Greke fathers enemies for frendes offering help In that lerned paines fortifying Geneva L. W. doeth confute DD. B. B. Purgatorie Limbum And vvith Abrahams story Children learne Abrahams religion for the trinity Incarnation resurrection Paradise hence receauing the faithfull as hoat fyer the vvicked not to be vvaving vvith every vvind of Hellish Diuinity The notation of Abraham is an high father of many nationes handled Rom. 4. from Genesis Ch. 17. Of Isaac Abraham after the flesh begate Ismael vvhence came the vncleane spirit of Machmad that nation the poyson of the vvorld Yet Isaac though conceaued in sin as others vvas quickened vvith Christ and raised placed in heauen vvith him vvho being vvilling to die knevv that he should be raised vp again Faith vvas in him the stay of thinges hoped for tryer out of thinges not sene In Isaac shall Abrahams sede be called But Esavv of Isaac cast off God a profane man vvho sold his birthright for a mess of Pottage Isaaks name is laughter or gladnes the Ioy of the vvorld Iacob in name is a supplanter as Esavv complaineth he tvvise supplanted him Gen. 28. He shevved most plainly his hope for riches in Christ his Kingdom vvhen he requested no more but diet clothing gen 28. Iob Paul teach all to folovv him Iob. 3. 1. Tim. 6. Yea and this Epigramme diuine from one prophane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naked came I vnto the vvorld naked go I into the earth vvhat labour I in vaine seing a naked â—nd Iacob savv a lather reaching from the earth to heauen God vvas in the top of it Angels ascended descended by it He knevv that Christ vvas the Sonne of God that Angels should ascend descend vpon the sonne of man yf Herod had knovven so much he had not sought to kill the lateborne King of the Ievves The Trinity Iacob knevv nameth one the same Angel that vvrestled vvith him the Angel that vvold bless Ioseph the God of Bethel And he taught his tvvelue Sonnes not to say vvho can go vp to heauen to bring Christ dovvne or vvho can go dovvne into the depe of the earth to bring Christ from the dead but to beleue that the God of Bethel vvold come man of him of Iuda that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Paul Rom. 4. translateth Es 53 after the 70 vvold pour his soule to death be recovered from death as Isaac in type go from the cross to the father that all the faithfull should so do as the nevv Testament teacheth continually That Isaac Ben Arama after old Siphri might be ashamed to say our Gospel beleued that ether the Prophets or old iust or our Lord euer vvent to Hell The Church never beleued that But the Deuels here triumph over such teachers God left his vvord sure teacheth nothing in corners And they are gods hated for Lerning that dreame of proving rules of faith from corners The Patriarches rested in the incarnatioÌ„ resurrectioÌ„ And our Crede Goeth no further for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is any passage vp dovvn Ether term is coÌ„mon for journeys in al autours all Kind of vvriters speak so Haides most be told incessantly to Babes that it is heauen in the light part for the Godly as in the dark part hell for the vvicked The dull vnthankfull vvightes that raue against this shall see Isaak Iacob in Abrahams bosom in Haides but in their course they hast vp to Gehennia Of Iudah his brethren The tvvelue Patriarkes might haue taught Herod of what nature the Kingdome of Christ vvas Ruben savv nothing here but Sorovv Yet he liueth Eternally passed from death to life Symeon Levy heard of a curse vpon their trespas Iudahs confession of fault by shamâ— found glory that none but such a Iudah shall haue praise of God and as Iohn the fourth vvas dearest to Christ so he to Iacob most glorious All the rest had theyr sorovves for Ioseph vvhen some sayd come let vs kill him as the Scribes of Christ Beniamin became Ben-ony a sonne of Sorovv For losse of his brother printed his sorovv in his sonnes name in Ros Bicrj Gall biternes haue I for my Elder brother Iosep vvas among his brethren sold for Sicles by Iudas aduise to saue his life bus Christ by Iudas to losse of life Ioseph in durance betvvixt tvvo told the one of salvation the other of death so Christ told the one in durance with him that on the right hand of ioy left the railer to perish with the scribes the other rauers that set their mouth against heauen Briefly all the Patriarkes were bishops for their families 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing all care to teach theyrs froÌ„ their fathers spech what Sem or Melchi-sedek lerned of Mathusala taught of Adam of the holy trinity hovv Christ by death should vanquish him that had the power of death They wold not misse to Catechize their sonnes in these poinctes how our Lord should come of Iuda the king of glory the eternal the framer of the world of that poor shepheard to be a man to haue his tabernakel in vs to loke throvv the vvindowes within our wall They did fede vpon his flesh blood comforted in sorow by this hope As Ioseph gaue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fede his brethren So all good Math. 25. giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fede theyr families soules In one vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never vsed afore but in Ioseph vvith the 70. our Lord his gracious tongue calleth vs to the Patriarkes story to look to heauen not vnto Thalmudiques Kingdome in the earth that God cursed S. Mathevv requireth so much to be consydered in these Patriarkes to marke by induction through them all the nature of the Kingdome of heauen And for that vse they are so particularly set dovvne Othervvise their pedegree vvas vvel knovven from other places But Christ vvold haue vs to mark that these vvere the sonnes of Adam in vvhom the Eternall vvisdome delited Of Phares Midras Rabba noteh vpon Genesis hovv God playd delitefully vvith these sonnes of Adam Iacob vvas busied in mourning for Ioseph as being dead Ioseph vvas busied in his afflictiones the other Patriarches vvere busied in theyr mariages the blessed God vvas in disposing counsel hovv Messias should come of Thamar of Thamar a Chananean of Thamar Iudas daughter in lavv of Thamar by Iudah Again Phares striving to be borne before Zara vvho first stredched out his hand hath his name of violence shevving at his byrth that he vvold lay strong hand vpon the Kindome of heauen is a patren for all as Iacob to striue for the Kingdome from yong yeres Of Ezron Fzron is by interpretation the midde of Ioy as Eron vvas borne at Iacobs going to Egypt 215 after the promess 215.
holy trinity of Christ his incarnation resurrection made them the best soules And all vvho blame them for sodain inâ—â—mities commend theâ— not for their heauenly vertues shall not be of Christ his brethren SalomoÌ„ glorifyed God in his infirnite vvisdome compaâ—ing thinges visible to shevv the vnvisible of God his eternall povver God head speketh of the Eternall sonne Prov â— hovv his delite is in the holy sonnes of Adam as he governeth his peoples state in a most pleasant frame that the blindest may see a clear provocation of all to salvation His greaâ— povver building of tovvnes suffred not his hart to rest iâ— the night his vvomen only overravvght him to suffre by his charges to build Idole places vvher upon he savv that Gods threat vvold overthrovv his Kingdome before he knevv from Moyses Deut. 28. that the Kingdome should be overthrovven that in a straÌ„ge countrey Iuda vvold pray looking tovvard the temple Leu. 16. 1 k. 8. God vvold heaâ—â— them And vvhen by his practise suffring Idolatry he occasioned the renting of his Kingdome foresavv destruction â—f temple city comon vveale he vvriteth his Gospell That alâ— vnder the sonne is vain the Kingdome of Christ is not of this vvorld but the promesse of the Eternall throne to Dauid vvas for the vvorld to come that vve should loke for the laâ—â— iudgement Herod should most carefully haue lerned this much vvhen he first lerned the story of Salomon vvho vvas the first last that had all this vvorld at vvill to shevv that Christ his Kingdome is not of this vvorld And yet this day the Ievves look for a pompous Kingdome as I haue layd dovvne theyr vvordes in Ebrevv English to Ecclesiastes And Salomons case alone might haue taught Herod Pilate Cesars concision that the Pompe of this vvorld is not fit to brede povertie in spirite to brede morning to brede mekenes to brede hunger thirst for iustice to find the Kingdome of heauen vvhen the vvhole fovvertene pilgromes in this vvorld folovving heauen in a quiet priuate hope could not move Herod all being our Lordes fathers all best in priâ—aâ—e state the first turning aside froÌ„ his liue noble in the vanity of this world leauing no hope for others to com nere should haue vvarned that ' the King eternall vnvisible blesseth men only to his vnvisible Kingdome that is not of this vvorlds So Herod had not Killed the yong children nor had come to such an horrible death as Iosephus recorded to haue shevved an entrance to his Eternal flames because he vvold knovv vvhat the Angel Daniel taught the Persian sages for the Kindome of Christ Of Roboam Roboam being forty vvhen his father vvas fifty tvvo as Ievves vniversally old Grekes from them do gather his whole life might vvell be knovven of Salomon touched in Koheâ—â—th or ecclesiastes vvhether he vvold be a vviseman or a foole A foole he sone proved could not rule that vvhich his fathers gate mainteyned by greate care And his mother Namah the Ammonite vvas not like Ruth the Moabite And vve should not hope for both Lots daughters to be rare vvithout speciall vvarning from God Novv Roboam vvas vexed by vvar from Ieroboam all his time left for Herod a vvarning that Christ his Kingdome should not be like his that the sages of Persia came not by Daniels Chronicle to look for such â— Kinge Abia his sonne is vvell coupled vvith him to giue vvarning of the same Of Abia Abia vvalked in all the vvayes of Roboam a second vvarning to Herod that Salomons house vvold not be vpright vvith God Of Asa Iosaphat the rest Asa good yet imprisoned the Prophet a Pope father or Bishop from God as yf he had imprisoned Christ him self Iosaphat a good King made bad affinity vvith Achabs house that Ioram should mary Achabs Daughter Iezabels also she might vvell be Athalia is the vvoman Another Iezabel Hence Ioram killeth his brethren his ovvne bovvelles his Mothâ—â— Iezabel as vvell she might be killed the prophetes the loâ—â— some muckhil that her name soundeth dreamed to kill the hoâ—ses and chariot of Israel Elias the nevv Enoch Then folovv exemples for Herode to knovv matters to come by former notoriours Tvvo forty yeres Omries house vvas a plage to Israel ochozias King of Iuda aged 22. vvhen his father died at forty in the first yere of his regne fell by partaking vvith Omries house against Iehu fell to be Ben in the giltines of the forty tvvo yeres Esra cunning in Ebrevv vvhen he penned the Chronicles littel thought that men vvold be so barbarous as to make him aged 42. tvvo yeres Elder then his father vvhom the propre story of the Kinges vvritten by Ieremy made aged 22. for the same yere Ezra a repeaters pennyng the story eloqueÌ„tly of one caught in the giltines of the familie so long vvicked caught in theyr sin in the tvvo fortieth yere The spirite vvhich beautified the heauens vvold haue the story beautified vvith Eloquent Ebrevv that they should be Barbarous that vvold not mark this to the bottom Novv Herod might see in Athalia fit Motherhood for Antipaters sonne Such a vvife vvas fit to be Herodes mother Herod might knovv by her end vvhat his ovvne vvold be And any might see that a Kingdom geuen ouer by God to the svvord of Athalia vvas not of that throne vvhich God promised to Dauid to stand for euer Athalia Destroyed all the sede of Roboams mother the ammonitilh that might be Kingeâ— for her children by a former Husband except Ioas vvhom his aunt saued being an yere old Who is called of God six timeâ— at the lest for propriety sonne to ochozias a miserable soÌ„ to a miserable father Ioas the Cain killed the Prophet zacharie that prophecied of Christ his Kingdome killed him betvviâ—â— the alter the temple vvher none but sacrificers might come The vvight most vnthankfull Gods hated killed him vvho sâ— father by his vvife saued his life Herod might see the Pharisees might see them selues the sonnes of this Cain Ioas vvhen they vvold shed blood speaking more forcible then Abels Touching a forged Table pretending to reconcile S. Mat. and S. Luke bringing Ioas all after him to be holy-Fathers our Lordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attributing folly vnto the Eternal wisdome of God to bring the most holy of the most wicked I gave advertisement as I here through Britany it is wel taken Other countreys also have it I wold wish them also to marke these short speaches They vvho vuold make the Apostles to teach all Thalmudistes that they sinned holding Ioas and all after him to be of Salomon and not to be holy men in S. Luke termed by other names passe Machmad infinitely in all extremity of impudenty and Lucian the Dog vvold say the vvheston vvas vvonne from his true story by them
had all theyr actiones as opened in a book before his judgement throne made a riddance of them by the day that he was to com into the world And joyneth vnto theyr vtter consumption his coming in the cloudes of heauen ascention vnto the Everlasting throne promised vnto Dauid There the Romanes begin theyr dealinges vvill rule over the King of heauen till they crucified the God of glory Wherfor they are pictured after the tenour of all Daniels fower in one The Lion the beare the fourheaded Leopard the fourth the ten-horned giue them armes to make one of them fower a beaste ten-horned colored like a Leopard footed as a bear and mouthed like a Lion Theyr tribute or taxe over the world fell out euen vvith the time that Christ the God of heauen came from the father into this vvorld And Daâ—el taught vpon Babels fall vvhen God vvold by his ovvne blood open an Eternall Kingdome to them that beleued in him and vvhen God in Christ wold enter into the vvorke of the tabernacle euen begining 30 yeres in the flesh So the faithfull savv vvhen the son wold dvvell in our tabernaâ—le of Abrahams sede whose familie knovven rightly of fevv perverted by â—evves vvith many questiones depending heron I open to all Christianes first shevv at the Entrance the reason of severall beginnigeâ— in the holy men that spell or speak vnto vs of God come in the flesh Of S. Mathews beginning from Abraham The full purpose of S. Mathew concerning the Kingdome of the Iewes I will handle at large in due place Now the reasons of Abraham made the beginnig may be touched only 1. Abraham vvas the first man to whom Christ was promised in plain termes that in his sede all the families of the earth should be blessed So a beginning from him is fit for Iewes and heathen 2. In that Eue had a promess that Christ should destroy the workes of Satan who destroyed the vorld Kild Adam to be dead in sin to leaue this world our Lord his justice and death resurrection ascension restoring Adams soule to justice the new world wherein justices dwelleth all these poinctes are closly taught But contemned by the blinded of Satan who delite to be vnwittj vvill not so much strain theyr care as to vnderstand vvhat God speaketh Novv to Abraham matters vvere shevved playner that the destroyer of Satans workes should come of him after death should be reuiued figured by Melchisedek as Abraham Sara dead from strength of generation yet by faith vvere quickened and iustified by faith So they should be vvho beleued in God that raiseth Christ from the dead For these causes the beginng of the Nevv T. is fitly taken from Abraham Of S. Marc. S. Marc dravveth his entrance from the last prophet vvâ—â—â— Iohn Babtist is foreshevved from Esays comfort vpon spech of the fall of Babel vvhich matter vvas plainly expounded foâ— time vvhen Cyrus destroyed Babel Marc his Gospell is of half a seauen to shevv Christ his teaching of the covenant for many And as God vvold haue S. Mark to fortify the Angels Chronicle for the time So he vvould haue the other thre Euangelistes to hasten to the same As S. Mathevv doth vvhen he told that our Lord dvvelt in Narazet as in the volume of the prophetes Es xj he is called Nazer in the Babylon Thalmud in Chelek Nazor is the name of the son of Dauid Presently after Thalmadique handling of that his name he cometh to the Angel Gabrieis half seauen so doth S. Luke S. Iohn hasten to the preaching of Malachj the sonne of Zacharj Wherby any might marveile hovv the Ievves could misse to receaue the King of glory coming to his ovvne hovvs And thus all the four evangelistes shevved care to fottifie that part And God vvold haue it famous turning it into a proverbe for afflictiones conformable to the afflictiones of Christ by allâ—sioâ— to that time That the afflictiones for Christ should be called the afflictiones of dayes 1260. or of a time tvvo times half a time monethes forty tvvo So by allusiones our Gracious Lord teacheth vs to mark the four evangelistes for the half seauen of our Lordes preaching specially S. Mark to go back with him to Daniel And our Lords ovvne tongue doth call vs to marke the time in the Parable of the fig tree fruteles hindering the Earth Which spech may be gathered to be six monthes before the cursed fig tree vvithered As Bucholkerus maketh a goodly comparison of that Parable of our Lordes half seauen So our Lord calleth vs from Elias Baptist vnto Elias the Thisbite hovv in his time heauen vvas shut three yeres six monethes vvarning that synce the heauens vvere opened at his baptisme vntil his soule should returne from the cross to heauen yeres should be three six monethes Novv the gathering of Elias times in the first of the Kinges vvold require long labour But vve may be sure it vvas vvell knovven amonge the Thalmudignes as S. Iames speaking to the Thalmudique maner sayth that Elias prayâ—â— stayd raine three yeres six monethes Thus the time of our Lords preaching is svvetely compared vvith other Scriptures vve may be sure that our Lord spake the truth seing ouâ— Lord told in Daniel ch 7. 12. That Antiochus should croâ—â— the lavves offring a time tvvo â—imes an half He vvold haue his time for sanctifying the temple to be as vvell Knovven as vvell measured seing the allusion Ap. 12. of a time tvvo times half a time is taken from his preaching In what moneth S. Marke beginneth his story the rest the opening of the heauens by the second Elias Because our Lord was baptized even beginnig thirty to open the Kingdome by teaching the covenant to many three yeres six moneth Seing his soules passage from the crosse to the fathes is certen in the fiftenth of Nisan So his birth Baptisme should be in the seauenth moneth Aethanim Which vvas the first moneth after the creation of the world Of the moneth Ethanim or September It may somwhat help to mark old story of Aethanim from 1. Kinges â— 2. All Israel assembled to the King Salomon in the moneth Aethanim in the feast that is the seauenth moneth And the sacrificers brought the Ark of the covenant of the Eternal vnto his place vnto the Dabyr vnto the holy of holy the Cherubim spred theyr vvinges over the place oâ— the ark This so Solemne should haue antitypon awnswearable in high matter And what thing els can be but that the most holy was manifest in his temple the army of Angels spredâ— theyr winges to haue him honored at his coming then into the world The explication story of the moneth Aethanim The most Lerned Chaldy paraphast IonathaÌ„ speaketh thus of Aethanim It is the moneth of the
ancient they called it the first moneth of festiuity But now it is the seauen moneth Thus Dauid Kimchj doth expound him Aethanim or strength is the month wherin they gathered the fructs encrease of the earth to theyr houses For that cause it is called the feast of gathering frutes So Aethanim meaneth strength fructes entrease of the earth be the life of a man And some of our doctoures expound Aethanim the moneth in which the fathers were borne The stay Aethanim of the world as the spech Mich. 7. 2. Heare ye mountaâ—ies ye strong foundationes of the earth Others call it Aethaâ—im from the strength of the lawes that are geuen for this moneth â—â—th feastes lawes So Ralbag sayth I think it called the moneth Athanim for the feastes the strong teaching iustice which â—re in this moneth This for Ralbag The first day had the trumpets the tenth expiation the fiftenth the feast of tabernacles for eight dayes And Ionathans wordes cited of me afore be thus expounded of Camchj Before the time that Israel came from Aegypt Tisri or Aethanim was the first moneth For in Tisri the world was made And by reason that the Children of Israel came from Aegypt in Nisan it became the head of monethes Tisri became the seauenth For so the blessed God sayd vnto them This moneth shal be vnto you the first of monethes To you by reason that to the rest of the world it is not first For Tisri is the first And this much for the moneth So Iohn Baptist well might begin the first day assemble vnto him much People fourtene dayes And our I ord come to him the fiftenth day when they had lerned of the stronger then the Baptist who wold baptize with the holy Ghost with fyer So the four Evangelistâ—s Celebrating the Baptisme celebrat the birth which was the same day 29. full yeres So as the first Adam the other to Noah came to the world that moneth Christ should come that time was fittest for Caesar to bid men resort to theyr cities most likely that shepheardes wold yet be abroad with theyr ship fittest for men to go into a riuer naked to be Baptized And by Daniels half seauen Iohn brought in Baptisme for heathen as Dauid Salomon only Baptized proselytes Maimony in Asure Bia tract 12 13. And yf his warrant had not bene sure plain from Daniel none might haue com to him for Baptisme So our Lord begining a new yere of his age then shewed the same time of moneth to haue geven vs his coming into the world And the Rabbines in Middras Rabba conclude that Messias shal be borne in Aethanim or Tisrj full of feastes to teach of him And God appointed no feastes for the winter because of the vnseasonablenes of the weather Chrysostome mistaking Iohns fathers story thinking that he ministred not in june but in September began to disgrace the state of the Gospell Hence Turk Iew scoph that we place the byrth where the conception should be and can yeld no reason of our Gospels narrationes which we make most vnlikely to be true And Arias Montanus helpes Chrysostom that Zacharie should be high sacrificer Wheras all Iewes know that the Candelstick Table altar of incense were without dayly gone to by the ordinarie sacrificers Elias four times made the begining of Daniels half seauen might haue taught the Iewes a sure note what Elias Malachj spake off Now the end of all the Evangelistes is in the first moneth towardes leauing the Aegypt of this world at the Pascha And at Pentecost after the law vvas giuen to Moses when the fyerj lavv of the spirit vvas by Iesus geuen So the conception of Iohn vvher men placed his birth falleth to Midsomer birth to the spring Aequinoctial and likevvise the conception of Mary fell most fitly to mydvvinter our Lordes coming into the vvorld to the first moneth after the creation his redemption to the first moneth for redemption from Egypt These matters agree vvith Scripture plain reason But novv the altering of the date vvold to much troble the vvorld It may pass amongest vs as fit for considering a time vvhen vvinter feastes leasure to heare the lavv read hindereth none vvorkes according to the conception very many Lerned men haue cleared the truth of late all are to blame that will folow an old errour here that disturbeth law Gospell Iewes Turkes look on the iust iudge who hath eyes pure that they cannot behold euell will kepe from his heauenly city all that practise lying Of S. Lukes begining S. Luke joyneth the end of the old testament to the begining of the New A most heauenly worke And here note the very names Zacharj Malachj end the spech of God in the old Testament Zacharj Malachj are in the first spech of the Angel Gabriel in the New The Angel Gabriel who did tell of Antiochus Epiphanes for dayes 2300. Generally of Gods hand vpon the Graecianes he tels of the second Elias or Malachj vnto Zacharj an holy man of the birth of Christ whom he him self named Christ Daniel 9. here the time must be considered Euen when the Grecianes were rooted out from vnder the cope of heauen had not the governement of one city in the world but at Romanes taxe in Daniel were vtterly consumed as the former all the Graecianes before they vvere parted the Medes with Persianes the Chaldeanes when the last of all these were consumed then the Angel Gabriel cometh twise to tell the joy of the Kingdome of heauen for Iohn Elias for Christ the most holy Thus so heuenly a ioyning of the old Testament to the New should be celebrated of all that will kepe the commaundement of praising God with vnderstanding And all teachers be wicked that wil be spending time to theyr hearers them selues in matters of this world wher the hearers be so wise as they and not study first the truth of these matters so gracious full of salvation after teach them vnto the world Bishops that wold teach with dexteritie to make all in the the Kingdomes able yf they wold to teach all the world should never be envyed for theyr 200000 lib. per annum But they should be counted most reverend right reverend fathers such Papae as Athanasuis the like in Grecia But ours must alter much before all the lerned nobility vvill think them so referend so learned as some nobles be lower gentry that never came in Pulpit Of S. Iohn begining the Gospel S. Iohn the last beginneth froÌ„ before the begining from the Eternall called the word of Thalmudiques infinitely through Moyses as Onkelos nere S. Iohn foloweth them sayng for Iehova sayd the word of Iehova sayd S. Paul sayth they tempted Christ vvher they tempted Iehovah This vvas the main combat vvith
of the tvvo rivers Tigris Euphrates stayd at Charan till he make many Soules his father died there aged 205. yeres heauy by yeres who toke his journey for Chanaan had not broken off but by heauy yeres death then was Abraham 75. by Moyses text by S. stephans note vpon it by the Greke Philo whose wordes I haue cited in the Concent in Latin by sundry Ebrewes in Midras Rabba And reason wold tell vs that Thara was dead before God promised Abraham that Christ should come of him Otherwise as he took journey tovvard Chanaan he had not stayd in Charan but by vveakenes An aunsvvear to M. Scaliger Because it is vvritten Thara liued seauenty yeres begate Abraham Charan Nachor M. scaliger fighteth vehemently against Beroaldus all that vvere afore of his mynd And vvher he saith still brethren be named in seniority for the obiection in Sem Cham Iapheth vvher Iapheth is eldest in the lxx he vvold haue Sem eldest Cham next Iapheth yongest I aunsvvear yf any vvil be contentions the church of God hath no such custome to S. stephen act 7. he sayd None yet vnderstood S. Luke Then vvher is the fault in our vvit or iâ— his pen And in Bathshebaes sonnes 1. Chr. 3. Salomon the Eldest is named last Nathan the second is named third And Ioachaz the second sonne of Iosias both is named first called the first borne And seing Ischa or Sara vvas Harans daughter but ten yeres yonger then Abraham the Babylonian Thalmud gathereth sensibly that Abraham vvas not the Eldest So all the Eldest Ievves fight for S. stephen for S. Luke And for S. Mathevv that Thara vvas dead before Abraham receaued the promisse That still Abraham might be alone in the dignity of the promesse So M. scaliger might haue spared disturbance of S. Mathevves begininge Of Abrahams Idolatry S. Paul calleth Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he vvas once Idolatrous such an one Philo Rambam make him to haue bene but by faith he vvas iustified So S. Paul disputeth vpon him against the Ievves thus vvhat shall vve say then that Abraham our father found by the flesh yf Abraham vvere iustefied by vvorkes he hath vvherin to reioyce But he hath no vvorkes to reioice in before God For his request vnto Sara to hazard her Chastity vvas a fault as Rabby Bechaia vpon gen 15 doth make it an egregious trespas a gross fault an exceding sin bred froÌ„ great mistrust in God the cause of Israels sorovv fall in Egypt So he hath not to rejoice before God Therfore he vvas not iustified by vvorkes before God S. Iames dealing vvith Ievves vvho then as novv think theyr reverence to the lavv belief in the trueth of the story iustifyes them shevveth that they are deceaued For Abraham all Godly shevv good vvorkes to tell others that they honour God as Abraham did in not sparing his Sonne Novv vvher as God sayd to Abraham Because thou hast not spared thy only sonne I svveare I vvill multiply thy sede The very Ievves in Midras Rabba shevv the meaning thus by the similitude of a physician vvho promiseth to heale a great man of a dangerous sicknes after his promess geueth a most bitter potion vvhich the patient taketh boldly then the physician sayth Because you haue so taken the drench I vvill svvear I vvill heale you Thus the party is confirmed not called to a nevv beginnig So Abrahams manifestation of regeneration is reâ—ompensed in a confirmation not vvith the fountain of his iustification And still the Prophetes require open iustice God punisheth every sin but lesse vpon charity in that sense charity covereth many sinnes But the fountaine vvas Abraham beleued in God that vvas recokned to him for iustice as Dauid sayth that they are happy vvhose sinnes are forgiuen So Abraham vvas iustified by faith beleving that Christ sbould come of him should be raised from the dead as he knevv that yf he had killed Isaac God wold haue raised him again So faith shal be reckoned vnto vs for iustice vvich beleue that God raised Iesus our Lord from the dead vvho vvas killed for our sinnes raised for our iustification These poinctes the Greke Crede handleth plainly the Greke fathers Porphyry and the oracles that our Lordes soule vvent hence to heauen And Ben Arama vvho saith Christianes beleue our Lordes soule vvent to Hell doth the Gospell great iniury Fot through infinite mention of death resurrection ther is never one syllable of going to Hell but in one oration in Iohn six times express mentio of going to the father A vvise vvriter never repeates but vvith some addition yf any can be And seing the going of a iust soule to Hell is more strange then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dvvelling of God in man or resurrection it had bene oftener handled in plain termes yf it had bene true One R. Man a Ievv obiected vnto me our Crede of going to Hell I told him it vvas an heathen phrase but meaned as theyr Thalmudique to go to Paradâ—se So descending in Moses Iosue Iudges Ruth Kinges is for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so translated more then once translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 asceÌ„ded And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go is translated Ascend Descend So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is vsed of passage as from Nazareth to Capernaum â—aum in our Lord exceding often in the actes of the Apostles and Hades for Abraham is heauen or Paradise For as Britanie conteyneth tvvo partes England Scotland So Haides conteyneth Heauen Hell in Abraham set in the beginnig of the Nevv Testament God vvold vse Haides Luc. 16 tell expresly that God praepared Heauen to receaue Abraham the pilgrom stranger loking for the heauenly city hence the Ievves might haue lerned the meaning of our Crede for Paradise Luc. 23. the matter vvas plain that our L. vvent thence thither And no Ievves of Modesty vvold haue slaundered our Gospell to Mach mad to forge beter Keys of Paradise A phaÌ„tastical Black smith not a Bâ—ssaleel he proued Although this article should here be handled largely in Abraham the Patron of faith yet I may be short because L. Th. vvinton proveth against Geueveans by Iosephus Ignatius Iustin martyr Eusebius Athanasius in his sermon Cyrillus Epiphanius Nazianzen That Haides or Caâ—achthonia to Godly is heauen he fortifieth Geneveans faith that by Grek our Lord vvent hence to Paradise iustly reiecteth Hell grefe from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hated of Bible Rabbines vpon Ebrevv Attiques vpon the Gospell I shevved in six Greke vvorkes left in Germanie hovv lernedly the R. R. F. healed the Geneveans disease vvho denyed a going to Haides vvher Abraham is Luc. 16. all faithfull soules to crosse theyr ovvne faith deny soules immortality vvold haue all heathean enemies for fâ—endes all
by the gates of Haides They feared not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the passe to the grave death and region of soules as A thanasius speaketh CapernauÌ„i Hades is in Ebrevv Abne Bor the stones or clods of the pit vvher bodies vvithout life lye a child might sone see so much Ebrevv Greke and Scheol for building tentes cattels and mens bodies num 16 had no vvorse A sound Divine vvill not say that all men dead there died the second death Abrahams Hades I often handled That in 1 Cor 15 nothing helpeth the vvicked ther for bodies it is the poison of Rottednes Keteb a plagy ayer Ps 91 and Rekabon Rottednes ar centron sting in the lxx the comon sting of the body and Hades to the body is but grave and death And ther Hades to the soule as the most learned Photius in Oecumenius teacheth conteyneth all faithfull soules vntill the resurrection wicked and barbarous vvrangling vvith Scripture bredeth fevvell for Hell Death and Hades vvherof Christ hath the keys as the Rabines speak should not take Iohn before the time as Arethas saith Ap. 1. Hades that receaved Cesares and their troupes had bene no nevves to the serpentes sede to be soules Hell a gulf of buriall vvas there meant When the sea and Hades geueth up the deade the grave and ayer as Origen and Methodius think yeld the bodies Andreas saith truly though lesse fitly for a vision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The place vvhich receaveth our soules is Hades there the vvicked are Death and Hades Apoc. 20 as Arethas lernedly expoundeth the place and they are cast into the Sea of fyer Brimston second death Elihu vvas not bolder to say Men of hart vvold speake as he then the penner here that Grecianes and Ebricianes sound from childhood vvill speake as he that Haides is neuer hell in the Nevv Testament But their tongues are set on fyer from Gehenna that so teach Haden properly to meane Gehenna Hell either ther or in the Crede None can deliver his soule from hell Ps 89. all faithfull shall deliuer their soules from Gehenna So our Bibles neâ—er meane hell of tormeÌ„t but vvhen Gehenna is in the Greke Neuer in all the old testament but by consequent that death to all the vvicked comonly an hasted Scheol or hades hath Gods-hated in Hades the place of torment An this much against the spech of Dauis in the market for the true meaning of Descending Hell Now let vs go to learned Euseb wher Haides is most nobly handled by B. Winton for Geneva wher they could not help them selues And now the R. R. F. his auctoures will confirme for poor Geneva all that theyr hartes can desire more then wicked Ievves vvish to stop theyr vncleane mouthes foming out theyr ovvne shame as raging vvaues of the sea Lyers railers against all honesty Of Eusebius hovv B. vvinton citeth him so that he might stop Ievves vncleane mouth Eusebius is cired by L. vvinton speaking thus Eccl. hist lib. 1. Cap. 13. He raised the longe layd in slepe brake the vvall that never vvas broken afore Here the raised be the iust from Haides the difference is that theyr bodies never more returned to Haides That is meant by breaking the vvall vnbroken till then Here Ben Arama might be sayd to haue a brasen hard face yf he vvold gather a going to Hell or the long dead to haue bene raised thence they gather vvell truly that the soules vvere raised to theyr bodies from that part of Haides vnto vvhich our Lord vvent But because all heathen should tell vvhat Eusebius should meane they vvold say he mâ—ant heauen by Haides Eusebius doth so expound him self B vvinton might tell Ben Arama that Euscbius vvold tell Siphâ—i the Alcoran that they greatly iniuried the Gospel to gather Hell vvher heauen is plainly meant And herein B. vvinton fighteth for England Geneveans theyr partakers that the old iust our Lord vvent to Hades vvhere Paradise Lyeth GeneveaÌ„s vvish Grekes for that the BB. of England cite auctoures that vvill suffre no other meaning for their vvordes And the right referend fathers should be the skumme scomme of the vvorld yf any Ievv Lerned in Ebrevv Greke as all ought to be checkers of Bishops yf he could prove they meant hell vvher the Auctours meant heauen perverting so grosly so crosly for to make their Hell from Eusebius Ecc. Hist 1. 13. vvho meaneth heauen Apod 3. in handling the same matter by other termes So Eusebius doth expound him self that all might be Hesiodean old sucklinges that should mistake him Also B. vvinton might prove that Eusebius meaned as Ievves for soules place by Citing the Ievv Aristobulus The Peripatetique as agreing vvith Christianes citing heathen poetes of our mind in praepar Euangel li. 13. fol. 401. in these vvordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sum is from Empedocles in Aristob The Ievv allovved by Euseb saith the Godly going heÌ„ce are happie vvith divine vvightes in the same dvvelling Thus the Athean Ievv vvas a lyer a railer against all duty by B. W. that blaphemeth us in teaching that the holy vvent to hell So Eusebius B. vvintons auctour being soundly expounded stoppeth Ievves mouthes teacheth that Christanes haue Ievves Grekes for them that the good departing hence are vvith the happiest And Eusebius vvas to make good to heathen the judgment of Christianes in comon plain agreement not to be a vvicked sophister speaking as to the heathen capacitie yet having on thing ready in his tongue an other thing hid in his heart A Ievv or vvorse then a Ievv should he be that vvold then peruert Eusebius seing he teacheth so plainly that the godlies going to Hades meaneth in Ievves phrase an adioining unto the Fathers vvher they are equales to Angels as Philo speaketh of Abraham hovv 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No Christian checketh Philo for this But some had yf they vvere of an other mind and durst combat Therfore Ievvee should hold the best of Gregorie Nazianzen for tartaros and Catachthonia wherein Epiphanius Cyrillus S. Paul Phil. 2 be expounded Yf anie Buzantian and Ievv angry that Chrysostome drove them there to shame vvol be reuenged also of Gregorie Nazianzene vvished to be Bishop of Constantines Citie and in great election vvold quarell vvith him for Tartarus or Catachtonia in vvhich vvord Cyrill of Ierusalem folovveth him vvith Epiphanius or upoÌ„ S. Pauls vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aunsvver is readie These auctours vvhich meant that our Lord vvent hence unto the happie are cited by B. Winton for the right meaning of the crede vvho expreslie telleth that no scripture denieth the going hence to Paradise in ser fol. 219 often cited and in manie vvorkes vvhich may stop the uncleane mouthes of Ievves Novv they shall be expounded hovv they nothing help Machmades frendes for better keys of Paradise S. Paul saith