world made began in time since the creation of the world is an outward action of God voluntary The very same answer may be made vnto the rule wheÌ„ the cause is the effect is the cause eternal therfore the effect to wit y e world For this holdeth in natural things also that worke naturally necessarily but not in things y e worke freely willingly as God did in creating Otherwise euery house must be as ancient as the Carpenter that made it No the relatioÌ„ ther betwixt y e cause the effect beginneth in time after because he is a voluntary cause so is it with God Silly then slack are these conclusions you euidently see and far from demonstrations Thirdly they reason thus That which hath no alteration is not subiect to generation or corruption The heauen hath no alterations for thus many thousand yeares none haue beene obserued Therefore it is not subiect to generation to be made or corruption to cease to be Therefore it is eternall We aunswer that all though it might be truly sayde that many partes of the world are subiect to alteratioÌ„s as the aire the water the earth c and consequently the whole not perpetuall whose parts be alterable Yet with diuinitie we rather say that Generatio physica naturall generation and creation be two things and differ much so do Corruptio physica naturall corruption and violent destruction which a renuing shal follow Therefore although neither generation nor corruption can be without alteration yet things may be created that haue no alterations as Angels stars soules And by diuine power celestiall bodies may be destroyed or at least changed and renued according to the saying Heauen and earth shall passe and againe They all shall waxe old as doth a garment c. Behold I create a new heauen and new earth and with such like For the argument then it may be granted that albeit the world was not Genitus generated as I may say yet it was created by God of nothing and so their purpose faileth for all this cauill also Fourthly they say Time is eternall therefore motus moouing for time is the measure of moouing if motion then a thing moued to wit the world c. For answer wherevnto first the consequence may be denyed for time is not onely taken as philosophy taketh it for measure of moouing according to first and later But sometime it is put simply and absolutely for the continuance of a thing though it be not the measure of the motion of the same So may we call eternitie and that infinite continuance that I may so speake of God who hath bin from euerlasting But this is improperly for indeed the maner that hath taken place in schooles is to call time the measure of mouing Now Aristotle not able by naturall wit to see rightly what difference was betwixt time eternitie or what maner of continuance eternitie was iudged time to be eternall because he saw an eternitie of a moouer which is not so for there may be a mouer eternall to wit God albeit no motus corporis mobilis for God is not corpus mobile as the parts of the world are as philosophie meaneth Now Tempus est mensura motus corporis mobilis non dei according to Philosophy Secondly touching the antecedent that time is eternall it may truly also be denyed And for that which is vsually brought to prooue it that it began with the first moouer in some moment or poynte of time which point being a coniunction of passed and future presupposeth a point passed and so an other infinitely it may be answered that euery point of time is not a continuer ioiner of passed and future but it is also sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amending of time whether it be at the beginning or ending for as for example the point in the line is not euer a continuer of the same line ioyning that which followeth after to that which went before but also a certaine thing both beginning and ending the line So in time there is Nunc initians a beginning and an instant or a present that beginneth with the thing as when the world tooke his beginning then began also such an instant or present there is also Nunc continuans a continuing pointe which is properly called time because Tempus est fluxio à priori ad posterius a going from the first to the later and at last there shall be Nunc terminans an ending point to wit the end of the world now thus created moouing and bâ—ing Nothing therefore helpeth this argument to prooue an eternitie of the world more then the rest did Many mo might be alleadged to this purpose but no better then these and I iudge neither these nor them very pleasant to such as I specially labour to profit because they conceiue not such consequences Wherefore I cut them off and this onely I commend vnto you to be thought of It is impossible euen by the Philosophers owne rules that there should be mo infinites then one Now God is one infinite therefore nothing els in heauen or earth beside But whatsoeuer is else it had a beginning and many things shall haue an ending also The rest by his power shall haue an eternitie giuen them to continue not of themselues 4 How did God create all things Not by or with any labour but by his word for He spake the word saith the Psalme and they were made he commanded and they were created Liberrime sine vlla coactione noÌ„ necessitate absoluta sed necessitate coÌ„sequentiae nempe suae voluÌ„tatis Freely without any coÌ„straint not by an absolute necessitie but by a necessitie of consequence to wit of his owne good wil. Solo nutu sine vlla mutatione aut fatigatione Onely with his beck without any change or wearines in hâ—mselfe which is the highest and excellentest kinde of working 5 Whereof Not of his essence neither of any former matter coeternall with himselfe but of nothing for if by him all things were made surely beside him nothing is excepted from making no not that first matter wherevpon all things were made But you will say man was made of the dust of the earth fishes and fowles of the water woman of man and then how were all things made of nothing Damascene answereth Deus fecit omnia ex nihilo alia quidem immediate alia mediate God made all things of nothing but some immediatly others mediatly His meaning is that God made first of nothing a matter a first matter whereof he made all other things Now that first matter is made of nothing immediatly but the rest that were formed of that matter were formed of nothing mediatly because they were made of that which was made of nothing and so secondarily or mediatly as I say then of nothing But then you will say againe Ex nihilo nihil fit Of nothing nothing is made And I answere you that so it is
CERTAINE PLAINE briefe and comfortable Notes vpon euerie Chapter of Genesis GATHERED AND LAID DOWNE for the good of them that are not able to vse better helpes and yet carefull to reade the worde and right heartilie desirous to taste the sweete of it By the Reuerend Father Geruase Babington Bishop of Landaph PSAL. 119.103 O how sweete is thy worde vnto my mouth sweeter then honie vnto my throte EZEK 3. verse 3. Then did I eate the rowle and fill my bowels with it and it was in my mouth as sweete as honie LONDON Printed for Thomas Charde 1592. To the godly disposed Reader I Haue often desired to haue some good occasion offered me wherby I might at the least in word sâ— God knowes in deed I am 〈…〉 to testifie my vnfeigned zeale and goodwill to the Authour of this booke for the comforts and sweet instructions I haue receiued by his most holy labors And althâ—ugh my â—udgement be but slender and therefore my sentence little worth yet vnder the Authours correction with whom I am vnacquainted and without whose knowledge I am â—â—ld thus farre to presume I dare giue this testimonie of all his workes and so of this amongst the reâ—t that he doth therein vtter as great loue to the Church of God and as feruent zeal vnto the truth as euer did any Engliâ—â— man that hath writen I humblie beseech God that his faithfull trauaileâ— may prouâ—ke others of his calling to followe his steps in the like care of gods people coÌ„mitted to their chaâ—ge One thing is necessarie al the rest are but accidents and â—â—taineâ—s the Lord make vs more carefull to the attaining thereof and increase in this Reuerend Authour zeale and heauenly strength to proceed as he hath begun to helpe forward the Lordes haruest which lieth withering vpon the ground in many places for want of workemen The Lord for his elects sake hasten the comming of his son Iesus Christ to iudgement confound all his obstinate enemies and vntill then graunt vs his peace with Christian constancie and obedience to his truth Amen Thine in the Lord Edm. 〈◊〉 student in diuinitie The Preface to the Christian Reader shewing amongst other things the most necessarie vse of such easie commentaries and the intendment of the Author ALthough gentle Reader God and man both may look for at our hands that al of vs should be able to prophecie as Moses speaketh and al of vs haue our wits so exercised in y e word that we could euen without a guide wade in the deepe places thereof nowe I sâ—y that the light of the Gospel hath bene set on a candlestick so long and not onely Moses and the Prophets but also the Apostles and Euangelists haue in euery citie almost such as preach them vpon the Sabboths and festiuall dayes yet for al that to true it is and with griefe of heart be it spoken as well as to their shame that are faultie the greatest part haue no knowledge in the scriptures to account of the vision I meane the doctrine of the olde new testament is a booke that is sealed as the Prophet speaketh The causes whereof as they are common and not vnknowne first our owne naturall corruption whereby we loue darknes more then light and ease more then paynes taking next the malice of our ancient enemie who because he could not hinder the winds from blowing the seede froÌ„ being sowne vpoÌ„ the earth which he principally aymed at therfore hee bestirreth himselfe so much the more egerly to take that which is sowne out of mens hearts and to make it vnprofitable so are the remedies as easie to be discerned I pray God they may be at length as well thought vpon attained And what be they The first and chiefest is the holy spirite of God who being giuen to a man searcheth all things euen the deepe things of God 1. Cor. 2. But vntil he be giuen there remaineth a vaile ouer the heart vntaken away in the reading of Gods booke and so that which should haue beene for our light is made vnto vs an occasion of falling What shall we say then Is the letter dark or doth it turne any out of the way No our minds are darke euen darknes it selfe Iohn 1.5 And though there appeare vnto vs a great light as there did vnto Saul at noone day yet vntill by the finger of the holy ghost as it were by the hands of Ananias the scales of naturall ignorance bee taken away froÌ„ our eies wel we may suffer our selues to be led by others but we shall not be able to see our way our selues For this cause S Paul praied for the Ephesians that the spirit of wisdome and reuelation might be giuen theÌ„ that the eies of their vnderstanding might be lightned c. And for this cause are we to pray with all maner of praier and supplication and with al earnestnes that this key of Dauid of y e true Dauid Iesus Christ might be giuen vs. For if the spirit once open no man shutteth but if he shut so long as he shutteth no man can oopen nay as Austen saith though god himself should appeare vnto vs in some likenes of man and speak vnto vs yet if he do not moue vs direct vs by his inward grace the grace of his spirit he should do vs no good at al with al his preaching Therfore I say deare brother begin here make praier for Gods enlightning spirite the first staffe of thy ladder and the first stone of thy building Pray for the same early and late and doubt not but it shalbe giueÌ„ the. For if we that be euil can giue good gifts vnto our children how much more shall our heauenly father giue the holy Ghost to them that desire him This promise is made by Christ himselfe and by no worse person and therfore as he that beleeueth it hath sealed that God is true Ioh. 3.33 so he that beleeueth it not yea or doubteth of it saying who shall ascend into heauen and fetch me the spirit the same man maketh Christ a liar and so dishonoreth the sonne and the father to This may suffice concerning the principal help for the vnderstanding of the Scriptures Now besides this there are certaine inferior helps and means which though they be not as effectual as the former for God forbid we should make any comparison betweene the power of God and the weaknes of man yet they be most necessarie and no way to be neglected Nay this is true that if we should do nothing but pray as did the Messalians of old or hold open our mouthes as it were gape after extraordinary inspirations as certaine Enthusiasts do to this day we should do no lesse then tempt God like to them that will take no paines with their ground and yet looke for a good crop and so in stead of blessing wee should reape a curse Therfore though we must begin
respect neede not make me seeme absurde all the while I yeelde nothing to flesh and bloud and do not stretch my selfe beyond his measure as the Apostle speaketh Well this Reuerend and Honourable man is now remooued from vs being called to a greater charge of gouernment and ouersight but so that first he left his owne teares behind him which shewed how he loued vs and from vs for the most part he caried away our verie hearts not onely our teares so deare he was vnto vs. We pray therefore for him that God would blesse him and his labours euerie way as he did among vs and that hee may be among his flocke with ioy and not with griefe also to him we are sâ—ters that he would not forget vs being absent but seeke to doe vs good among others by publishing his godly labours Truly gentle Reader though I cannot doe thee good by my selfe yet whatsoeuer fauour or credit I may seeme to be in with him the same I will gladly employ for thy sake vnto that end namely I wil be to him as Socrates sayth he was to the Athenians a spurre or a stinger to pricke him forwarde or rather to speake as Isay speaketh I will be his remembrancer and giue him no rest vntill hee haue gone through the bookes of Moses at the least This if God giue him life so long and if in the meane time some come not in to his helpe as Aaron and Hur helped Moses when hee was wearie with holding vp his handes or as Peters partners helped him Luke 6. when his net was torne Farewell good Reader and doe thou also blesse and loue this man who for thy sake doth thus debase himselfe because he would not exceede thy capacitie be thou neuer so simple whereas he could otherwise get himselfe a great name like the great men of the earth by writing for the reach of the better learned againe farewell Hereford 1. April 1592. Thine in the Lord Iesus Miles Smith Certaine plaine breefe and comfortable Notes vpon euery chapter of Genesis gathered and layd downe for the good of them that are not able to vse better helpes and yet are carefull to reade the word and right heartily desirous to taste the sweete of it Genesis Chap. 1. The whole Chapter intreateth of the Creation of the World and particularly deliuereth vnto vs these poyntes to bee considered of Who Created What was Created When. How Whereof To what end In what space TOuching the first it saith God created therein implying the whole Trinity God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost for so we learne by conference of other Scriptures with this Of the Father giue those Apostls witnes When they lift vp their voyces to God with one accord and sayd O Lorde thou art the God which hast made the Heauen and the Earth the Sea all things that are therin against thy holy Sonne Iesus c. Also 〈…〉 he said to Iob Where wast thou All things that were made 〈◊〉 of the earth c. Of the Sonne and without him was made â—â—mselfe what the Psalme saith Thou Lorde in the beginning haste established the Earth and the Heauens are the works of thy hands Also that in the Euangelist all things were made by it to wit by the worde Christ and without it was made nothing that was made Of the Holy-ghost witnesseth Iob when hee saith his Spirit hath garnished the heauens and againe The Spirit of God hath made mee and the breath of the almightie hath giuen me life And in this place by the iudgement of verye learned The Spirit of God mooued vpon the waters by consequence those words of Ieremie The gods that haue not made Heauen and Earth shall perish from the Earth and from vnder heauen If then the Holy-ghost should not create hee should bee no God yea of all the three persons conclude thus and so this Prophets testimony shall inferre the creation of each person Austen saith Sicut personae sunt inseperabiles ita inseperabiliter agunt as the persons are inseperable among themselues so doo they worke inseperablye Againe Opera Trinitatis quoad extra sunt indiuisa communia with many such testimonies In this very place that we now looke vpon the Hebrue word for God is of the plurall number to note as some thinke the pluralitie of persons the verbe created of the singular number to note the vnity of deitie in them all And vers 26. it is said Come let vs make man noting the three persons all ioynt creators together and cannot be vnderstood of Angels as spoken to them because man was not created according to the Image of Angels but of God Now if any should doubt how the first article of our beleefe agreeth with this which attributeth the creation to God the Father it may be answered that it is not so doone there to the ende to exclude eyther Sonne or Holy-ghost but onely to shew the order and manner of the creation and other workes of God for as the father is the fountaine of the Godhead and yet not therefore either Sonne or Holy-ghost excluded from the same but each of them God equall with the Father as touching the Godhead so rightly is the Father made author of creation and yet neither Sonne nor Holy-ghost idle in the same But 〈…〉 that by a certaine order the 〈…〉 first in order willeth it as it was the whole fabrick and course of things created Then he expresseth this will by his Sonne in whom as the Image of his Father the decree and order of all â—he worke shined he spake and they were made and distinguished in theyr orders Thirdly the Holy-ghost together with them both worketh also immediatly cherishing and nourishing what was created and giuing motion vnto them Thus was there an order in the worke and yet all three persons ioyntly creators of all together This marked and remembred both answereth the doubt now in speeche touching our beleefe and many other places of Scripture also wherein the creation is ascribed in shew of words but to one person Iohn saith All things were made by the sonne Paule saith Yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whom are all things And in the same verse he saith of Christ that By him are all things and such like Austen saith Filius non agit a se sed per se The Sonne dooth not of himselfe but by himselfe All which speeches and theyr like eyther in Scripture or Fathers note an order among the persons in their worke but exclude none from the same For as we saye the Fire shyneth by the light which commeth from the same and yet we make not that light any seruile instrument off or to the same fire but euen his naturall force and power So is the Father sayde to doo whatsoeuer hee dooth by the Sonne and yet
theyrs and by him onely it was produced to and for such terme as it was Neuerthelesse if we speake of causes in nature by which also God worketh when it pleaseth him diuers and sundry there were then now to be remembred if we will wherefore their life might passe ours as it did and bee so long The indifferent mixture equall temperature and good disposition of the cheefe and first qualities heat colde moysture drynesse is in nature the ground of life and by all probabilitie in that beginning this was so more then now Their dyet better and temperance more from surfetting and fleshlye pleasures then is now The region they dwelte in hote in a strength to drye vp and consume superfluitie of humors when anye were corrupt and rotten Theyr mindes quieter from eating and gnawing cares the shortners of mans life since iniquitie then being not so strong manye woes and vexations were vnfounde And lastly the fruites of the earth in their puritie strength and vertue not corrupted as after the Flud and euer since still more and more might be to them a true cause and a most forcible cause of good health greater strength and longer life then euer since by nature could bee 5 Their certaine death is noted to showe the truth of Gods worde euer infallible and vnmooueable The Lorde sayd if they did eate they should dye they did eate then death must folow or God be vntrue warning vs faire if wee will bee warned neuer to mince and qualifie what the Lorde pronounceth peremptorilye and flatlye for hee wil be true doe what we can and we shall fiâ—de it so Adam liued nine hundred yeares and thirtie but hee dyed Sheth nine hundred and twelue and he dyed Methuselah nine hundred 69 and yet he dyed dyed dyed is the end of all that God might bee true how long soeuer they liued The â—ame word of the Lorde is no falser nowe then then but the same for euer and therefore for this eaten Aple against commaundement dye we must still and whilst the world indureth would God this repetition of death death to all these Fathers might make vs as dulye to remember it as wee are sure truely to finde it To finde it I saye and God knoweth not wee how soone To daye I to morrowe thou saith the Wise man His conceipte was not vnprofitable that imagined mans life to be as a Tree at the roote whereof two Mise lye gnawing and nibling without ceasing a white Mouse and a blacke The white Mouse hee conceiued to bee the daye and the blacke Mouse the night by which daye and night mans life as a tree by continuall gnawing at last is ended Who can nowe tell howe farre these two Mise haue eaten vpon him Happely the Tree that seemeth yet strong ere night may shake and ere daye againe fall flat downe O let vs thinke of this vncertaintie and that is all I wishe by this speeche Adams coate of Skins might fitlye remember him of this And what weare wee still in our most ruffe which appertayned not sometime in some sorte to a liuing creature by whose death we being clad may fitlye thinke of our owne deaths that are so sure But you see the Snowe howe blinde it makes a man by his great whitenesse so dooth this worlde by his manifolde pleasures baytes and allurement dazell our eyes and blinde vs so that wee forget to dye wee dreame of life when there is no hope and wee cannot heare of it to goe awaye O death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him and that hath prosperitie in all thinges yea vnto him that yet is able to receiue meate 6 In the 22. verse it is sayd that Henoch walked with God To walke with God sometime signifieth to obey and serue to reuerence and feare the liuing God and by the way when it dooth so if godly men be said to walke with God I pray you with whom walke they that are vngodly Surely with him that if they saw him would feare them and shame them to bee arme in arme with so foule a guest But what the eye seeth not the heart feareth not yet the end will finde it when it is too late In this place to walke with God signifieth he was translated out of this life and world not by death as others but aliue as were no others then to liue with the Lord. Which translation to him was insteed of death that following to him by this rapt that to others without it after death The Lord did this to giue vs some signe of the resurrection to a better life prepared and to be a testimonie of the immortalitie of soules and bodyes As to inquire where hee became is meere curiositie The like wee read of Elias the Prophet that he also was caught vp into heauen in this extraordinary manner Many vaine motions about them both by idle heads which I will not scan Yea euen godly men haue waded further then by any necessitie they were constrained for where God hath not an answer we should not haue a question that is where it pleaseth him to be silent we should not be sifters for he concealeth nothing that may be profitable Syrach is alledged where it is said that Henoch was translated into Paradise But as the booke is not Canonicall so in that is the Latin translation false the Greeke hauing nothing of Paradise but simply that he was translated Other guesses and talkes I take as they be onely guesses and passe them ouer Where should they be but with others of the godly where they are their bodies in the rapt changed as the Apostle saith all ours shall be when corruptible shall put on incorruption and mortall immortalitie and as they that bee aliue at the Loâ—des comming shall be changed For wee shall not saith he all dye but we shall all be changed The Lorde shall descend himselfe from Heauen with a showte and with the voice of the Archangell and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in 〈…〉 first Then shal we which liue and remaine 〈…〉 vp with them also in the cloudes to meete the Lorde 〈…〉 and so wee shall bee euer with the Lorde So were these no question at this time changed That againe the 〈◊〉 may be so caught the Apostle showeth when he sayth he was so wâ—â—ther in the bodye or out of the bodye saith he I knowe 〈…〉 thereby that both might bee Wee read howe Philip was caught from the Eunuch and found at Azotus but I go no further in this matter 7 God tooke him awaye saith the 24. verse and it maye well remember vs of the care that the Lord hath ouer his euer to deliuer them from the woes of this worlde when it shall be good He seeth and knoweth vs and our estate while it may
carrye his cursse for euermore Feare not therefore though one be made riche and the glorye of his house bee increased for the fauour of God consisteth not in these things but for all them hee may be a Cham and his fathers cursse setled vpon him and his seede Blessed are the people saith the Psalme that be in such a case hauing relation to outward blessings named before but then followeth after as a correction of the former yea rather blessed are they that haue the Lorde for theyr God noting the former to bee but blessings in respect and the later onely the true and certaine happinesse of any flesh See also how euen in those daies to iudge of the estate of the wicked and godlye they had neede to enter into the Sanctuarie of God for if they went by outwarde showe either of the one or of the other they should be deceyued as also nowe 10 But why dooth Moses mention so carefully and precisely the borders or limits of Chanaan or of the Canaanites Certainlye it was by the guiding of Gods holy Spirite in respect of the church and children of God to whom after it should be giuen that they might know them the better Where marke we the depth of Gods hidden and secret prouidence in such sorte as it peereth out and sheweth it selfe vnto vs. Do wee not see how earthly things are giuen to the wicked which euen then when they enioy them by a wise God are appointed in his prouidence vnto others whome he fauoureth more and for whome he vseth but those for a time to prouide for them and to make them readyer to theyr handes Adore we therefore this secret depth and say we with the Apostle O the deepenes of the riches bothe of the wisedome and knowledge of God howe vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who hath beene his counseller c. Manye things moe might be noted in this Chapter if the Genealogies should be stood vpon wherein with praise many haue traueled but I chuse rather with him that did so before mee to leaue that diligence to them that haue shewed it and to content my selfe with these few notes at this time Chap. 11. The heads of this Chapter especiall and principall are two The confusion of tongues from the 1. ver to the 10. The description of Sâ—ms ofspring from the 10. to the ende 1TOuching the first it is sayd that the earth was all of one language and question is made what that was and whether it remained still or no after the confusion and with whome for the first it is answered that although it be vncertaine yet probably it is coniectured that it was the Hebrew For so say the proper names of men and women which remaine as yet and are Hebrew being imposed then and not altered by Moses the relator into any language els Of this iudgement is Hierom vpon the 3. of Sephon when he calleth the Hebrew tongue the mother of all the rest Augustine thought otherwise writing thus Vnam sane linguam primitus fuisse didicimus antequam super bia turris illius post diluuium fabricatae in diuersos signorum sonos humanam societatem diuideret Quae autem illa lingua fuerit quid attinet querere That there was one tongue in the beginning we learne before the pride of the Towre built after the Flud had deuided mans society into diuers sounds of words but what tongue that was what need we aske To the second it is answered that it did remaine being as is supposed inioyed of vs at this day And to the third y t it was in the house family of Sem Arphaxad Selah Eber of whom it had denomination Hebrue Philo thinketh y e first tongue was the Chaldee contrary to Hierom as was said before and Hierom to him But since Arphaxad was a Prince of the Chaldeans what hindreth that rather the Chaldee and Hebrew should not be all one at first though in processe of time some difference grew 2 When it is said to reache vp to heauen we may not thinke they were so mad as to imagine they could so doe but wee must know the manner of speech to be a figuratiue amplification often vsed of men without fault and often vsed in the scripture it selfe when Dauid saith of them that saile on the seas are occupied in great wâ—ters that they are caried vp to the heauens downe againe to the depths he doth not meane as he speaketh that they are caried vp to y e heauens indeed but by the same figure he meaneth very highe So is the former and so are many moe speeches in the word which if Iulian could haue seene or other such like prophane spirits yet perceiue their carping impietie had a faull 3 Vnitie of language was a great mercie of God by that meanes keeping them by a notable bande knit together whome far distance of place had set a sunder And if this be a mercy that we speake as it is a great one surely far greater it was that they all spake one speech for so might they continue not onely in a most profitable interchange of any earthly commodities but euen also in a holy communion of al mercies whatsoeuer one vnderstanding from an other and of another what wonderfull good soeuer the Lord should show Now as a punishment of pride the case is altered and we neither in the one nor other can do as then they might But as a wonder it is at this daye that speeche being as it were the image of the minde where mindes agree thoughts do ioyne speech should differ as now it dooth 4 The time of this tower built and speech confounded may be asked to which answer is vncertaine There is a fragment vnder the name of Berosus if it should not wrong him to say suche trifles be his and there it is said that an hundred and thirty yeares after the Flud it was Others better like to say it was three hundred and 40 yeares after so as I sayde certaintie there is none I stand not vpon coniectures to sâ—an it out Agreed it is that ould father Noâ—h was yet aliue to whome no question but it was a great greefe when he heard of it But so pleased it God euen in his oulde age to exercise his seruant that no continuall succesâ—â—on of woes should make vs faint if God so please to haue them 5 It must needs be that one man gaue this counsell first saying to the rest Come let vs build c. But when once it was broched not one man alowed it but euen all full quickly yeelded to it Whereby we see first the vilenesse of man not onely to deuise that which is naught but to set it full greedily abroche when it is deuised and to labour to perswade others to imbrace and folowe