourth generation are omitted by the holy Pen of Grace For Ioram King of Iudah had to wife Athaliah the daughter of Ahab King of Israel and of Idolatrous Iezebel the Zidonian worshipper of Baal And of Athaliah was borne Ahaziah who begat Ioash and hee Amaziah the fourth in descent from that wicked bed of marriage To this collection of Ierome I could well assent if it did likewise include the fourth man Iehoiakim But hee being the twelfth in descent of the bloud of Iezebel is notwithstanding omitted whereas nine betwixt them and Iechoniah after him are in Saint Mathewes Catalogue recorded and therefore this his obseruation fitteth not well for the same cause that moued their omissions moued his but that did not therefore that was not the cause Neuerthelesse wee know Ahabs seed by Iezebel had a manifest curse of vtter destruction that his house should be swept from the earth as dung from the dung-hill as were the Houses of Ieroboam and of Baasha till all were gone If then these exceptions may be iustly taken against these diuers expositions by diuers men alleaged let vs yet heare further what may be saide was the cause though not vrging consent without further examination It is most apparant that the Euangelist Saint Mathew to answere this demand of the Wise-men Where is hee that is borne King of the Iewes sheweth the babe Iesus of Iudah Dauid Bethlehem to be the said King confirming his assertion by his tribe parents and place of birth from the Prophets that spake it and the most lawfull right hee had vnto Iudahs Kingdome from those lawful Kings that without debarre of title or exceptions of the people had sate vpon Indahs throne And that the affections of the people is to ioyne with his title at a Kings inauguration the most learned King of all the Worlds Kings our Soueraigne Lord King Iames hath set it for a speciall obseruation in his Maiesties Booke so intituled for saith he though Monarchies or hereditary kingdomes cannot iustly be denied to the lawfull successor whatsoeuer the affections of the people be yet it is a great signe of the blessing of God when he enters in it with the willing applause of his subiects and raignes by the loue and acknowledgement of his people But it seemeth so had not Ahaziah Ioash Amaziah nor Iehoiakim done but had exceptions against either in their owne titles or in
the affections of the people or both and therefore Saint Mathew spareth to record them among the Catalogue of Salomons other successors that so the title of Iesus to the Kingdome might stand firme without any debarre or exceptions howsoeuer First then of Ahaziah the first it is said that he was the youngest sonne of his father for the Philistines and Arabians that were neighbours to the Ethiopians had carried away King Iorams wiues and his other sonnes so that there was not a sonne left him sauing Ahaziah the youngest 2 Chro. 21. 17. And albeit in the next Chapter it be said that the Philistines with the Arabians had slayne all the eldest sonnes yet before their slaughter which was in Ethiopia for thither they were brought the Inhabitants of Ierusalem had made Ahaziah the youngest sonne King contrary to the Law ordained in Deuteronomy which giueth the royalty alwayes to the eldest And Ahaziah himselfe being as wicked as any walked in the wayes of the house of Ahab for his mother Athalia counselled him to doe wickedly for which and his other defects hee was lastly slaine by Iehu King of Israel when hee executed Gods threats vpon the House of Ahab Ioash the second in Saint Mathews omission after the slaughter of Ahaziah his father and of other his kinsmen the Princes of Iudah of himselfe was vnable saith the Text to retaine the Kingdome and for six yeers space was neither acknowledged King nor vulgarly knowne to be aliue For in the rage and vsurpation of Athaliah he was hid in the Temple by his Aunt Iehoshabeath and lastly preferred to the Throne by Iehoiada her Husband which kindnesse he requited with the slaughter of Zechariah their sonne slaine at his commandement in the Court of the Lords house for which and for the bloud he had spilt his seruants conspired against him in his house at Millo and slew him his body not permitted to haue the honour of buriall in the Sepulchers of the Kings and therefore vnworthy of name or of future remembrance Amaziah the third was not a preseruer of the Commonwealths state as Kings ought to be but rather the destroyer of state Kingdome as by his raigne is seene For besides his Idolatry to the Idols of Edom and the prouoking thereby of Gods wrath in his head-strong rashnesse hee prouoked Ioash King of Israel to fight against Iudah wherein himselfe was taken the treasures of the Temple and of the Kings house carried away and the wall of Ierusalem broken downe in length foure hundred cubits and afterwards he liued in dislike without loue in so much as his people pursued him from Ierusalem vnto Lachish there slew him his death not reuenged but his murtherers escaping all condigne punishments And after his death for the hatred the people bare him his Crowne for an eleuen yeeres space was helde from Vzziah his sonne and an interregnum in Iudah betwixt the death of the father and the raigne of the sonne so long for by the parerellizing raignes of the Kings of Iudah and Israel Amaziahs death fell in the fifteenth of Ieroboam King of Israel and Uzziah beganne not to raigne til the twenty seuen yeere of the same King These things considered might wel moue an omission of his name by Saint Mathew And in Iehoiakim the last some disliked defects were knowne for that the people of the Land reiected him for their King and annointed Iehoahaz his yonger brother by two yeeres in his stead contrary to the vsuall custome of succession And Iehoiakim himselfe being made King by Necho King of Egypt his title standeth litigious for the Law commanded by Moses thus speaketh From among thy brethren shalt thou make a King ouer thee thou shalt not set a stranger ouer thee which is not thy brother If then a stranger must not be permitted a King to raigne ouer Gods people then by the same Law a stranger could not impose his substitute ouer them as Iehoiakim was And Iehoiakims title it selfe seemeth to stand in a double defect The one is that he did assume the title and authority of King his brother aliue annoynted and established whereas Dauid though chosen of God and annoynted by Samuel acknowledged Saul for his Soueraigne neither seeking to shorten his life nor disquiet his raigne And the other is the vnlawfull meanes hee had to the Crowne which was by the strong hand of Necho of the cursed Egyptians the ancient enemies to Israel Gods people And Iehoiakims life as wicked as any in cutting of Ieremiahs Role was cut off by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel and his carkasse cast out of the gate of Ierusalem to the heate of the day and frost of the night was lastly vnlamented buried as an Asse is buried so contemptible was his life death and buriall These I assume were the causes of these foure Kings omissions that is to say the first and last not lawfully succeeding in the Throne were omitted and the other the one of them not able to attaine the Crown for the space of sixe yeeres after his fathers death did not raigne King and the sonne of the other for the space of eleuen yeeres after his fathers death was not admitted to be King so vnwilling were the people that his issue should raigne It is Augustines obseruation that Salomon was reckoned for Dauid his fathers sake and that Rehoboam was recorded for Assa his sonnes sake If so in them such respect was had for the goodnesse of the father and the son then in these such contempt was had for the badnesse both of father and sonne as they are omitted and vnnamed and themselues slaine by their seruants and subiects doth confirme the cause of their omissions more strongly And albeit that bad Ammon and good Iosiah were likewise slaine the one by his seruants and the other by Necho King of Egypt and that Zedekiah by Nebuchadnezzar a stranger was likewise made King and all of them notwithstanding recorded by Saint Mathew yet are not their estates alike For Ammons death was reuenged by the people of the Land and Iosiahs death lamented both by the people and the Prophet neither of which the other were And Nebuchadnezzar made the great Monarch of the World euen by God himselfe had thereby a lawfull power both to set vp and to depose Kings which Necho had not and therefore Zedekiah his title is not to be called in question as Iehoiakims is Whereupon wee conclude that the Euangelist Saint Mathew to shew the right that Iesus had vnto Iudahs Crowne recordeth his title onely from those Kings that were without all exceptions estated vnto Iudahs Throne and omitteth those against whom any exceptions are found that so Christ who came to fulfill all Lawes might haue a lawfull succession vnto that Kingdome whereunto he was borne for other materiall reason of omission we find none And
this being said of the second we come to the third The third and last diuision of the Euangelist is from the captiuity of Babylon vnto Iesus Christ wherein onely thirteene generations and no more Iesus himselfe being also included are nominated though in the summe they are accounted to be fourteene To fill vp which number 1. Some will haue two Iechoniahs and them to be the father and sonne 2. Some but one Iechoniah and he to be twice accounted 3. Some that the Virgin Mary is to be reckoned for a generation among them 4. And some that the Text is therin faulty which assertion is most vnsufferable That there were two Iechoniahs is the opinion of Isidore who will haue the one in the end of the second diuision and the other in the beginning of the third and that they were the father and the sonne Rabanus affirmeth the father and sonne saith hee both of them bearing one and the same name you haue the one in the end of the second and the other in the first of the third diuision And with him Epiphanius agreeth who saith that Ioachim the sonne of King Ioachim had the same name that his sonne Iechoniah had and checketh them for ouerbold and vnlearned that put out his name in the second place Vnto them both let Ierome answere who hath very well obserued and noted that the father is euery where written Iehoiakim with K M. but the sonne Iehoiachin with C H N. That Iechoniah must be twice accounted is the collections of our later Writers who know not how to make vp the number to bee foureteene except Iechoniah should be put twice that so in him say they the head of the third generation might be appointed But there is no reason so to imagine seeing no honour from him any wise accrued vnto them to bee the head of that holy generation himselfe being a cast-off Signet from Gods right hand It is Augustines saying also as that which is bowed in a corner ends on the one side and beginnes on the other so is Iechoniah put in the end of the former and in the beginning of the last wherein the ordinary Glosse vnderstandeth a great mistery For by the one which was his transmigration into Babylon he will haue signified the transmigration of the Apostles among the Gentiles and by the other in writing him the first after the captiuity The resurrection of our Lord vnto life and in them both a figure of Christ who is the corner stone of the building the resurrection and life But that is ouer farre fetched and forced to an vnfit application for neuer is Christ figured by a cast-away as Iechoniah is called a Signet pluckt from Gods finger The third is the opinion that Marie the Virgin for her sanctity is of her selfe to be accounted a generation among her holy Fathers But against that the whole streames of generations doe flow who are euer accounted from the man and neuer from the woman And Iesus himselfe who was to fulfill all Scriptures wee see in the catalogue of both the Euangelists to be brought from Ioseph the man and Ioseph to be of Nazeret of Bethlehem of Iudah and of the lineage of Dauid all the adiuncts attributed vnto Christ. And Mary ioyned with Ioseph in mariage both together make but one generation for man and wife are one house one family and one flesh and therefore not two generations else had the former foureteenes beene each of them twenty eight for each of them had his wife But that the blessed Virgin had no enumeration of family among those Fathers of Christ is apparant for that shee hath neither place of birth tribe nor family distinctly named otherwise then the wife of Ioseph that so Iesus her sonne might come in the flesh and be heire of all righteousnesse as all other heires for inheritances from the man had beene euer accounted Lastly that the Text is faulty is the collection of Marlorat from others vpon Mathew 1. vers 8. where they say Where as in some Bookes thirteene are onely read it is likely that it came to passe by the fault and negligence of the writer of the Booke Which in no wise may be granted for to charge the sacred writ with any imperfections is to open a way to any interpretation against which the Massorites haue most diligently laboured in preseruing euery letter in the body of the holy text so that not any one can be missing much lesse any word or sentence If then neither Ieconiah nor the Virgin Marie bee contained in this last fourteene generations how shal the number thereof bee made compleate and the Euangelist Matthew to agree in his owne account The answere is Howsoeuer men haue failed in their many coniectures and dissented in their diuers opinions yet in this last diuision are fourteene generations found to bee full and compleate beginning in Salathiel the first of this last and ending in Christ the Omega of the Scriptures Genealogies For apparant it is by the first of the Chronicles Chapter the third and ninteenth verse that Pedaiah was by nature the sonne of Salathiel and the father of Zorobabel and is to be verily accounted among the naturall fathers of Christ. Yet because he was borne and died obscurely in Babylon before his father Salathiel was declared the childlesse Ieconiahs successor he is euer in all other texts of both Testaments omitted And where Zorobabel is named from his parant he is euer called the sonne of Salathiel as heire vnto him that was made heire vnto the Crowne not of Pedaiah that was neuer interested therein If then the old Testament bee silent for Pedaiah excepting his once naming in the Catalogue of Iudahs Genealogies Saint Matthew in the New was to omit his name in the Catalogue of them that stood estated for the Crowne but not his number among his generations produced that man then being included maketh this last diuision to be exactly fourteene generations according to the Euangelists words account And how these are and may be reckoned see here their diuisions as the holy Ghost hath assigned 1 2 3 1. Abraham 1. Salomon 1. Salathiel 2. Isaac 2. Roboam 2. Pedaiah 3. Iacob 3. Abia. 3. Zorobabel 4. Iudas 4. Asa. 4. Abiud 5. Phares 5. Iosaphat 5. Eliakim 6. Esrom 6. Ioram 6. Azor. 7. Aram. 7. Ozias 7. Sadoc 8. Aminadab 8. Ioatham 8. Achim 9. Naasson 9. Achas 9. Eliud 10. Salmon 10. Ezekias 10. Eleazer 11. Boos 11. Manasses 11. Matthan 12. Obed. 12. Amon. 12. Iacob 13. Iesse 13. Iosias 13. Ioseph 14. Dauid 14. Iechonias 14. Christ. Thus then Pedaiah being as most apparant it is a father of Christ must be in numeration among the fathers of Christ though not to bee named a successor vnto Salomons throne nor is the Euangelists omission of him more against order then was the
〈◊〉 maketh reconciliation for all things for though it be written Write Ieconiah childlesse yet was it afterwards written the sonne of Ieconiah was Salathiel and his sonne Zerubbabel a Signet vpon Gods finger Rambam also in his Treatise of Repentance bringeth in Ieconiah for an example who saith he was a Signet pluckt off and in Zerubbabell was a Signet placed againe And Kimchi the Spanish Iew is so farre from hauing him die childlesse that hee will haue the word Assir in 1. Chro. 3. 17. to be the propper name of a man that man Ieconiahs sonne But let vs see how Ephraim herein fighteth against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim for this was a principall point held of the ancient Rabbins that repentance could not put back a decree made with an oath And the Babylonian Thalmud in Sanedrim expoundeth Assir for an adiectiue bound vp or hard kept restraint or prisoner and not for the proper name of a man Moreouer their Sedar olam zuta affirmeth that it was but the Rabbins report that Salathiel was the naturall sonne of Ieconiah And Kimchi with Salomoh Iarchi vpon the twelfth of Zacharie confesse that Nathan there named was the sonne of Dauid who should not haue been mentioned as a principal man to Zerubbabel vnlesse he were of his family But as touching that it could not put backe a decree made by oath Did that of Zedekiah and them that were carried away with him make them the bad figges that could not bee eaten any better Could that of Moses notwithstanding his earnest prayer preuaile for his entrance into Canaan or the Israelites whereof no doubt many were repentants to enter the Rest when God had sworne the contrary Nay if Noah Daniel and Iob should not be heard against Gods decree of famine pestilence and sword shall wee thinke that Ieconiah whose repentance is not read of and whose captiuitie remained thirty seuen yeeres in Babylon euen all his life long could alter Gods oath as touching posteritie And yet these miserable men seeke to continue a succession from this childlesse man For Aben Ezra in his preface to Salomons Song calleth the Messiah Salomon because saith he hee should be the sonne of Salomon as from Dauid he is called Dauid the Prince euerlasting But had that Rabin considered that no such promises were spoken concerning Salomons sonnes nor that Prince Dauid there named was named before that Salomons House failed in Ieconiah hee might haue knowne how Christ had been Salomons sonne His sonne he was indeed as a King and Successor but not as a man as his heire to his crowne but not of his loynes And I could haue wished that Christians also had not been so forward in following the Rabbins herein and in vrging the text of Saint Matthew in Ieconiahs begetting of Salathiel somewhat too naturally as Lyra Lucidus 〈◊〉 Messeus and many others haue done who leane so waightily vpon the outward phrase of begetting that the maine prop of Diuinitie is thereby ouerburdened For they by Saint Matthew and the first booke of Chronicles would make a line all and naturall succession from Ieconiah to Salathiel as the Rabbins haue done and would continue Salomons line vnto Ioseph the husband of the virgin Marie without breach of succession The words of either texts are these in the Chronicles thus And the sonnes of Ieconiah Assir Salathiel hâ—… sonne 1. Chron. 3. 17. And in Saint Matthew thus And after they were brought into Babylon Ieconiah begat Salathiel Matth. 1. 12. But if speeches here spoken must be taken in a procreating sense then was Zedekiah as well as Salathiel sonne vnto Ieconiah for in the first of Chronicles chap. 3. vers 16. thus it it standeth And the sonnes of â—…oakim Ieconiah his sonne Zedekiah his sonne Which Zedekiah in the verse immediately before is said as truth is to be the sonne of Iosiah But in the seconâ—… of Chronicles hee is called the brother of Ieconiah Chap. â—…6 10. And yet in the second of the booke of Kings he is said to be the brother of Ieconiah his father 2. Kings 24. 17. So that by these places hâ—… is both vncle brother and sonne to Ieconiah and yet all of them tâ—…ue either in nature inheritance or succession And if these seeme not strange in him nor that line why should Salathiels sonneship bee so naturally vrged in Matthew whom Saint Luke cleareth to be the Sonne of Neri and so doth Zachariah in naming Nathan for a chiefe family of Dauid And that Saint Matthew meant no otherwise of begetting then of heires to Salomons Crowne appeareth by himselfe who in recording his successors followeth neither a naturall succession nor an exact descent For he maketh Ioram to beget Ozias whereas the Chronicles tels vs that Ozias was the immediat sonne of Amaziah and was foure descents after Ioram his great Grandfather who died 69. yeeres before Ozias was borne So likewise he saith that Iosias begat Ieconias who notwithstanding was his Grand-child and sonne vnto Iehoiakim the second sonne of Iosiah Whereby we see no naturall succession vrged by the Euangelist but rather such as makes a Successor a sonne to the childlesse or an heire of what consanguinitie soeuer to bee a sonne to the issulesse possessor So Moses was meant the sonne of Pharaohs daughter So Iair of Iudah was the sonne of Manasseh And so Baasha was father vnto Ahab though sauing the Throne he was no kin vnto him for Baashas house ended in his sonne Elah So that another intent moued Saint Matthew to continue a continuall succession from Ieconiah vnto Salathiel And that the Euangelist spake of the heires of the Crowne and not of the kindreds in bloud it further appeareth in that he ascendeth by the legall line through Ioseph Abiud Ieconiah and Salomon no higher then vnto Abraham who first of the Fathers had promise either of King or Kingdome whereas Saint Luke our other Fuangelist in the naturall line by Marie Eli Rhesa and Nathan ascendeth vp vnto Adam the first man to whom the promise was made of Christ his humanitie And how from Adam to omit the other collaterals that in another kind leade vnto Christ let vs here insert that so the whole generations of his Manhood may fully appeare so carefully recorded in all former ages by the holy Ghost himselfe and in the later time continued by the same Spirit of truth in his Instrument Saint Luke our holy Euangelist vnto his Mother the Virgin Marie her selfe The first Table endeth at Dauid as the Writer of Ruth doth And the other from Dauid by Salomon to Ieconiah are recorded by the books of the Chronicles where they end are againe continued by the same spirit vnto Ioseph the Husband of Marie by the Euangelist Saint Matthew Both which their descents from Dauid downeward that the eiemay witnesse what the purpose of the holy Ghosts pen was in the hands of these Scribes
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
smooth and al flesh shall see the saluation of God And that this Baptist was the Elijah there meant Christ himself witnesseth that the Law and the Prophets spake vnto Iohn and that Iohn was the Elias which was to come Who more to manifest his function in many things resembled the former Elijah Their Diets were strange and both in the wildernesse their Garments hairie and their Girdles of Leather their reprehensions free without respect of person and both con firmed by voyce from Heauen This Ambassador Iohn then beginning his function at the Baptisme of Christ declareth him to bee the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Testifying of himselfe that he was the forerunner vnto him that should Baptise them with the holy Ghost and with fier And with this Lambe of God Iohn the Euangelist beginneth his Gospell shewing him to be the Word that was with God in the beginning by which the World was made and without which was made nothing that was made In it was Life and the Life was the light of men This Word saith he was made flesh and dwelt among vs we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and truth This Sonne of God Saint Lukes pen sheweth to be Iesus the Seed promised in Paradise to the espoused Virgin Eua and borne at Beth-lehem of the betrothed virgin Mary according to the Prophets recording betweeene them all his naturall Fathers from Eli to Adam whom he calleth the Sonne of God By which tearme Son through them all he proueth that Iesus was the Christ of whom Moses wrote and the Prophets spake The purposes therefore of the two Euangelists being thus obserued their reconciliation is easie namely that Saint Matthew following the right that Iesus had by law vnto Salomons Crowne recordeth his title therunto from such Kings and persons as excepting his legall right of succession he in no wise tooke flesh of or by nature came and in that sense of Succession bringeth Christ to bee the sonne of Salomon But Saint Luke purposing to prooue Christ hâ—… humanity registreth his naturall descent from euery particular Father and among them bringeth him by Nature from Nathan the brother of Salomon Saint Matthew by a legall right bringeth Christ from twelue as wicked Kings as the Earth bare when they ware Iudahs Crown But Saint Luke by his naturall parentage deriueth him from the holy seed and high Saints of God that should possesse Gods Kingdome for euer Saint Matthew in his legall right of Succession bringeth Christ from Ieconiah that neuer had child nor any of his seed euer sate vpon Iudahs Throne But Saint Luke by his Natural fathers deriueth him from Zorobabell made the Ruler of Iudah and Signet vpon Gods finger Saint Mathew bringeth Ioseph the sonne of Iacob to be the lawfull heire of Iudahs Crowne from Abiud the eldest sonne of Zorobabell And Saint Luke recordeth Mary the daughter of Heli to descend from Rhesa a yonger sonne of Zorobabell who ioyning in mariage with Ioseph he became the supposed but indeed was the legall father of Iesus and Mary was made blessed among women when her virgins wombe was made blessed and the Word was incarnate in that sanctified Tabernacle Thus our two Euangelists vncouering the Arke wherein this Manna was kept by shewing the Messiah in his Nature and Office looke face to face as did the two Cherubins vpon the Mercy seate of the holy Oracle both of them sounding the same thing that Iesus was the Immanuel with their well tuned Harps set to the straine of the Patriarks and Prophets shew Christ to be the Lambe of God slaine to take away the sinnes of the world and the Lion of Iudah crowned with Salomons Crowne who hath obtained a more excellent ministery then that of the Tabernacle by how much hee is the Mediator of a better Couenant Heb. 8. 6. Great therefore is the mysterie of Saluation That God was manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit sâ—…ne of Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeued on in the world and receiued vp into glory Happy are they that beleeue in him And blessed are they that are not offended in him CHAP. X. That Christ Iesus by his naturall descent was the onely imediate and lawfull King of the Iewes and that none other had any claime or title thereunto HAuing thus by Gods most gracious assistance shewed Christ Iesus to bee the true sonne of Dauid and from the Euangelists declared his parentage naturall and in common reputation it remaineth now to proue that the same Iesus the sonne of the Uirgine both from Ioseph and Mary was the only heire of Dauids terrestiall kingdom of Canaan and in that right is euer called King of the Iewes to manifest which shall be obserued First That it was an earthly kingdome that was promised to Abraham and by his seed possessed Secondly That the generall expectation of the Iewes was set vpon a terrestiall and powerfull King and Kingdome Thridly That none other by any descent kindred or estate had any right title or claime to the kingdome of Iudah Fourthly That Christ Iesus alone and none but hee was the lawfull King of the Iewes the seed and sonne of Dauid that sits vpon his Throne for euer Prepare my heart O Lord to indite this good matter and make my hand the pen of a readie writer to proclaime that King which is fairer then the children of men For the first That it was an earthly Kingdome wee will begin with the promise made to Abraham lay that as the foundation of a terrestriall before wee build vpon the mysticall as Salomon did the materials of his Temple whose beauty was a figure of that which is to come The beginning then of this earthly kingdome was when God began to make Canaan a Kingdome which was at his calling of Abraham from Mesopotamia vnto the plaine of mount Moreh where hee bad him lift vp his eies and looke Northward and southward eastward and westward and to walke through the breadth and length of the land All which hee would giue vnto him and to his seed after him to inherit with promise that Kings from his loynes proceeding should rule and possesse all the land from the Riuer of Egypt vnto the great Riuer Euphrates Here we see the foundation of a terestricall kingdome laid whereof Abraham had the promise and his seede after him the possession Of whose state and continuance old Iacob prophecied that the Scepter should not depart from Iudah nor a law-giuer from betweene his feete vntill Shilo should come and vnto him the people should be obedient That by the Scepter is meant an earthly gouernment or a regall authority both the Septuagint and the Chalde paraphrase doe auouch and that Iesus Christ was the Shiloh from
Aaron the mouth to worke and denounce great plagues vnto Pharoah and were neuer turned and ioyned againe But the state standing in a setled pollicy in Dauids daies Daui◅ stood in state both of King an Priest from his fathers Abraham I saac and Iacob and was both a kingly Priest and a priestly King in the land for the Scepter of Iudah hee bare whereunto all were obedient and the Leuites of Aaron he ordered for their seruices in the Temple though the ministeriall still lay in Leui. So did Salomon in assembling the Priests to bring the things of the Tabernacle into the Temple and in praying for and blessing the people This kingly authority and priestly dealings to remooue the defects of Church and commonweale we see in Ezekiah by the reforming the land of their Groues and grauen Images and in breaking to peeces the Brasen Serpent that Moses had set vp when the people thereunto burned incense and committed Idolatry And by the yong king Iosiah in his care for the Temple and continuance of the Passeouer which hee commanded to be kept And this power of Scepter and Censer made the whole throne of Dauid wherein Christ the true substance was to sit for euer as had beene promised to Dauid of Iudah that he should not want one to sway the Scepter nor Leui a Sacri◅cer to stand and minister before the Lord for euer which none could doe but Iesus the sonne who liueth blessed for euer and euer And that Iesus in these things was heire to Abraham Isaac and Iacob to Dauid Salomon Ezekiah and Iosiah and in truth to all the Patriarkes Promises in the law is witnessed by the Apostle who calleth him the Heire of all things the Heire of the World And in the person of Melchizedek proueth his function both of King and Priest A King of Peace without beginning of daies or ende of time and a Priest not made after the Law but after the power of the endlesse life that continueth for euer Dauids Lord he is called by Dauid himselfe greater then Salomon in his wisdome and workes and for zeale to the Lords house exceeded both Ezekiah and Iosiah cleansing the Temple of prophane marchandizings and instituting for the Pasouer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and for the Lambe of the Law the figure his owne body the substance The Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world and raigneth after death Dauids Lord for euer But the date of that earthly pollicy now neerely expired Christ came not to continue it further but as a better Ioshuah to bring the people into a better rest then that transitory Canaan was euen into that kingdom of glory which was appointed vnto him by his Father and which himselfe appointed to his Apostles where they shuld sit vpon twelue Thrones and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell And therefore to draw their mindes from the one and to fix them on the other he vsed neither worldly pomp nor worldly power but refused al offers of magistracy yet to no preiudice of his right but rather as impedimēts to his functiō For surely had he executed any tēporall authority among them then temporal strength had bin imputed to his spirituall actions so forward were the people to outward things For preuention whereof wee see all outward meanes failing His father was a poore Catpenter of small esteeme read of among the people his mother noted by the pen of the Euangelist to bee of the meanest estate as appeareth by the offering for her purification which was but a paire of Turtle Doues or two yong Pigions the oblation enioyned for the poorest sort of weomen as the Law had said If shee bee not able to bring a Lambe shee shall bring two Turtle Doues or two yong pigions vnto the Priest which Mary did And in the person of Iesus himselfe all outward appearance were likewise preuented For his first entertainment was poore his birth Chamber a Stable and his Cradle a Crach for there was no roome for his Parents in the Inne The prouision for his liuely-hood were scanter then the world affoorded vnto vnreasonable Creatures for the Foxes had holes and the birds nests but the Sonne of man no place to lay his head And in the short passage of his kingly triumph when with concourse he was followed and with shouts of Hosanna saluted King of Israell his reioycing was teares with sighes for Ierusalem that knew not of that her visitation Neither after his death had hee the preheminence as most of them had to bee buried in the graues of their fathers but was laid in the Sepulchre of another man and at another mans charge intombed such fauours the world affoorded vnto this great king And therefore as it hath been of him prophesied that he should be a man despised without forme or beautie meeke lowly as a Sheep to the slaughter a iust and a poore King so was it expedient that all these parts in the person of Iesus should bee fulfilled And so himselfe taught in the way to Emaus when hee began at Moses and all the Prophets and by them proued that Christ ought so to haue liued so to haue suffered as he did And therefore the obiection made by Iulian and others that had Christ beene really king of the Iews than had he exercised the authority really of King of the Iewes deserueth no answeare For as he was called and verily was the Sonne of Man although he had no immediate father among men vpon the earth so was he called and verily was king of the Iewes though he vsed no kingly authority among men on the earth And why should that be obiected more against Iesus then against all his Ancestors the high Saints from Abiud to Ioseph who by birth were the vndoubted heires to that Crowne which notwithstanding was vsurped vpon by the Gentiles aboue the space of 400. yeeres Neither had they any promise that they should euer recouer that that terrestriall kingdome but rather that they should possesse the eternall which none could take from them And that Christ Iesus was King of that Kingdome promised and that Sonne that should sit vpon Dauids Throne for euer which none besides him could euer doe wee may further proue by his life after death For as hee assumed the flesh of Dauid and in the same flesh was the vndoubted heire of Dauid to the very instant of his death and in his death also had the same title devulged to the open view of all which hee caried with him to his graue so after his sleepe for his death was but a sleepe vnto him in his person onely it remained as before and in his person onely shall remaine for euer For the same humane body that was borne
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 very names of these Patriarkes and Fathers an hystoricall narration may bee made vnto the Messiah himselfe who was Iesus the Sauiour the Emanuel God with vs. Then let vs not thinke that these names of Christ his Parents or others vpon occasions giuen or changed fell from the mouthes of these Patriarkes as lots fall from the lappe but rather doe those Prophets fore-seeing Christ to come met him with their thankfull remembrances and saw his daies a farre off and reioyced These Etymologies then leade vs vnto the Messiah as the Starre did the Wise-men vnto Christ wherein if our dull apprehensions fall too short as who can comprehend the full mystery that God would become man in the flesh where we vnderstand let vs reioyce and bee thankfull and where wee vnderstand not let vs pray for his Spirit that our darknes may be made light in Christ. CHAP. III. That the Scriptures Genealogies are the Scriptures staies for Chronology AS then the names of these Fathers affoord great light to the sacred stories and heauenly moisture to the thirsting Searcher So are their dayes the bounds of the yeere and their liues the measure of time and of the Sunnes course for neither by the motions of the Planets nor circle of the Moone the Sunne was obserued to passe the twelue Signes in the Zodiake for two thousand eighty three yeeres continuance but onely and altogether by the liues of those first Patriarkes for many generations successiuely This glory God gaue to parents of his Son that so long as they held him for their God Iehouah and with true worship honoured him aright so long that most excellent creature the Sunne the beauty of the heauens and the delight of the world gaue place for his measurings to these earthly men For no otherwise was the world calculated then by this threefolde accounts of begettings ages and deaths of the first nineteene Fathers before and after the floud which account is of such strength as the threefold cord of Salomon is not so strong As for example Adam at an hundred and thirty yeeres of his life begat Seth and liued after his birth eight hundred and died aged nine hundred and thirty yeeres Seth at an hundred and fiue begot Enos he liued after his birth eight hundred and seuen and died aged nine hundred and twelue yeeres Enos liued ninety yeeres and begot Cainan and liued after hee had begot Cainan eight hundred and fifteene yeers so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dayes of Enos were nine hundred and fiue yeeres and so of all the rest vnto Terah the Father of Abraham But Terah falling to Idolatrie with the rest of the profane beyond the Riuer besides that note of infamie to be the first of the holy Lyne that serued strange gods was the last of that Lyne that measured the Sunnes course and had that honour for computation taken from him as one vnworthy to direct the light of the world being fallen into darke Idolatry himselfe and God from that time tied the summe of times in holier bands as from the promise to the Law from the Law to the building of the Temple from thence to the Kingdomes diuision and their continuance by Ezekiels siege and sleep to the destruction of the Temple thence to the end of Babels captiuity and lastly thence to the eternall liberty bought with the bloud and death of our Messiah Christ. But God in Iustice euer remembring mercy hath not so eclipsed these holy Fathers renowne as to stand naked for vse in the computations following but hath rather set them for Stones in times buildings to giue the luster of truth in the Theologicall Chronicle of his sacred decrees and hath made them Iudges how the times set by himselfe fell in number weight and measure For in the sweete promises to Abraham that his seed should inherit the Land of Canaan this pill of bitter digestion came in that they should be afflicted in a strange Land the space of foure hundred yeeres and those expired in the fourth generation they should be deliuered Now the most noted affliction was the thraldome of Egypt vnder the burdens of brick and clay and the deliuery from that Iron furnace was as faithfully accomplished and as mightily performed in the fourth generation of Israels sons For of Iudahs tribe Hezron was one that went downe into Egypt and Nahshon the fourth in desent was a Prince in the Wildernesse So likewise of Leui Kohath was one of the seauentie soules and his fourth Eleazer diuided the Land Againe the dwelling of the children of Israel in Egypt as Moses to some seemeth to auerre was foure hundred and thirty yeers But the Apostle Saint Paul who wrote by the same spirit to proue grace before workes maketh the number no more betwixt the promise and the Law now wee know that the Law was giuen immediately vpon the departure of Israel out of Egypt in the wildernesse of Sinai as also that the halfe of those yeeres were fully expired before that Israel came to dwell in Egypt For Abraham at seuenty fiue receiued the promise and at an hundred of his life which was twenty fiue yeeres after Isaac was borne Isaac at sixty begot Iacob and Iacob was an â—…o when he came before Pharaoh all which added together make but halfe the number euen two hundred and fifteene Thus then by the sacred Genealogies the sure foundations of holy stories wee are taught how to reade Moses with vnderstanding who in these foure hundred thirty yeeres doth include the peregrinations afflictions and dwellings of Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Land of Canaan with the Israelites soiourning in Egypt And so the Septuagints doe interpret the Text The dwelling say they of the children of Israel which dwelt in Egypt and in the Land of Canaan both â—…hey and their Fathers was foure hundred and thirty yeeres And in the same words doth Augustine expound it as Iosephus likewise before him had done The mistaking of this hath beene Gordius knot vnto many and hath â—…oubled Genebrard not a little to vnâ—…ose who to defend the Latine bad â—…anslation rather will haue Moses 〈◊〉 omit some of his owne Ancestors 〈◊〉 his Text then that their Text â—…ould therein be faulty But neuer any Hebrew Greeke or â—…atine euer set Moses further from Abraham then the seauenth nor is â—…is obiection of greater force of the impossibility that from seuenty persons onely sixe hundred thousand men besides women and children should bee proceated within the compasse of two hundred and fifteene yeeres For if we consider the wonderful increase of Israel in Egypt who aboundantly multiplied and waxed exceeding many so that the Land saith the Text was filled with them and that from seauenty persons all of them able and apt for generation we shal find it nothing so strange But stranger had it
beene if Israels abode had beene in Egypt fully foure hundred and thirty yeeres with no greater increase God promising to multiply that seede of Abraham as the starres of Heauen and the dust of the earth For in the like space of foure hundred and thirty yeeres the World from the floud was replenished onely by three persons Iaphet Sem and Ham with farre greater increase For in Abrahams story we reade of the preparation of nine Kings and of sixe Nations in Canaan and the Countries adiacent And that the earth was peopled and replenished both continent and Ilands long before wee see by the dispersions of Noahs sonnes through the world neither doth the Text being aduisedly read inforce any such continuance in Egypt for thus doth Moses write and our last translation reade The soiourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was foure hundred and thirty yeeres But that the Israelites dwelt not in Egypt foure hundred and thirty yeeres as Genebrard vnderstandeth Moses a second foundation by the holy Genealogies is laid for Kohath accompanied Iacob into Egypt and his sonne was Amram and his son Moses Then seeing Kohath is the enterer and Moses the departer the time cannot extend to foure hundred and thirty yeeres for Kohath liued but one hundred thirty three yeeres Amram his sonne but one hundred thirty seuen and Moses his son was eighty at the departure All which added together make but three hundred and fifty and yet some of them also must bee deducted where they liued together These ages therfore are so sure and true witnesses of Moses his meaning that Genebrard mistaking it affirmeth some betwixt Kohath and Moses to bee omitted To such extremity Genealogies enforceth And yet further to illustrate the text for story a weake woman may serue to support the truth namely Iochebed the mother of Moses who was the immediate daughter of Leui borne vnto him in Egypt by Elishebah his wife Nom. 26. 59. Now the life of Leui extended but to one hundred thirty seuen yeeres Exod. 6. 16. whereof forty three were spent before hee came into Egypt which thus may be collected Leui was borne of Leah in the third yeere of the second seuen of Iacobs seruice with Laban in the end of which seauen Ioseph also was borne Gen. 30. 25. Chap. 31. 41. So that Ioseph is but foure yeeres yonger then Leui. Now Iosephs age at his expounding of Pharoahs dreame was thirty Gen. 41. 46. And thence the seauen yeeres of plenty and the two of famine were expired Gen. 45. 6. So that Ioseph was aged when his Father and bretheren came into Egypt thirty nine yeeres and Leui his elder was at that time forty three whose continuance then in Egypt must be ninety foure yeeres for ninety foure added to forty three make one hundred thirty seauen his whole age to his death before which time it is manifest Iochebed his daughter must bee borne or be begotten Now if the abode in Egypt were fully foure hundred thirty yeeres then three hundred thirty six yeeres after Leui his death must be the departure thence but so long a time by Iochebeds age cannot be granted for she being borne but ninety foure yeeres after the first entrance and liuing to beare a sonne but eighty yeers before the departure the time betwixt the death of her father and the birth of her sonne must be the age of her owne life for had shee beene borne the day of her fathers death which is not likely and had died the day of her sonnes birth which wee know is contrary yet must shee haue beene two hundred fifty and sixe yeeres old when shee bare Moses A time by much too long for weomen to conceiue and her age farre vnfit to giue sucke or to bee chosen a fit nurse for a Kings daughters sonne And therefore it is certenly gathered by these holy Genealogies that the peregrinations of the Patriarks Abraham Isaac and Iacob for the space of two hundred and fifteene yeeres must be accounted with the time of the continuance in Egypt both which together make the sum of foure hundred and thirty What lights therefore Genealogies are for history let these here alleaged stand for witnesses wherein I appeale to the gaine-sayers themselues whether any text bee forced contrary to the true meaning CHAP. IIII. That the Scriptures Genealogies doe limit Daniels Seuens not to exceede 490 yeeres THE like vse and vtility shall we find in the succeeding times of the sacred Records and most especially in that which concerneth vs most namely â—…he time mentioned in Daniel which â—…oreshewed the death of the true Lambe Christ vnto whom all the sacrifices of the Law pointed and in whom all the Leuiticall rites ended â—…e being our high Priest farre aboue Aarons order Now among many other maleâ—…ictions threatned for the breach of â—…he Law this was one that the Land should lie waste to pay her Sabbaths of rest Which time of waste â—…he Prophet Ieremy affirmeth to haue beene seuenty yeeres and doth begin their account in the first yeere of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel from whence all nations should serue him his sonne and sonnes sonne the space of seuenty yeeres which expired in the third of Belshazzar and first yeere of King Cyrus when the raigne of the Kingdome of Persia beganne as it is in 2. Chron. 36. 20. 22. Vpon which Text of Ieremie Daniel tooke his occasion of Prayer for their deliuerance and the Lord was as ready to accomplish his promise who sending his Angell euen in the same moment certified him that whilest his supplications were in making the Decree of deliuerance was in determining and that not onely from Babels seuenty yeeres captiuity but also thence after seuenty times seuen should bee a full deliuerance from spiritual thraldome by the doctrine and death of the Messiah These seuenty seuens Gabriel diuideth into 3. parts as followeth 1. To the rebuilding of the City and building the second Temple seuen seuens Secondly Sixty two seuens wherein a silence for Prophesie the want of fier from heauen the Vrim and Thummim should be had And thirdly one seuen in the halfe whereof Christ should confirme the Couenant for many and in the end thereof should seale vp mans redemption by his death and passion Notwithstanding this tripple account and plainnesse of Chronologie which the Angell aimeth at as to the true period of times fulnesse hath beene troubled with the vncertaine computations both of Iewes and Christians who haue both shrunke and tentered them from the iust number of foure hundred and ninety yeeres which seuenty seuens make in their owne propriety For some will haue them to containe no fixed certaine time at all but rather thinke they were spoken vnto Daniel as Christ spake vnto Peter in forgiuing his brothers offences I say not vnto thee vnto seauen times but vnto seuenty times
knowne to the contrary he might liue long after the worke was finished Another witnesse wee haue as aged if not more as Zerubbabel and a principall man also who with him returned from Babylon in the first yeere of Cyrus euen Ezra the Scribe the sonne of Seraiah the high Priest whose ancestors both in the seuenth chapter of his booke and in the first booke of the Chronicles are reckoned vp vnto Aaron Now the same Seraiah father to Ezra was carried to Riblah in the land of Hamah and there slaine by Nebuehadnezzar King of Babel in the nineteenth yeere of his raigne So that had Ezra been begot but the day of his fathers death which is not likely yet must he haue been fiftie yeeres aged at the returne from captiuitie in the first yeere of Cyrus since when had there been one hundred and sixe yeeres as some account to there building of the Temple then must Ezra haue been at that time one hundred fifty sixe yeeres old an age by much too long to retaine actiuenesse or to stand as hee did from morning till mid-day to reade and expound the Law to the people But to liue a long time after as it is said he did euen to the end of the Persians raigne which was eightie yeeres more his life must haue seene more yeeres then that shortned age of mans life could attaine vnto And therefore the vncertaine accounts of the Heathen must be measured by those men whom the scriptures haue made their measuring â—…eedes And seeing God hath ordained â—…hat by the mouth and testimonie of two â—…r three witnesses the truth shall bee established Let Mordecai an eminent man of Beniamin stand for another This Mordecai was carried away captiue into Babylon with Ieconiah King of Iudah in the eighth yeere of Nebuchadnezzar and nourished Ester in the dayes of Ahashuerosh King of Persia vnto the twelfth yeere of his raigne And that this Ahashuerosh was Darius Histaspis besides Lyra and others ancient the moderne Writers Beroaldus Broughten Willet More the Geneuian Annotation and many more affirme and Herodotus in his third booke nameth Atossa to bee the wife of Hystaspis sounding so neere to Adassa the other name of Ester as without preiudice we may call Ester his Queene And the rather for that the said Author reporteth she could preuaile in any thing with the King her husband which the Scripture confirmeth euen to the halfe of his Kingdome And likewise Hellanicus another Heathen Author reporteth that Atossa Queene of Persia was the first inuenter of Epistles which vndoubtedly was ministred vpon the Letters by her procured and sent vnto one hundred and twenty seuen Prouinces for the sauing of her people whom Ahashuerosh had condemned at the sute of wicked Haman But that this Ahashuerosh could be Xerxes and he eighty foure yeeres after Cyrus as he hath been set the age of Mordecai may not admit for had Mordecai been but eight yeeres of age when hee was carried away captiue with Ieconiah in the eight yeere of Nebuchadnezzar yet must he haue been seuenty at the returne from Babylon but to adde almost a hundred yeeres more neither humanitie could require his so aged knees to bow nor nature afford his body to bee of such agilitie as it was for State affaires mans terme of life as Solon told Croesus men of the same time to be onely threescore and tenne yeeres I am not ignorant that some will haue the relatiue which to be referred to the antecedent Kish which say they the text doth import in these words Mordecai the sonne of Iair the sonne of Shimei the sonne of Kish and this Kish they will haue the man that had been carried captiue vnto Babilon with Ieconiah But if the words of Esters Apocrypha may be herd it was not Kish but Mordecai for there Mordecai a Noble man that dwelt in Susis and bare office in the Kings Court was he that had the dreame and was the man which Nebuchadnezzar brought captiue from Ierusalem as Chap. 2. 4. Which booke though not Canonicall yet is it ancient and may well be a witnesse in a well knowne historie Besides we see that the intent of that story is not to relate of Kish his captiuitie if any such had been the miseries of those times now ouerblowne but rather the meanes that God then wrought to saue his Church by this his instrument Mordecai that had seene the deliuerance both of himself and others from that Captiuitie of Babylon and now was an acter to blunt the edge of wicked Hamans sword And that the time could extend to those yeeres thus inlarged betwixt Cyrus his Edict and the building of the Citie Nehemiah doth bring a whole Iury of witnesses against it who in his catalogue of twenty two men that returned with him and Zerubbabel from Chaldea vnto Iewrie â—…ameth twelue of them to be liuing â—…n the daies of his gouernment after that the walles of Ierusalem were finished which were Seraiah Amaziah Malluch Hattush Sebaniah Haâ—…im Merimoth Ginnethon Abbiiah Miiamin Bilgai and Shemaiah as in the tenth and twelfth Chapters of Nehemiah apparantly is seene But from these particulars let vs come to the generals That many of the same persons which had been caried captiue vnto Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar were returned and aliue at the building of the second Temple in the second yeere of Darius is manifest by this speech of Haggai who is left saith â—…e among you that saw this house in her first glory and how doe you see it now is it not in your eies in comparison of it as nothing Whereby it is apparant that many of the returned had seene the great beauty of Salomons Temple and were seated againe in Ierusalem according to the Vision of the gooâ—… figges seene by Ieremy concerninâ—… the captiuitie of Ieconiah whom thâ—… Lord had promised to bring again to Iudah to build them and not destroâ—… them to plant them and not to root theâ—… out And albeit that Zecariah told theâ—… that old men and old women shoulâ—… walke the streetes of Ierusalem vpon theâ—… staues through decrepit age yeâ—… such exceeding old age could not bâ—… retained in that age of the world foâ—… had an hundred and sixe yeeres beeâ—… expired from the first yeere of Cyrus to the rebuilding of Ierusalem anâ—… the Temple then should the returneâ—… each of them haue been at that timâ—… an hundred sixty seuen yeeres aged had they been but ten when Salomons Temple was destroyed anâ—… ten yeeres is the least age that caâ—… bee allowed to retaine memory oâ—… obseruation of the Temples curiouâ—… building and passing great beauty Wherefore those tentured timeâ—… of Daniels Seuens must bee again shrunke vnto the staple of the sacred accounts and the Persians raigne shortned vnto halfe the number almost that some ouer-lauishly haue giuen them For the chaine of Chronologie
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
the best learned of euery Tribe were sent These comming to Alexandria entred vpon the Translation taking each of them a part of the old Testament amounting about foureteene chapters as wee now distinguish them for a man as saith the learned Hebrecian Master Broughton But well knowing the Kings desire was more to adorne his famous Library then any deuotion hee had to their Lawes they many times hid their minds in translating and being among themselues different in gifts left the rellish of their vaines in a differing degree as by their parts in translating doth euidently appeare For the Translaters of Moses were very eloquent so were they who delt with the stories and they that translated the Psalmes and Prouerbs The Grecian on Iob saith hee was a Poet reader and cared not to yeeld euery saying strictly but what might be to Greekes familiar The Translaters of Ecclesiastes was yonger in Hebrew then in Greeke he of Amos not the best he of Ezekiel very learned so that the diuersities of their gifts telles vs that all did not all Oftentimes they rather abridge then translate as on Hester and infinitely in the Prophets and sometimes they enlarge the Text more like free commenters then bound Translaters In misteries and hard phrases often they deale exceeding well but their now hitting and now missing shewes that they followed copies which were neither vowelled nor accented which without exceeding great skill and paines could not bee truly translated nor vnderstood and the neerenesse in forme of many of the Hebrew Characters might cause a mistaking especially in them that saw no reason of exact care when their labour was required onely for a braue Library Besides Iesus the sonne of Syrac who was a child when these Docters translated telles how hard it is to translate Hebrew into another Language whose words saith hee carry another force in themselues then when they are translated But wee must acknowledge that neuer since their time any age afforded so learned through all the Prophets Emblemes Hebrew subtilties and Greeke elegancy as these seauenty two Translaters were notwithstanding they liued in those disquiet times of the poore Iewes oppressions and the Hebrew tongue for daily vse lost fiue hundred yeeres before But how this narration of their ouerslips and variances doe agree with Iosephus for their exactnesse vnto Moses I see not onely doe I say though an errour be admitted to haue beene committed by these Septuagints yet in the holy Euangelist can be none the Spirit of truth being the only inditer Or that these Hebrew Doctors should mistake the Hebrew Characters they being so learned is not like either so godlesse as to alter and adde vnto Moses knowing it death so to doe Why then may we not rather with Austin thinke that the first Septuagint hath beene corrupted both in matter and meaning seeing they haue beene so infinitely maymed by the Translations of Aquilas Symmachus Theodotion and the namelesse interpretet called the fifth Edition with them of Origens named the Octaplun Yea and Hierome thinketh these seuenty two Doctors translated but only the fiue books of Moses which howsoeuer had been approoued before his time yet in his time stood farre differing and was much corrupted from the Hebrew phrase and therefore not like to be theirs Againe in those bookes of Moses wee see that translation to differ in it selfe for albeit both in Genesis and in Exodus it accounteth seuenty fiue persons to descend into Egypt yet doth it in Deuteronomy reckon but seuenty saying Thy fathers went downe into Egypt with seuenty persons and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the Starres of the heauen in multitude And againe their departing from Moses his text is apparant for wheras he recordeth by name all the seed of Rachel and rekoneth the number to be fourteene they translate them to bee eighteene and for the two soules borne vnto Ioseph in Egypt they translate fiue and not as bound Translaters but as free Commenters from the first book of the Chronicles adde Shuthelah and Tahan the sonnes of Ephraim and Eden his nephew and Machir the sonne of Manasseh and Gilead his nephew to bee the fiue persons that filled the number of seuenty fiue that descended into Egypt And surely this moued Saint Austin to conceiue some great and hid miserie to be contained therein for so reuerend an opinion hee hath of the first Septuagint as hee holdeth firmely that the same Spirit that spake in the former Prophets spake also in these Translators and where they dissent from the Hebrew we must saith he hold it their Propheticall depth for that which was not originally in the Hebrew it pleased God in them to supply But he might haue done well to haue added this saying withall It is I that so speake and not the Lord who hath so perfited his Word that it is eternal death to adde or to diminish Of the like opinion is Ioseph Ben Gorion who will haue these Septuagints likewise indued with the Spirit of the Prophets For saith d he they being separated into diuers chambers apart and not permitted to see each others copies notwithstanding agreed exactly in phrase and in words and in thirteene places of Scripture of purpose altred the text with so vniforme consent as if it had been done by one man and one pen. Vnto the which likewise S. Chrysostome and Saint Augustine do agree but Saint Hierome nothing at all Nor the famous Iosephus Ben-Matthias maketh no such miracle vnlesse it bee in saying that the translation was finished in 72. dayes according to the number of the Translaters But touching the number descending into Egypt hee saith they were seuentie soules and accounting Iacobs seede by his foure wiues summeth vp each particular as Moses hath done Which is a great inducement vnto me to thinke that the first Septuagint was not corrupted before Iosephus wrote nor that the Euangelist Saint Luke followed the faultie but the faithfull copie of those learned Rabbins done in the dayes of Phyladelphus King of Egypt yet will I not herein preiudice any opinion of the learned Fathers ancient and moderne who haue diligently laboured to vnclaspe this great doubt Some thinking as Augustine Pererius that the Septuagint S. Stephen speaking from them are inno error but that the fiue thereunto added being borne in Egypt while Ioseph liued are added by way of anticipation And Eugubinus the Romanist will admit no fault in the originall but that it was rather corrupted by some ignorant pen-man in translating the copie And so Beza the Protestant coniectureth that the word Pantes all by the ignorance of the transcriber was writ pénte fiue contrary to the Text of Moses Iunius iudgeth that Iacobs foure wiues and Iudahs two sonnes Er and Onan Iacob himselfe being deducted make the number to bee seuentie fiue but Rachel Er and Onan were dead
before and Iacob is included in that account Master Broughton will haue the corruption purposely done by the first Translaters themselues who knowing that Ptolomies intent was no further but to furnish his stately Library with choise and cost to preuent his flouts and fury lest in pretext of Religion hee should surprize them as his Father Lagi had done altred their text both in Chronologie and Genealogie the two speciall pillars of truth and of knowledge obseruing this caueat Cast not holy things vnto dogs hid their diuine mysteries frō his profane Egyptians whom they held accursed And long before him was Saint Hierom of the same mind who saith that these seuenty Translaters to conceale the secrets of their faith from the Heathen did omit the speciall principals of faith vnto the Egyptians whom they held to be a cursed Nation and not worthy of their sacred Lawes But hereunto may bee answered that these reuerend Translaters were religious and knew by the Prophets that the Gentiles should be called and the meanes of their calling to bee the Word of God which had they hid or altered then had they been resisters of God in his ordinary course of saluation From which they are so free as in many places they adde to the texts of their callings more then the originals haue as in Fsay where it is said The roote of Ishai shall stand vp for a signe vnto the people the Nations shall seeke vnto it and his rest shall bee glorious they adde this saying And in his Name shall the Gentiles trust whom Paul in that text followeth and in many others both he and the holy Euangelists doe which must mooue an holy opinion of those reuerend men But Caietan hath a further conceit namely that the Iewes enuying to haue their holy lawes made knowne to the Gentiles by a transcript into another tongue did of set purpose alter diuers things in their translation so that the Hebrew saith he hath the defect but the Septuagint the truth Vnto whom and whose opinion let Saint Austin giue answere though he hath allowed those translater to ranke with the Prophets Whether doth it seeme more probable saith he that the Iewes so large an nation and their bookes so farre dispersed through the whole world could falsifie theirs or that the Translators being but seuenty and in one place assembled themselues also Iewes and enuying that the Gentiles should enioy their Scriptures did put in these errors by a common assent and which is easier to effect who seeth not But God forbid saith he that any wise man should thinke that either the Iewes of purpose corrupted their bookes or the translators with assent concealed the truth from the Gentiles one may easier beleeue that the error was committed in the transcription of the copie from Ptolomies Liberary and that to haue a successiue propagation through all copies dispersed And thereupon concludeth That it was neither the corruption of the originall nor the ouersight of the Translators but rather the Transcribers error that copied it first from Ptolomies Liberary But howsoeuer saith he seeing both cannot bee true it is better to beleeue the originall then the translation A like if not a more difficult knot is cast vpon the Genealogies recorded by Saint Matthew who in casting his Catalogue into three fourteene generations in the second doth omit certaine descents of Iudahs Kings and in the last doth differ from the number that himselfe assigneth which here wee will assay to vnloose not preiudising any former opinion nor inforcing ours further then the Word will allow It is Austins opinion that the numbers set in the holy Scriptures though to some they seeme barren or of little vse are most fruitfull and to singular purposes penned containing in them many both excellent and diuine matters If this be thus obserued of the generall then is this particular of a speciall regard that from Abraham the first father that had promise of a King and Kingdome vnto Dauid who was the first King that had his succession established by God the Euangelist recordeth them that were produced betwixt And Dauids heires likewise by Salomon through his naturall line vnto Ieconiah the last and his legall Line vnto Ioseph the supposed father of Iesus who was the most lawfull and last King of the Iewes he continueth the succession and for the more ease of memory and state of the matter diuideth them into three fourteene generations amounting to forty two persons of that Kingly Line from Abraham vnto Christ. Of which diuisions and number many coniecturs haue made and many of them fetched farre beyond likelihood or reason In the search of which seeming vnsoundable depth thinke not that I derogate from others when I dissent from them in their diuers and many expositions for euery mans sacrifice must bee tried by the fier of Gods Altar Neither that I affect singularitie in mine owne for I know that a three-fold cord is strong and a woe is to him that is alone but rather by the sacred text it selfe doe approue the most pregnant and neerest the truth And yet doe not so vrge what I write as to force a consent without the freedome of thy further examination and if better be found doe cleaue to the best First then for the number two and forty inclusiuely gathered but not so named by the holy Euangelist the Ethiopian translation therein ouerbold doth ad a sentence more to his text then hee euer wrote in saying that all the generations from Abraham to Christ were two and forty Which number the ordinary glosse will haue to be mystically set in the entrance of the Cospell for a remembrance of the two and forty Stations in the Wildernesse before the entrance into Canaan And that as sixe seuens were neerely spent vnder the leading of Moses and vnder Ioshuah a Sabbath when he set the people in rest so these sixe seuen generations were the Stations of hope till Christ the true Sabbath by his death brought his into his eternall rest Which allusion is more tollerable then the Gloser hath made vpon the numbers assigned in the diuisions for by those three he will haue the Trinitie signified who as they are three in one so this number is made three of one And as misticall is this that as ten and foure make the summe to bee fourteene so the Law in the ten commandements and the Gospell in the foure Euangelists are tipically shewed in each of these fourteene generations And of the like kind is that which Iohannes Ferus and others conceiteth namely that by these fourteene generations the state of the world from the creation through all generations succeeding are contained And Piscator will haue them to signifie the generations before the Law vnder the Law and in the time of grace And to the like purpose Marlorat speaketh that will haue them meane the
politicall estate of the Iewes common wealth vnto Christ. Whereof the first from Abraham to Dauid were vnder the gouernment of Iudges the second from Dauid vnto the captiuitie were vnder the subiection of Kings and the third were ruled by the power and pollicie of the High Priests not obseruing in this his second number saith he a lineall succession of Kings as they were produced and raigned but rather accounting it sufficient to set the order of that fourteene from the beginning vnto the end of that Kingdome Vnto the former or Ferus his opinion we see no reason to answere seeing there is no reason so to coniecture neither vnto Marlorat the later wherein no resemblance can bee made betwixt the politicall estate of the Iewes and the numbers assigned the one being a succession of Patriarkes and Princes and the other an estate often broken and no face of a Common-wealth many times seene And to what purpose should holy Mathew remember those dead times of sinne seeing his pen was set vpon another subiect and his text the forbidding of worldly state pompe and vaine riches to the attaining of that Kingdome which Christ came to preach But the same Author from others alleageth that Saint Matthew in his daies followed an order and manner of bringing and placing genealogies and pedegrees which now is vnknowne vnto vs and recordeth in his Catalogue diuers men by other names and yet they the same that Saint Luke hath in his And others more intollerable to affirme that the Euangelist by obliuion omitteth those that elsewhere are named in the bookes of the Kings and the Chronicles grounding their coniecture vpon the many and farre more generations recorded in the catalogue of S. Luke then S. Matthew hath in his For Luke from Zorubbabel vnto Marie the Virgin hath ten more in his role then Saint Matthew from Zorubbabel vnto Ioseph her husband hath laid downe whereby they iudge that some men by him are omitted and account it neither sinne nor absurditie to reckon lesse of the legall as Saint Matthew doth then of the naturall as Saint Luke in following the lineall hath done the one of them taking liberty of omission say they to cast his fourteenes into equall numbers but the other tied by a requisite order to record the naturall successors to their naturall parents To the first and difficult order of the Euangelist we answere it is so farre from all likelihood that wee euidently see the contrary by Saint Matthew himselfe for from Abraham to Dauid and from Salathiel to Ioseph his manner and order is so plaine as nothing can be more And so farre are the double names from meaning the same persons that not any one of them in either of the Euangelists are one and the same excepting onely Salathiel Zorobbabel and Ioseph the husband of Marie And to the second we say it is so farre from obliuion or ignorance in the Euangelist as that hee confirmes by other Scriptures what himselfe writes and is most frequent in applying the Prophets to the purpose of his text both in the Parents and person of Christ. As Isaiah for his stem and sonne of a Virgin Micah for his Tribe and place of his birth Hoshea for his calling out of Egypt Zachari for his lowlines and contempt Dauid for the maner of his death and Ionas in the Whale for a signe of his graue and buriall and all of them concurring to that Babe in his text And that it is not vnusuall in the holie Scriptures for generations in some families to exceede others in numbers we see for not only Sem liued through ten generations euen to the fiftieth yeere of Isaac but also in other ages following great differences doe appeare For the Patriarch Iudah saw himselfe in a sort a great grand-father in his fourth descent when as Leui his brother was but an immediate father in his first In the Priests line likewise from Abiathar whom Salomon expulsed vnto Seraih whom Nebuchadnezzar slew were but twelue generations whereas in the Kings from Salomon to Ieconiah whom Nebuchadnezzar captiuated there were twenty Nay what more is fiue onely of Iudahs Tribe namely from Naasson in the wildernesse vnto Iesse the Father of Dauid liued and saw no lesse then seuenteene of Leui his Tribe that is from Korah that perished in the Wildernesse vnto Samuel the Prophet that annointed Dauid Thus then the obiection of the vnequalitie of Families is taken away by the text of Scriptures that allow the like or more in more places then one But from these generals let vs come to the parts and consider the diuisions by Saint Matthew assigned of fourteene fourteene and fourteene generations The first whereof we find by Moses and by the writer of the Booke of Ruth both in number and in names to be most exact and therefore thereof we need not to speake But of the secōd we are to examine First how many there be and who they are that are omitted and the reasons or causes of their omissions And in the last to cōsider by whom and how the number fourteene is made compleat when as but thirteene are nominated by the Euangelist himselfe For the number that are omitted in Saint Mathewes second diuision some account them to be three and some to be foure according to the diuers readings found in the Greeke Copies either including or excluding Iacim the last But if it may be determined by most voyces then hath Iacim no place in that holy catalogue For Robert Stephens that most learned Printer in the sixteene seuerall Copies which he conferred for the edition of the Greeke Testament onely one of his number the fourteenth hath Iacim but in all the rest no such man is found Againe of forty seueral editions since conferred and most of them printed in Paris Geneua Basil London Antwerpe Leyden and Rome onely eight of them haue Iacim whereof sixe of that number haue beene printed in London so that but two of forty impressions haue recorded his name howsoeuer he hath beene insreted in ours And how Saint Mathewes Text is translated into diuers languages see here as followeth And Iosias begat Iechonias and his brethren in the captiuity of Babylon Iusia begat Iuchonia and his brethren in the captiuity of Babel Iuschia begat Iuchonia and his brethren in the captiuity of Babell Ioshia begat Iuchoniah and his brethren in the captiuitie of Babell Iosias begat Iechonias and his brethren in the captiuitie of Babylon Iosias begat Iechonias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylō And Iosias begat Iechonias and his brethren about the time they were carried away to Babylon So hath Hierom Augustine and the ancient so hath Mountanus Beza and the moderne and indeed so haue all that haue their names prefixed to any Impression those former excepted without any
omission of the three former in the former diuision of three Kings in a direct line and all to shew as is said the lawfull succession that Iesus had vnto Iudahs Crown This last collection I see not how to be excepted against it hauing so sure a warrant by the holy Scripture it selfe for heauen and earth shall passe ere the word perish Salathiel his Sonne Pedaiah and the sonne of Pedaiah Zorobabel But why Pedaiah is not recorded for a naturall father of Christ in the Catalogue of his naturall fathers by the Euangelist Saint Luke where all vnto Adam are nominated is hid from me and therefore with Nazianzen will I say Where I vnderstand I will thankefully praise thee and where I vnderstand not I will fall downe and admire thee And with Dauid pray that thy word may be a lanterne vnto our feete And with Paul that our darknes may be made light in Christ. Another meditation ariseth in other families of Iudahs tribe so deep and doubtfull that Hugo de Saint Victor thinketh it a question vndissoluable and without further search so leaueth it which is how Caleb of Hezron at forty yeeres old could be either great Grand-father vnto Bezaleel the skilfull workmen in the Tabernacle or the searcher of the Land at the same yeere and time He being the fifth in an equall equipage pararellising Bezaleel and both of them borne in Aegypt from Hezron of Iudah and actiue men together in the wildernesse the one in ordering the curious workes from the patterne shewed by God himselfe vnto Moses and the other a Captaine that descried the riches of Canaan by his owne trauaile whose dissents for more plainnesse I haue here set downe to sight The Descents of Caleb and Bezaleel How Caleb and Bezaleel were actiue men together though differing in their descents The Sercher of the Land of Canaan Both actiue men in one age The skilful workman in the Tabernacle In this descent then whether the first Caleb the sonne of Hezron and great Grand-father vnto Bezaleel or the last Caleb paralelising Bezaleel through so many degrees were the Lands-searcher both of them come from the same Hezron and actiue men together at one time in the wildernesse hath been much controuersed and many opinions maintained with variable iudgements That the Lands-searcher was the great Grandfather vnto Bezaleel Rabbi Salom a great Doctor of the Iews bringeth a strange vnexemplified descent vnto Bezaleel for saith hee Caleb at eight yeres old married his first wife Azuba who died the first yere of her mariage in his ninth he took Ephrath otherwise called Miriam the sister of Moses for his second wife of whom in his tenth yeere was borne Hur and Hur in the tenth yeere of his owne life begot Vri when Caleb was twenty one yeeres old and Vri in his ninth begat Bezaleel Caleb then being thirty and Bezaleelten when hee began to frame the Tabernacle at which time Caleb was forty yeeres old But how many ouersights are in these his sayings is soone perceiued first that Caleb should haue not a child but children as hee is said to haue by Azuba 1. Chron. 2. 18. he being but eight yeeres old is vncredible secondly that Azuba should be a mother of children she dying the first yeere of her marriage vnlesse they were twinnes which is not apparant is vnpossible thirdly that Caleb aged but nine should take to wife Miriam the sister of Moses she being about nintie is not agreeable for shee was elder then Moses and of discretion to call her mother for his nurse when the daughter of Pharaoh found him in the Arke of Bull-rushes since when we know fourescore and one yeeres to bee fully expired To make her then a mother at ninty and to beare a Sonne in that age of her life is so vnlikely that Iosephus will haue her not to be the mother of Hur but the wife of Hur and mother vnto Vri his son which is far more probable their yeres agreeable fit for marriage For Hur was in the same degree from Hezron of Iudah who went with Iacob into Egypt as Miriam was from Kohath of Leui one of the seuenty that descended also for Kohath begot Amram and Amram Miriam so Hezron begot Caleb and Caleb Hur. Fourthly that Hur and Vri should bee either of them Fathers at tenne yeeres of age is vnexemplified in Scripture though Genebrard allow that Haran might bee father vnto Sara at eight And lastly that Bezaleel should haue the aduantage of Christ by two yeeres to be as skilfull at ten in the worke of the Tabernacle as Christ was at twelue to build the true Temple when with admiration hee opposed the Doctors and expounded the Law These impossibilities therefore our ancient Lyra well perceiued but in seeking to redresse them hee fell into as great an error himselfe in saying that these men Hur Vri and Bezaleel mentioned in the first of Chronicles chap. 2. 20. were not the same that were spoken of in Exod. chap. 31. but were other men of the same name of the same tribe But so to expound the text is dangerous lest a liking liberty loose thereby the ioynts of the holy scriptures frame and to giue the water that passage the breach will bee great Vatablus in his annotations and Cumanus Flinspach in his Arca Dei doe take Hezron to be Iephunneh so consequently the first Caleb the sonne of Hezron to be the same Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh and the great Grand-father vnto Bezaleel But therein then must bee followed all Rabbi Solomoh his errours for Calebs forty yeres age wil inforce it so But that Hezron could bee either Iephunneh or the Father of Caleb the Lands-surueyour is by the text manifestly contradicted for Hezron was borne vnto Phares before that Iacob went downe into Egypt and in Egypt Hezron begot his sonne the first Caleb when he was threescore yeers of age as 1. Chron. 2. 21. by which account that Caleb must needes haue been an hundred fiftie fiue yeeres old in the first yeere of the wildernesse for in Egypt the abode was two hundred and fifteene as before we haue shewed But Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the lands-searcher was then but forty yeeres old wherby it is euident these Calebs could not be one and the same but two seuerall men Now as it is impossible for the first Caleb the great Grand-father vnto Bezaleel to be the lands-searcher so the last Caleb being the seuenth in descent from him and the fifth in degree after Bezaleel ministreth matter of much seeming difficultie for that both of them at one time were imployed in most serious affaires As touching Calebs successors I know there are many doubts made some making but two Calebs some three and some foure and the first and last hauing either of them a daughter called Aâ—…hsah doth no whit lessen the doubt Again whether Ezer mentioned in
labours our studies are inriched both with Arts and wisdome but rather with the Bee let vs worke the hony out of euery flower and according to the precept of the Apostle try the worke by the fier of Gods word The Romanist Iohn Lucidus deceiued by a forged Philo and Niâ—… cholas Lyra our Country-man corrupted by study of malitious Rabbins together with Annius Eusebius Africanus and many others haue in Glosses verie much intangled the truth of these pedegrees For Lucidus allowing that Vtopian Hebrician from him doth end the line of Salomon in Ochozias otherwise called Achaztah the seuenth King succeeding and vnto Ieconiah the last King of Iudah doth name al the Kings mentioned by Saint Mathew to bee the same men whom S Luke recordeth from Nathan whose words thus follow S. MATHEVV  S. LVKE Ioas otherwise Simeon Amasia Leui. Ozias Matthat Iotham Iorim Achas Eliezar Ezechias Iose. Manasses Er. Amon Elmodam Iosias Cosam Iehoahaz Addi Iehoiachim Melchi Ieconiah Neri The like fainings of double names he continueth from Zorobabel through the line of Rhesa vnto Eli the father of Mary though to little purpose and lesse explanation Eusebius likewise citing the Epistle of Africanus to Aristides as ancient as Origin in these descents of Christ his parents both by legall mariages and in double venters of sons so troubleth the truth with vnwarrantable inuentions as may dazell the eies of the best sighted searcher his words somewhat abridged I will here insert The kindred saith he of Salomon and of Nathan is so knit together by reuiuing of the deceased without issue by second mariages by raising of seede so that not without cause the same persons are posted ouer to diuers fathers whereof some were imagined and some others were their fathers indeed both the allegations being properly true though in Ioseph diuersly yet exactly by descent determined And that that which I go about to proue may plainely appeare I will declare the orderly succession of this Genealogie making a recitall from Dauid to Salomon The third from the end is Matthan found which begat Iacob the father of Ioseph but from Nathan the son of Dauid decending according to the Gospell of Luke the third from the ende is Melchi whose sonne is Hely the father of Ioseph For Ioseph is the son of Hely the sonne of Melchi Ioseph being the proposed marke to shoote at wee must shew how either is termed his father deriuing the pedegree of Iacob from Salomon of Heli from Nathan And first how Iacob and Heli being two brethren then their fathers Matthan and Melchi borne of diuers kindreds may be prooued grandfathers to Ioseph Matthan therefore and Melchi marrying the same wife begat brethren by the same mother the law not forbidding a Widow either dismissed from her Husband or after the death of her husband to be coupelled vnto another man First therefore Matthan descending from Salomon begat Iacob of Estha for that is said to be her name After the death of Matthan Melchi which is said to haue descended from Nathan beeing of the same Tribe but of another race hauing maried this widow to his wife begat Hely his sonne Thus doe wee finde Iacob and Heli of a different race but by the same mother to haue bin brethren Of the which Iacob taking to wife his sister the wife of Heli his brother beeing deceased without issue begat on her the third to wit Ioseph by nature and the order of generation vnto himselfe whereupon it is written Iacob begat Ioseph by the law vnto his brother Heli deceased whose sonne Ioseph was For Iacob being his brother raised seede vnto him wherefore neither that Genealogie which concerneth him is to be abolished the which Mathew the Auangelist reciting Iacob saith he begat Ioseph and Luke of the other side which was the sonne saith he as it was supposed adding this withall of Ioseph which was the sonne of Heli which was the sonne of Melchi And the word of begetting hee ouer skipped with silence vnto the end with such a recitall of sonnes making relation vnto Adam which was of God nor is this hard to proue or to small purpose proposed In this tedious speech of Eusebius you may see how Ioseph is forced to bee naturally from Salomon and adoptiuely from Nathan but by imagined fathers as himselfe confesseth and Mary whose parentage concerneth Christs humanity most not once spoken of in this Epistle how weake a reconciliation therefore is made of our holy Euangelists let the vnsatisfied Christian iudge and yet in these fainings he hath beene followed in the labours of those that otherwise haue done wel which their pedegrees to shew the present defect is here from them presented to thy sight In this intricate Labirinth who can but lament where neither Scripture is followed nor propagation allowed and how farre from truth Eusebius hath straied in this his pretended reconciliation is euidently seene namely in making Melchi to be the immediat father of Heli and the third from the end in S. Lukes catalogue when by the said Euangelist it is most apparant that he was the fifth from the end and not the father but the great grandfather of Heli for Melchi begat Leui and Leui begat Matthat and Matthat begat Heli whose sonne in law Ioseph was Then could not Melchi be the naturall and next immediate father of Heli two generations comming betwixt howsoeuer Eusebius vnderstandeth his ranke from the end Nor could the issues of double mariages so begot and borne bee brothers of one venter twines as Iacob and Heli are said to bee by the said Estha and by two seuerall men Matthan and Melchi a thing strange in nature and the like in Scripture neuer seene And though Lyra from Africanus and Hierome allow of the double mariages for the raysing of seed to the issulesse deceased yet he ioyneth Matthat and not Melchi vnto Estha for her second husband and maketh Heli her sonne by the same man But in following these Rabbins too neerely that bring Christ from Salomon Nicolas Lyra in his annotations both vpon the first booke of Chronicles and the Gospell of Saint Mathew ouerrunneth the truth into a most dangerous error For he would haue Nathan to bee but the adopted sonne of Dauid and the naturall sonne of Vriah the Hittite borne vnto him by Bathsheba his wife before Dauid tooke her for his For vpon Dauids sonnes borne in Ierusalem and 1 Chro. 3. 5. thus he commenteth Onely Salomon was Dauids naturall sonne the other three were Vriahs whom Dauid made his by adoption So our Lord should come and take flesh not of blessed Sem and beloued Dauid as by the Prophets was promised but of cursed Cham and irreligious Heth without all warrant of the sacred Text. But vnto these their assertions let vs assay further the answer to cleere our Euangelists from the least touch of disagreement First then though Lucidus bee greatly deceiued
of Israell to be the God of Heauen aboue and of the Earth beneath Ruth as Abraham forsooke kindred and Countrey protest◅ng that Israels people should bee her people and Is raels God her God And that penne which wrote the last of the Prouerbs makes Bathsheba a mirrour of weomen and a worthy Counsellor to Salomon the wise Thus through these bright Clouds we see the Son of righteousnes shine vnto the world frō this holy stem the Branch of Dauid to grow in beauty as the Oliue tree in smell like vnto Lebanon spices of Salomō set vs Lord vnder the shadow these sweet leaues and let vs eate of this tree of life in the Garden Paradise of God Now seeing that this beautifull Rod of Iesse as Isaiah cals him tooke no sappe from the bitter roots of Iudahs Kings wee must bring the growth thereof from another Stem vnto Dauid euen from the branch Nathan as our Euangelist Luke hath recorded But vpon this Stone the Iewes haue stumbled and haue made it the rocke of offence the ginne and snare to both the houses of Israel as their Isaiah hath prophecied and our Peter hath spoken For they seely men in reading the old Testament haue their mindes blinded and the vale of Moses vntaken away from before their hearts euen vnto this day dreaming of a pompous kingdome which they thinke to possesse and of a potent Messiah that should triumph and make subiect vnto them the Gentiles on euery side and promise to themselues as much voluptuous pleasure vnder that earthly Monarch as the Turkes doe after death in dalliances with Virgins and great eyed weomen in Paradise and that this their daily expected Messiah should come of Salomon they hold it for a principall article of their faith and accurse them that affirme the contrary for thus standeth the twelth Article of their Creede A man must beleeue that Christ the King shall haue excellency and dignity and glory aboue all the Kings that euer haue beene as of him is prophecied of all the Prophets from Moses who so doubteth of him or holdeth his honour small denieth the law for so it testifieth of him in the meaning of Balaams prophecy and in the meaning of this section You stand all here this day before the Lord your God Deut. 29. 10. and cap. 30. And this is a rule of foundation that Israell shall haue no King but of the house of Dauid and of the seede of Salomon and who so maketh a schisme touching that family denieth God euen the blessed God and the words of his Prophets And vpon this opinion of rule and gouernment Christians also haue been ouermuch affectionated when they bring Christ naturally from those Kings that gouerned of Salomons line and make Rhesa the younger sonne of Zorobabell and his successors to gouerne when al gouernment was taken from those Holy High Saints the space of two hundred ninety sixe yeeres and this no doubt wrought deeply in Lyra to speake as he did of Dauids sonnes For hee being by nation a Iewe though by birth English and baptised stood much vpon the outward letter for the glory of his nation And Nathan obscure in comparison of Salomon he makes more obscure to come from Vriah as his note hath thus gone vpon the 1. Chroni◅ 3. 5. Only Salomon was Dauids naturall Son the other three were the sonnes of ◅riah whom Dauid made his by adoption His reason is taken from the fourth of the Prouerbs where Salomon saith I was my Fathers sonne tender and only beloued in the sight of my Mother which thing I take was rather spoken of Salomons election to the kingdome whom God had chosen and Dauid to Bersheba had sworne that Salomon her Sonne should succeed him in the Lyra thus infected with malitious Iewes studies and partly following Christians that brought Christ from Salomon held the Iewish Article touching the Crowne but otherwise in most of his paines spent in commenting vpon al the bookes of both Testaments he was an excellent Organe sounding alowd the verity of Christian Religion against the erring opinions of the Rabbins in whose Schooles hee had so profited by the testimony of Tritemeus as that he had the Hebrew language ad vnguem But that Christ should come from Dauid by Nathan and his obscure successors whereof neuer any bare rule but onely Zerubbabel and he no longer then the Temple was in building he could not conceiue neither that Ieconiah should beget Salathiel but for his successor seeing he is called his sonne indeed he could not easily yeeld vnto the Rabbines so expounding it and their Creed so inforcing it and being a frier Minor and liuing in none of the cleerest daies of the Gospell the man is the more to bee borne with whose paines were spent as Bale hath it in his Centuria when the vnfortunate our second Edward ware the English Crown Ano. 1327. And now the assertions of Africanus cited by Eusebius which are that Ioseph the husband of Mary was naturally descended from Salomon and by intricate mariages made the legall sonne of Nathan remaineth to be answered I cal them intricate for that Iacob and Eli are made brethren and twinnes of one venter by Estha wife vnto Matthan of Salomon and vnto Melchi of Nathan and those halfe brethren likewise marying one woman Iacob by her is said to raise vp seede vnto Eli deceased whereby Ioseph was sonne vnto both A strang inuention truly to bring Ioseph from Ieconiah and Salomon who with lesse paines and more truth might haue beene found from Zerubbabel Neri and Nathan and stranger it seemeth that such search should be made to shew how Christ by nature is the sonne of Dauid and yet neuer to make knowne his naturall Parents from Dauid neither can I perceiue what necessity constraineth Ioseph to bee the proposed marke of that aime seeing he is but the supposed father of Christ vnto whom excepting his title to the kingdome his humanity no whit appertaineth Either to bring Iosephs naturall decent from Salomon and his legal from Nathan seeing he enioyed no possessions appertaining to Salomons Crowne nor Mary his wife an inheritrix of any patrimony in Iudea For which end only that law of marying the brothers wife was ordained and at this aimed that no family should be extinguished in Israell It was the case of the Daughters of Zelophehad and the debar of mariage and not the death of the daughter of Iphtah was the cause of the yeerely lamentations of the Virgins of Israell that a family was to faile by her in the Tribe of Manasses But for brethren by the Mothers side onely no such law was either ordained or practised for the son by the man and not by the woman euer succeeded in the inheritance and in the name of the family excepting such as
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
as by the Prophets they are termed For Ioel saith that their teeth were like the teeth of Lyons and that they had the iawes of a great Lyon and Ieremy calles them a mighty and very strong Nation whose quiuer was an open sepulcher Ezekiel saw the tops of the Cedars of Lâ—…banon broken off and carried into the Land of Merchants by the Eagle of Babel and Daniel 〈◊〉 Babels King like a Lyon with wings being himselfe carried thither captiue in the first captiuity with periured Iehoiakim But the last and greatest rent of Salomons Kingdome was when the earth was commanded to take knowledge that his successour and sonne Ieconiah should die childlesse and that none of his seede should sit vpon Salomons Throne any more as by Ieremy was proclaimed and to Iechoniah told I wil giue thee saith he into the hand of them that seeke thy life and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest euen into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel and into the hand of the Chaldeans And I will cause them to carry thee away and thy mother that bare thee into another countrey where ye were not borne and there shall ye die But to the I and whereunto they desire to returne thither they shall not returne Is not this man Coniah as a despised and broken Idoll or as a vessell wherein is no pleasure wherefore they are cast out into a Land which they know not O Earth Earth Earth heare the word of the Lord thus saith the Lord write this man childlesse a man that shall not prosper in his dayes for no man of his seede shall prosper to sit vpon the Throne of Dauid or to beare rule any more in Iudah Of whose successor Crowne and Kingdome the Prophet Ezechiel further speaketh when Nebuchad nezzar after he had captiuated Ie coniah in Babylon had set his Vncle Zedekiah vpon Iudahs throne Thou Prince of Israel saith he polluted and wicked whose day is come when iniquity shall haue an end Thus saith the Lord God I will take away the Diademe and take off the Crowne this shall be no more the same I will exalt the humble and will abase him that is hie I will ouerturne ouerturne ouerturne it and it shall be no more vntill hee come whose right it is and I will giue it him And for the reuersing of that Crowne into another Family the words of the Prophet Ieremy and Haggai doe witnesse The one speaking thus As I liue saith the Lord though Coniah the sonne of Iehoiakim King of Judah were the signet of my right hand yet would I plucke thee thence iâ—… not this man Coniah as a despised and broken Idoll And the other thus In that day saith the Lord of Hosts I will take thee O Zerubbabel my seruant the sonne of Salathiel saith the Lord and I will make thee as a Signet for I haue chosen thee saith the Lord of Hosts If seuen thunders of wrath should sound the period of any posterity how could they be lowder or plainer then these vniuersall speeches pronounced against Ieconiah O Earth Earth Earth heare the word of the Lord write this man childlesse Or the change of state in any Kingdome then this of Zedekiahs crowne I will ouerturne ouerturne ouerturne it it shall be no more the same Or what could be more distinctly said who should be cast off then this of Iechoniah by name a vessell without pleasure and who chosen Gods Signet then Zerubbabel that built the Lords Temple and brought forth the head stone thereof with shouts crying grace grace Let vs then that haue eares to heare heare what the Spirit hath spoken of Iudahs temporall Crowne and speaketh of him vnto whom it spiritually belongeth Behold the dayes come saith the Lord I will raise vnto Dauid a righteous Branch and a King shall raigne and prosper and shall execute iudgement and iustice in the Earth In his dayes Iudah shall be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNESSE Which speech of Ieremy is farre milder then that which was thundered out before and not much vnlike vnto the still voyce that spake to Elijah after the tempest of winde earth-quake and fier had rent the rockes and mountaines in peeces This righteous Branch then must not be brought from Salomons Stem of wicked Kings nor from the halfe bloud of Achab by his daughter Athaliah that died in their sinnes seeing that both roote and branch were cut off in Iechoniah and all threats of destruction as well to the house of Israel as Iudah accomplished when the want of issue in him was declared to the World But against this proclamation of Ieremy the Iewes haue their answere namely that these words are not meant for a childlesse posterity but for a Seed that should not inherit the fathers possession for thus Dauid Kimchi comments vpon this Text Write him childlesse If Ieconiah had sonnes saith he they died in his lifetime if hee had none then should hee haue none to gouerne for not Salathiel his sonne but Zerubbabel his Nephew ruled in Iudah after him And the threats in the Law of a childlesse posterity they expound in the same sence for where it is said He that lieth with his Ant or with his brothers wife to vncouer their nakednesse shall diâ—… childlesse That is meant say they that a seede so begot shall not inherit the patrimony whereas in truth it inforâ—…th a farre greater defect For 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew from the roote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is vsed some times in the old Testament and signifieth one rooted vp oâ—… one who hath not in himselfe a roote for heires of his owne body A dee per signification by much then the want onely of an heire for inheritance as in the answer of Abraham to God is apparant What wilt thou giue me saith he seeing 〈◊〉 goe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 childlesse and the Steward of mine house is this Eliezer of Damascus behold to me thou hast giuen no seede and lo one borne in my house is mine heire Here it is most manifest that his speech was a complaint for want of issue from his body and not for want of an heire which we see hee had ordained and prouided and so must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Ieremy be taken against Ieconiah that childlesse man And no otherwise can the malicious Iewes force it but by forcing a glosse vpon Gods decree saying that Ieconiahs repentancâ—… altered Gods purpose and oath for in their Gemera or Babylonian Talmud thus they write 〈◊〉 maketh reconciliation for three things spoken of by Ieremy the sword hunger and plague which they that abode in the City should suffer but hee that did yeelde to the Caldeans should haue his life for a prey Naâ—… saith Rabbi Iochanan
the wombe of the Virgine the Rabbins themselues confesse and the successe sheweth because at the comming of this Shiloh or birth of Christ Iesus the gouernment of Iudah was taken cleane from them and their Crowne worne by Herod an Idumean stranger Vntill which time the line of the lawfull Kings of the Tribe of Iudah had beene exactly and distinctly recorded and kept But in one generation following were so confounded scattered and shufled together among other Tribes and the Tribes each amongst others so mixed as to this day there is not a Iew knowne in the world that can distinctly shew of what tribe he is descended And their faire Dominions with such desolations ouerrunne that all hope is lost of any recouery and for the obedience prophecied vnto him the preaching of the Gospell hath gotten that through the world It was the faire land that Moses from mount Nebo did behold that Ioshuah from mount Hermon to mount Hor did conquer At first diuided among the twelue Tribes and after established a kingdome vnder Saul of whom the spirituall could not be intended neither was it in him figured And that kingdome possessed and crowne worne by him was taken from Beniamin and giuen to Iudah and in Dauid setled with promise that a sonne out of his loynes should sit vpon the throne thereof and should raigne King for euer and euer which none euer did or could doe but onely his Sonne Iesus the Prince Messiah to whom be praise for euer and euer and that he alone is the heire vnto that right is witnessed by the sacred Texts and shall be our paines heere to declare First then this terrestriall Kingdome was seated as saith the Prophet in the midst of nations did containe the Prouinces of Iury Samaria and Gallely the Land of Gilead also without Iordan was a portion of the twelue Tribes The whole so rich in earthly blessings as it is often in Scriptures called A Land flowing with milke and hony and so pleasant for situation as of some it is held to haue been Adams Paradise And as the Kingdome was glorious so were many of her Kings such were Dauid Salomon Asa Iohoshaphat and others godly that ruled well their owne and ouer-ruled others till their successors became godlesse and prouoked the ruine of both as when Nebuchadnezzer King of Babell captiuated the Land and led away Ieconias prisoner who was the last man that wore that glorious Crown After whom the Persians with-held it from Zorobabel the most lawful heire thereof And the Grecians and Syra-Grecians from Abiud and his successors vnto Ioseph the husband of Mary These being as foure beasts tooke this earthly Kingdom for the heauenly they could not from those the high Saints of God that should possesse a Kingdome for euer and euer with such desolation of that goodly Land till lastly the Romans made conquest of all and placed the Idumean Herod vpon Iudahs throne where Iacobs prophecy had the full euent And thus we see no temporall Crowne worne of any of Iudah from the captiuity of Babylon till Christ Iesus with thornes was crowned shewed and acknowledged King of the Iewes the abhomination of desolation set in the holy place and the place neuer called holy after Christs death And thus much of the earthly Kingdome promised to Abraham and the first point the second followeth That the expectation of the Iewes was set vpon an earthly Kingdome and powerfull King wee may see by the practise of the common multitude who hauing fedde vpon the fiue barley Loues and two small fishes acknowledged Iesus to bee the Prophet expected but withall presently assaied to haue him their King Againe when he told them that the sonne of man was come to seeke and to saue that which was lost their apprehension was of a temporall restauration of their down-cast estate And vpon that opinion the Apostles themselues as it seemeth were set when they demanded whether at that time Christ would restore the Kingdom of Israel And againe we trusted that it had been he that should haue deliuered Israell And to the same purpose were the answeres of the ignorant women of Samaria touching the Messias and the learned Nicodemus of Gallile touching mans new birth both of them aiming as we see only at outward things And indeed so generall was the opinion of an earthly and powerful Monarchie as that euen the common people expected it and had a prophecy touching the same among them which was That a King out of Iury should rule the whole world Which so terrified the Romans included in that prophecy as that they denied aide to their supplicant Ptolomie King of Egypt and so troubled the assembly of the elders in Ierusalem that their high Priest Caiaphas gaue counsell to kill Iesus lest the Romans should come and take away their Kingdome which was none otherwise meant then of the temporall And a temporall King and terrestriall kingdom it was that Herod so feared and sought to retaine when Christ was sought after by the stile of King of the Iewes And of that earthly kingdome likewise Pilat gaue Iesus the title though to the preiudice of Caesar his Emperour Neither meant the Scribes and Pharisees more then of the temporall when themselues expounded Moses without all spirituall vse the cheife Priests so ignorant that they knew not whether the Baptisme of Iohn was from Heauen or of men nor none of them how Dauids sonne could be Dauids Lord And the Sadduces taught that there was no Resurrection of the body neither Angell nor spirit so farre were they from that which is eternall Finally all of them apply euery Text in the Prophets touching the calling of the Gentiles of Christ and his Kingdome to be meant of a powerfull terrestriall Monarch Monarchie and promise themselues conquests attendance pleasures as in another earthly Paradise all Nations yeelding them seruice and obedience And now wee come to speake of Christ his title vnto Iudahs Crowne the third point Iesus legally descending from Iechoniah and lineally from Zorobabel by his ancestor Salathiel who was made a sonne to a childlesse man is borne the next in bloud and succession to sit vpon Dauids throne and by that right is often called by each of the Euangelists King of the Iewes For the right of Zorobabel resting in Ioseph the husband of Mary and he dying issulesse in Mary her selfe Christ Iesus their Sonne then must bee heire vnto both and by Father and Mother haue the iust title to Iudahs Crowne That Ioseph then in his dayes was the next successour to Salomons Throne is apparant by Saint Matthew in whose Catalogue without any colaterall he is brought downe from Salomon among his successors And by Saint Luke is recorded to be of Iudah of Bethlehem of the house and lineage of Dauid vnto which Tribe and
person the Crown was intaled euen by God himselfe neither was there any before him besides or with him that could be his competitor in that right though himselfe was no King but a poore Carpenter nor had hee any after him from his lovnes descended or of his kindred that could debarre Iesus to bee his heire The opinion therefore of one Iraeneus and others is not to be approued who suppose that Ioseph had children of his owne body begot and wil haue Iames and Ioses Iudah and Simon to bee the naturall brethren of Christ either by Father or Mother or both And Heluidius the Heretick with the Ebionites vrgeth that Iesus was not the onely sonne of Mary his Mother because saith hee his brethren and sisters are so particularly named in the Euangelists Others from the words of the Apostle Saint Paul who calleth S. Iames the Lords brother doe take Iames to bee the brother of Iesus indeed and doe iudge him to bee borne vnto Ioseph by a former wife Vnto which conceit Eusebius seemeth to leane and Cestrenfis alleageth but not alloweth for then had Iames the eldest son both by birth-right and parantage beene King of the Iewes and the title vsurped and impropper to Iesus who was but the Legall sonne of Ioseph by whom the claime came For the right resting in Abiud the eldest of Zorobabels sonnes must likewise descend to Iosephs eldest sonne otherwise the Law debarreth the claime and Christ was to accomplish euery iot of the law And how the law intaled it to his person alone let vs heare the Euangelists for his title speake where wee shall finde three Maries recorded to bee Mothers vnto Christ his Apostles which were Mary the Uirgin Mary surnamed Saloâ—…e and Mary Cleopas for other Maries not to this purpose of purpose we omit Mary the Virgin and Mother of Christ neither by Saint Mathew nor by Saint Luke hath her Parents expresly recorded For the Euange lists setting downe the Lineage of our Sauiour they doe not by the line of Mary from whom he tooke flesh but from Ioseph by whom hee was to deriue the Kingdome Therefore it is consequent that the Euangelists in that point did principally intend to set forth our Sauiours Kingly right That so Christ might bee accounted from the man and not from the woman according to the vsuall manner of the Scriptures for which cause Ioseph is called the sonne both of Iacob his begetter and of Eli her father by the mariage of her his daughter And that shee was the daughter of Eli the Rabbins themselues doe acknowledge and so tearme her and doe bring her from Dauid from Iudah and from the Towne Bethlehem as the Euangelists haue done Ioseph her husband neither haue wee Christians euer seene any contrary record and so it must be For Christ could not truely be the seed of Dauid vnlesse Mary whose seede he was immediatly were truely the seed of Dauid But Christ was truely the seed of Dauid therefore Mary whose seed he was immediatly was truly the seed of Dauid This Mary then the daughter and sole heire of Eli her father hath her fathers right in the title of Iudah for so saith the Law If a man haue no sonne his daughter shall inherit And by matching with Ioseph in whom the right lay from Abiud the eldest of Zorobabels sonnes after his decease is also his heire For shee being descended from Rhesa the younger brother and Abiuds house failing in Ioseph her husband Abiuds inheritance was to descend vnto Rhesa his line and Mary then of Rhesa was heire vnto Abiud for so doth the same law establish that if a man haue neither sonne nor daughter as Ioseph had not the neerest of his kindred shall inherit And Mary the neerest by any record though many descents passed betwixt must be the only heire of Ioseph her husband he dying issulesse as hee did and of Eli her Father he hauing no other child to in herit And none suruiunig either Ioseph or Mary in that royall line Christ Iesus who was knowne and reputed to bee the onely sonne of them both by that double right and most inst title is stiled and called King of the Iewes Mary surnamed Salome in Marke 15. 40. by 〈◊〉 Flinspachio in his draughts of the Scriptures Genealo gies is set to be the daughter of Iacob and the sister of Ioseph the Carpenter but without any proof for his so doing alledged or warrant of any before him And so to admit â—…er were to intitle both her selfe sons to be next heires vnto Iudahs Crowne For Iosephs title standing from Abiud and dying 〈◊〉 as he did had shee beene his sister and from the same stem shee then had beene inheretriâ—… vnto Ioseph her brother deceased and must haue inioyed his rights by the same law before alledged And so her sons Iames Iohn had stood in estate before Iesus and the Euangelists too farre ouerseene to annihilate them the next in bloud and â—…uer to intitle Iesus King of the Iewes But antiquity hath brought this Mary Salome from Anna the mother of the blessed virgin Mary and how from Anna let me here insert from Authors worthy of credit Saint Hierom and others besides him affirme that this Anna had three husbands and by each of them had a daughter and each of the daughters named Mary The first Mary say they was borne by Anna vnto Ioachim or Eâ—… her first husband who was of the Tribe of Iadah lineage of Dauid and this his daughter a wife and a virgin was made most blessed in bearing of Christ. Annaes second husband was Salome of whom or from whence is no where recorded that I haue seen Vnto him shee bare the second Mary for so in the vulgar translation shee is named but by the later is called onely Salome and is as it seemeth so called from Salome her father This Mary was the wife of Zebedee as is inferred by Saint Matthew chap. 27. 56. where shee is calâ—…ed the mother of Zebedees sonnes and those were Iohn and Iames the beloued Apostles of our Lord who for their zeale were called the sons of thunder and may well bee accounted the kins-men of Christ but â—…o wise interested vnto Dauids Crowne The third and last Mary is calâ—…ed Mary Cleopas being borne vnto Cleopas the third and last husband of Anna. But of this Maries surâ—…ame resteth some doubt for some â—…o call her from her father birth and some from her husband and mariage That shee had the surname Cleoâ—…as from her father Saint Hierom and many ancient manuscripts of the Scriptures Genealogies so affirme but the text in Iohn Chap. 19. 25. as it is translated doth call her the wife of Cleopas and so by consequence shee should from her husband beare that surname But
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
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
tending to Idolatry as other Gentile Writers haue but all against the false Gods and their worshippings so that shee seemeth to me to haue been a Citizen of the City of God saith Saint Augustine in his booke so intituled Now that these Sybils were ancient we see in Homer of Ezekiah his time sixe hundred thirty six yeeres before the birth of Christ who inserteth many of their verses in his Rapsodie as Viues in his annotations vpon S. Augustins Ciuitate Dei noteth And also respectiue for that the Romans made doubt to assist King Ptolomy to recouer his Kingdome of Egypt because the Sybils had prophecied that At what time the Romans should set a King in Egypt then should bee borne the King of the whole world Which Oracle Cicero writing to Lentulus who sued to haue that charge alleageth And Tacitus telles vs that wheras many vaine predictions were publisht of the Fate of Rome vnder the names of the Sybils Augustus Caesar after that the Capitoll was burnt in the ciuil wars caused their prophecies to bee sought for in Samum Illium Erthrum through Affrica Sicilia and the Colonies of Italy and to be brought to Rome to the Cities Pretor by a day assigned and to be examined by the Priests to distingush the true from the false as neere as might be by the iudgement of man and those allowed of referred againe to a second examination of the Fifteene In which businesse Suetonius affirmeth no lesse then two thousand bookes to haue been committed to the fier but the approued prophecies of the Sybils saith he at the Emperours commandement were laid vp and kept vnder locke in two golden Chests at the foot of the Image of Apolle in mount Palatine in Rome Where they remained saith Amianus in the daies of Iulian the Apostata and whence Stillico tooke and burnt them when he intended treason towards his double sonne in law Honorius the Emperour lest in mouing the people against him their prophecies should hinder his designes as Claâ—…dian in his verses thus writeth He burnt the Fatâ—… of the Sybils helps Whereby we see both the great antiquity of these receiued Sybils and the reuerend regard that was had of their writings but chiefely the end of all prophecies both diuine and humane concerning Christ Iesus in whom all the types of the Law ended and in whose person al Genealogies ceased that from Adam had beene continued vnto him the blessed seede and Sonne of God and to force them further either for Story or distinction of Tribes Mariages or Issues is to fall into that sin which S. Paul condemneth seeing those Starres did all set at the bright rising of that brightest Sunne Neither doth the new Testament from the first of Saint Mathew to the last of the Apocalyps prosecute any Genealogies no not from the degree of a Grandfather besides them appertaining to the person of Christ though many bookes therein be hystorical and might haue required the staies of Genealogies as most of them in the old Testament haue done For onely Zacharias from his priestly course Elisabet from Aaron Anna from Ashur Paul from Beniamin and Barnabas from Leui are declared in al the rest a still silence is seene and all to shew that the vse of Geneologies ended in Iesus the seede of the promise and that thenceforth the world should not looke for another The Iewes we haue seene blinded in their owne affections affecting an earthly tranquility vnder their daily expected Monarch from Salomon and with Iulian the Apostata do vehemently accuse vs Christians that agree not in the Parents of his person whom we make our Messiah whether Nathan or Salomon But I would to God wee had not followed their Rabbins too far in the line of Salomon and that wee were more exercised in these kinds of Studies so maturely touching the humanity of Christ for by Peter we are commanded to be ready alwaies to giue an answere to euery man that asketh a reason of the hope we hold And by Moses are ordained to prouoke them to the Gospell neither of which wee can doe but by shewing that God is become man and that man come according to the Scriptures of God For in this consisteth life euerlasting to know the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent This Christ then wee Christians worship and know what we worship euen the sonne of Dauid that is Dauids Lord whom all must kisse or else perish and all made blessed that trust in him O then yee Sons of the Couenant be not as Dauids deafe Adder that stoppeth her eare and will not harken to the voyce of the charmer charme he neuer so wisely nor with your questioning Elders answere we cannot tel For you haue had Abraham your father pointing at Christ the seede of the promise in whom all the Nations of the earth are made blessed Moses your Law-giuer shewing the Prophet that the Lord would raise from among your brethren vnto whom ye should harken And the Prophets your Charmers both multiplying visions and vsing similitudes with precept vpon precept line vpon line heere a little and there a little haue declared the Virgins sonne to be the Immanuel the wonderfull Counseller the mighty God the euerlasting father and Prince of peace Christ himselfe teaching himselfe to bee the way the truth and the life and the spirituall rock and Manna sent downe from heauen The Euangelists Apostles Disciples and Proselites all of them clowds of witnesses vnto you of his Life Death Resurrection and Ascention And lastly we Gentiles of the vncircumcision though with stamering lips and another tongue tell you That in these last daies God hath spoken by his Son who is heire of all things by whom he made the world and in whom he that beleeueth shall not perish but haue life euerlasting That a promise was made vnto Dauid you know that he should neuer want a Successor to sit vpon his Throne nor that Leui should euer want a Sacrificer to minister before the Lord But that there is and hath long time beene wants of both cannot be denied And therefore that is not spoken of a temporall but spirituall King and Kingdome and of that Priesthood and order of Melchisedec which continueth for euer Which is Iesus who is gone before vs into the holy place the most holiest To day then if you y will heare his voyce harden not your hearts as your fathers did in the wildernesse for be not deceiued God is not mocked but is a ielous God and a consuming fier His arrowes you reade are sharp that stick in the hearts of the Kings enemies and his bloud you know hath beene heauie vpon thâ—… heads of your children who to-this day are a despised and a dispersed Nation through the world without King without Prince without
Ier. 26. 20 Vthai 17 d. 1 Chro. 9 4 Vz 3 c. Gen. 10. 23 Vz 5 d Gen. 36. 28. Vzal 3 b Gen. 10. 27 Vzza 13 a. 1 Chron. 6. 29 Vzza 20 b. 2 Sam. 6. 3 Vzza 27 c. 1 Chron. 8. 7 Vzzi 14 b. 1 Chron. 6. 5. 16 b. Vzzi 26 b. 1. Chron. 7. 2 Vzzi 27 b. 1 Chron 7. 7 Vzzi 30 d. 1 Chron. 9. 8 Vzziah 17 b Nehem. 11. 4 Vzziah or Azariah 15 b. Vzziah or Azariah 33 d. Vzziel 12 d. 1 Chronic. 4 42 Vzziel 14 c. Exod. 6. 18 Vzziel 15 b. 1 Chron. 25. 4 Vzziel 15 c. Exod. 6. 18 Vzziel 27 b. 1 Chron. 7. 7 X Xerxes 3 a. the sonne of Assuerus Z Zaauan 5 b. Gen. 36. 27 Zabad 8 b. 2 Chron. 24. 26 Zabad 18 b. 1 Chron. 2. 36 Zabad 32 c. 1 Chron. 7. 21 Zabdi see Zimri 17 c. Zabdi 29 b. 1 Chro. 8. 19 Zabdiel 17 a. 1 Chron. 27. 2 Zaccur 11 b. Numb 13. 4 Zaccur 12 d. 1 Chron. 4. 26 Zaccur 13 b. 1 Chron. 5. 22 Zaccur 13 d. 1 Chro. 24. 27 Zachariah 24 d. 2 Ki. 14 29 Zacharias 16 d. Luke 1. 5 Zacheus 30 c. Luke 19. 2 Zadok 24 b. 16 a. 1 C. 6. 8 Zadok 14 d. 16 b. 1 Chro. 6. 12. or Azariah 2 C. 31 10 Zaham 33 c. 2 Chr. 11. 19 Zalmunah 7 b. Iudg. 8. 5 Zanoah 21 d. Zarah 17 c. Gen. 38. 30 Zaza 18 d. 1 Chron. 2. 33 Zebah 7 b. Iudg. 8. 5 Zebadiah 15 b. 1 Chro. 26. 2 Zebadiah 19 b. 2 Ch. 19. 11 Zebadiah 22 d. 1 Chr. 27. 7 Zebadiah 29 b. 1 Chr. 8. 17 Zebadiah 29 b. 1 Chr. 8. 15 Zebedeus 34 b. Mat. 27. 56 Zâ—…budah 32 d. 2 Kin. 23. 36 Zabulon 10 c. and 26 c. or Zebulun Gen. 30. 20 Zechariah 11 d. 1 Chro. 5. 7 Zechariah 13 b. 1 C. 20. 14 Zechariah 13 c. 1 C. 26. 11 Zechariah 15 b. 1 Ch. 26. 2 Zechariah the Prophet called also Ieremias Matth. 27. 9 Zechariah 15 c. 1 C. 24. 25 Zechariah 16 b. or Zerahiah 1 Chron. 6 Zechariah 17 b. Nehe. 11. 4 Zechariah 17 d. Nehe. 11. 5 Zechariah 28 c. 1 Chr. 9. 37 Zechariah 31 c. 1 Ch. 27. 21 Zechariah 33 c. 2 Chr. 21. 2 Zedekiah 33 d. or Mattaniah 2 Ki. 24. 17. 1 C. 3. 15 Zeeb 7 b. Iudg. 7. 25 Zelek 8 d. 2 Sam 23. 37 Zelophehad 31 b. Nu. 27. 1 Zemarile 5 c. Gen. 10. 18 Zemira 27 b. 1 Chron. 7. 8. Zephaniah see Vriel 15 a. Zephaniah 19 d. Zephi or Zepho 9 a. Gen. 36. 11. 1 Chron. 1. 36 Zephon see Ziphion 24 a. Zerah 4 b. 2 Chron. 14. 9 Zerah 9 a Gen. 36. 33 Zerah see Zohar 12 c. Zerah 13 b. 1 1 Chro. 6 21 Zerahiah 14 b. Chron. 6. 6 Zereda 32 d. a citie Zeresh 9 b Hest. 5. 10 Zereth 18 d. 1 Chron. 4. 7 Zeri 13 d. 1 Chro. 25. 33. 11 or Izri Zeror 28 a. 1 Sam. 9. 1 Zeruah 32 d. 1 Kin. 11. 26 ZERVBBABEL or Zorobabel 34 a. 1 Chron. 3. 19 Zeruiah 22 c. 1 Chro. 2. 16 Zethan 13 a. 1 Chron. 23. 8 Zethan 27 c. 1 Chron. 7. 10 Zia 24 d 1 Chron. 5. 13 Zibeon 5 d. Gen. 36. 20 Zibia 27 b. 1 Chron. 8. 9 Zibia 33 a. 2 King 12. 1 Zichri 11 d. 1 Chro. 27. 16 Zichri 13 b. 1 Chron. 9. 15 Zichri 14 d. 1 Chron. 26. 25 Zichri 15 a. Exod. 6. 21 Zichri 19 c. 2 Chron. 17. 16 Zichri 29 d. 1 Chron. 8. 27 Zichri 29 b. 1 Chron. 8. 23 Zichri 29 b. 1 Chron. 8. 19 Zichri 30 b. Nehem. 11. 9 Zichri 32 a. 2 Chron. 28. 7 Zidon 5 a. or SidoÌ„ G. 10. 15 Zillaâ—… 1 b. Gen. 4. 19 Zilthai 29 b. 1 Chron. 8. 20 Zilthai 31 d. 1 Chro. 12. 20 Zilpah 10 a. Gen. â—…0 9 Zimmah 13 a. 1 Chro. 6. 20 Zimram 7 a. Gen. 25. 2 Zimri 12 a. Num. 25. 14 Zimri 17 c. 1 Chron. 2. 6. or Zaodi Ios. 7. 1 Zimri 26 c. 1 King 16. 9 Zimri 28 d. 1 Chron. 8. 26 Zina or Ziza 13 b. 1 Chro. 23. 10. 11 Ziph 19 b. Ziph 21 a. 1 Chro. 4. 16 Ziphath 21 a. 1 Chro. 4. 16 Ziphion 24 a. Gen. 46. 16. or Zephon Num. 26. 15 Zippor 8 a. Numb 22. 2 Zipporah 7 d. Exod. 2. 21 Zithri 15 c. Exod. 6. 22 Ziza 12 d. 1 Chron 4. 37 Ziza see Zina 13 b. Ziza 33 a. 2 Chron. 11. 20 Zibebah 18 d. 1 Chro 4. 8 Zoar 18 d. 1 Chron. 4. 7 Zophar 5 c. Gen. 23. 8 Zohar 12 c. Gen. 46. 10. or Zerah Numb 26. 13 Zoheth 21 a. 1 Chron. 4. 20 Zophah 25 b. 1 Chro. 7. 35 Zophai 1 c. 1 Chr. 26. 15. or Zuph 1 Sam. 1. 1 ZOROBABEL 24 a. Mat. 1. 12 or ZERVBBABEL 1 Chron. 3. 19. or Sheshbazzar Ezra 1. vlt. Zuar 26 a. Numb 1. 8 Zuph see Zophai 15 b. Zur 7 a. Numb 25. 15 Zur 28 a. 1 Chron. 9. 36 Zuriel 13 d. Num. 3. 35 Zurishaddai 12 c. Nu. 1. 6 FINIS f Col. 1. 20 g Gen. 3. h 1 Cor 13 i 2 Cor. 3. 13. 〈◊〉 k Heb. 1. l Iosh. 1. 8. m Deu. 32. 47. n Ma. 5. 18 p Act. 17. 〈◊〉 q Deu. 8. 3. r Tim. 4. 16 * Hieron in Psal. 133. a Genes 3. 15. b Mat. 2. 1. a Ex. 31. 18 b Genes 5. c Ios. 13. 1. d Ge. 5. 29. e Ge. 17. 4. Gen. 12. 3. f 2. Sam. 7. 13. g Rut. 4. 20 h 1. Cor. 1. c. i Ezra 1. 2. a Nehe. 7. c. * Nehem. 12. 11. b Mat. 1. 1 c Apo. 1. 8. d Rom. 11. 36. e Mat. 21. 24. f Gen. 28. 12. Gen. 4. 11. g Gen. 9. 25 * Gen. 10. 9 h Exod. 17. 6. * Ge. 16 12 i Heb. 12. 17. k Acts 26. 28. n Exod. 23 20. o Psal. 78. 68. p 2. Chron. 6. 6. a 1. King 8. b 1. Ki. 5. 7. c Lu. 11. 31 d Ier. 38. 7. e Esa. 45. 1. f 2. Chron. 36. 22. g Ezra 6. 1. h 2. King 5. 14. i Luk. 4. 26 k Mar 7. 26 l Act. 8. 27. m Luk. 17. 16 n Acts 10. 4. o Ioh. 5. 39 p Ge. 12. 4 q Ioh. 1. 9 r Ioh. 1. 18 s 1. Sam. 9. t Heb. 11. 6 a Deut. 4. 32 Moses his precept touching Gods couenant b Iob 8. 8. True wisdome gathered srom the first Fathers c Gen. 4. The Fathers were faithfull and all of them Pro phets d Iude 1. e Numb 25 1. 9. The resurrection figured Melchisedech the first King and Priest in the world All the Fathers leade vnto Christ. All the Fathers by faith saw Christ. f 2 Cor. 4. 6. The motioÌ„s of the heaueÌ„s knowen onely by the liues of the Fathers The holy Patriarks glory in the former ages The worlds calculation onely by the Fathers g Eccles. 4. 12. The tripple accounts of the Patriarkes g Iosh.
Esay 6. 2. Seuenty fiue for seuenty Acts 7. 14. Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 8. The Bible translated In his Epistle to the Nobility The Septuagint Translaters The gifts of the Septuagint Syra in the Prologue of his Booke None more learned thē the Translaters Deut. 4. 2. Paginne Isag. ca. 9. The Septuagint much maimed Hierome in Ezek. chap. 5. Gen. 46. Exod. 1. Deut 10. 22. 1. Chro. 7. Fiue persons added from the booke of Chronicles Aug. ciuit Dei lib. 18 cap. 43. b 1. Cor. 7. 12. c Apoc. 22 18. Ben-gor in estate of the Maccabes Hier. praefat in Pentateuth Ioseph Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 2. The First Septuagint not corrupted The diuers opinions of the learned i Gen. 46. 8 k Brought consent Ioseph Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 1. Hieroms opinion not to be aprooued Isai. 11. 10 Ro. 15. 12. Caietan in Gen. 11 A meero conceit without shew of truth Aug. ciuit Dei lib 15 cap. 13. Augustines answere to the conceit The originall is safest to trust too Saint Matthewes three fourteene generations Ciuit. Dei Abraham the first of Promise and Dauid the first King by Couenant The double vse of Saint Matthew his Catalogue 1. Cor. 3. 13. Ecclesi 4. 10. Truth respecteth no persons Ethiopian Translation in Mat. 1. Glose ordinary vpon Matthew 1. The mysticall applications of the ordinary Glosse Iohn Ferus in Mat 1. Three estates of the Iewes Mat. 6. 16. Augustine Marlorat vpon Matthew 1. The text intangled with vaine conceits A dangerous assertion and not to be granted Differences in families A libertie assumed without warrant Saint Matthew most plaine in setting downe his pedegrees Saint Matthew is more frequent in alleaging the Prophets then any other of the Euangelists a Esay 7. b Micah 5. 2. c Hosh. 11. 1. d Zach. 9. 9 e Psal. 22. f Ion. 1. 17 Some families exceed others in long life 1 Kin. 2. 27 2 Chr. 25. 18. Fiue of Iudahs saw seuenteene of Leui. Num. 16. 1 Sam. 16. Ruth 4. 18. How many and who they are that are omitted How many Saint Mathew omitteth Onely two of forty Editiōs haue Iacim Greeke Syriac Arabick Persian Saxon. Latin Our Kings Bible None almost hath Iacim Foure kings omitted by S. Mathew A dangerous opiniō In an Epistle sent for that defēce The weakenesse of the Iewes no immediate cause The wickednesse of the Kings not the only cause 2 Chr. 21. 20. 2 Chr. 28. 2 King 25. Ier. 24. Ier. 22. 24. Quest. 85. St Augustines opinion of the three Kings omissions Ezek. 18. The answer The persons not respected Exod. 20. 4 St Hieromes opinion of omission 1 Kin. 21. 21. 1 Kin. 14. 20. Math. 2 2 The cause that moued S. Mathew to omit four Kings * Dedicated to Prince Charles his royall Sonne The foure that are omitted Exceptions against Ahaziah 2 Ch. 22. 1. Deut. 21. 16. 2 Chro. 22. 3. 7. Exceptions against Ioash 2 Chr. 22. 8. 9. 2 King 11. 2 Chr. 24. 21. Exceptions against Amaziah 2 Chr. 25. 17. Amaziahs death vnreuenged Broughtō in Consent 2 Kin. 14. 1 2 Kin. 15. 1 Deut. 17. 15. Exceptions against Iehoiakim 1 Sam. 16. 13. Ier. 36. 30 Ier. 22. 19. The cause of the foure Kings omissions August Quest. 85. Ammon and Iosiah slaine and yet are recorded 2 Kin. 21. 24. 2 Chr. 35. 24. a Ier. 27. 6 b Dan. 2. 37. Christs title without exceptions The third diuision of S. Mathew 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. Isidors opinion Epiph. Cont. Heres lib. 1. The father and the sons names differing in Character 2. Augus marl vpon Mathew 1. S. Augustin Gloss. ordin Mathew 1. A misticall interpretation Ier. 2◅ ◅4 3. The Virgin Mary is not in account among the generations Ioseph Mary make but one generation 4. A dangerous position Massorites preseruers of the text Pedaiah supplieth the number of fourteene Pedaiah had no estate in the Crowne The cause of Pedaiahs omission Luk. 16. 17 1 Chro. 3. 17 c. Psal. 119. 105. * Hugo de S. vict The vnwarrantable reconciliation of the Rabbins * Rabbi Solomoh cited by D. Willet vpon Exod. chap. 31. The Rabbins opinion confuted * Her name was Thermuthis saith Iosephus Ant. lib. 2. ca. 5. * Ioseph Anti. lib. 2 cap. 2. Miriam the wife and not th◅ mother of Hur. y Luke 2. 46. * Lyra herein not to be followed * Vatab. Anotat vpon 1. Chr. 4. 15. The first Caleb could not be the Lands searcher a 1. Chron. 2. 18. b Iosh. 14. 7 Tostatus Doubts made in the pedegree of Hezron Doubts answered in the pedegeee of Hezron 1. Chron. 4. 4. c Iosh. 14 7 How Caleb and Bezaleel were men in one age d Num. 4. 3 e Hob. 8. 2 f Rom. 11. 36. God becāe man a Galat. 4. 4. b Eph. 1. 4. c Gen 3. Was promised to the fathers Reueiled in the Scriptures e Num. 24 17. 19. f Gen. 49. 10. g Ps. 100. 1 h Isay 9. i Isay 28. 16. k Iere. 31. 22. l 1 Pet. 2. 6. Being innūber 74. Luk. 10. 1. Ignorance in the sacred Genealogies hath hurt the cause of Christianity Wherein the Iewes and Christians differ touching Christs nature his right to the Kingdome S. Mathew recordeth the legal S. Luke the natural parents of Christ. It is no blemish to the godly to haue their errors reformed m 1 Cor. 3 13. Lib. breui◅ ariae A wrong receiued opinion that Salomons house ended in Ochozias Aug. Marlorat vpon Mat. 1. 12. The foundation not firme a ruine must follow for Kings neuer left their names to be called as subiects no occasion so forcing Africanus ad Aristidē Epistola Inuentions trouble the truth * Eus Eccl hist. l. 1. c. 8 Math 1. Luke 3. * Not so for Salomon hath none of his race so named Mutthā was of Abiud as Melchi also was and both of thē of Zorobabell from Nathan In the Bibles of the largest vollume in English Contrarieties A Conceit without example Lyra annotation vpon 1 Chr. 3. 5 in Mat. 1. The opinions examined with their resolutions Iohn Luci dus deceiued by a forged Philo. Ioash in euery text where he is named is called the sonne of Ochozias Salomons house did not end in Ochozias Gods property is to warne before he doth strike n Amos 3. 7. o 2. Chro. 21. 4. Gods manner of dealings p Gen. 27. q 1. Sam. 15. 28. r 1. Kings 2. 35. s Mat. 23. 35. t 2. Chro. 24 21. * In Ie◅usaleme Treat of penance alledged by M. Broghton x 2 Chr. 28 y 2 Chr. 33 z 2. Kings 24. 3. a 2 Chr. 33 22. b 2. Kings 23. 34. c Ier. 36. 23. d 2. Chro 36. 6. e Ier. 22. 19. f 2. Kings 24. g Iere. 22. 30. h Psal. 45. 7. Christ came of sinners to saue sinners i Gen. 3. 20 k Gen. 8. 21. l Gen. 11. 31. m Dā 7. 22 The Mothers of Christ all blessed vessels In the Gospell none of the weomen are taken into Christs