his age in other yeares is fiue times set downe which were all great absurdities Thirdly ab Analogia because after the Deluge most of the Fathers begat about the age of 30. onely Terah at 130. Fourthly because Abraham himselfe wondreth that he should haue a sonne at 100 yeare olde which were no wonder if hee were begotten when his father was 130. yeare old All this is counterpesed by the onelie authoritie of Saint Stephen Act. 7.4 who plainelie affirmeth that Abraham abode at Haran till his Father Terah was dead and Moses recordeth Gen. 11.32 that Terah died when he was 205. yeare old that Abraham then presently departing from Haran was 75. yere old Gen. 12.1.4 which beeing subducted out of 205. there remaine 130. which was Terahs age when he begat Abram And this is plaine by the very text of Moses if by the deuiding of the chapter the sence and matter were not somewhat broken in sight and disioynted For thus it hangeth together And the daies of Terah were 205. yeares and Terah died in Haran For God had said to Abraham Get thee out of thy country and from thy natiue soyle and from thy fathers house vnto the land that I will shew thee and I will make of thee a great Nation and will blesse thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I will also blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee and in thee shall all the families of the earth bee blessed And Abram departed euen as the Lord spake vnto him and Lot went with him and Abram was 75. yeare old when he departed out of Haran What can bee spoken more plainely to shew that Abram was 75. yeare old when his Father was 205. yeare old and therefore his father 130. yeares elder than hee Doth not Moses say expressely that Terah died when he was 205. yeare old and then God said to Abram Goe out of thy Country and Abram anon as God had spoken departed being then 75. yeare old and this is the very first time that Abrahams age is spoken of by Moses seruing onely to shewe at what yeare of Terahs age he was borne Of the obiections alleaged the first is infringed by Genesis 5.33 And Noah was fiue hundred yeares old and Noah begat Sem Cham and Iaphet Where in the very same sort Noahs 500. yeare is expressed the name of Sem by whom the Computation was to be continued ioyned next with it and yet it is plaine by Gen. 11.10 that Sem was begotten two yeares after as Funccius himselfe proueth And also by 1. Paral. 1. 28. where it is said The sonnes of Abraham were Isaak and Ismael and yet no man will say that Isaak was the elder The reason of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in those places may be the excellencie of the Persons in regard that the Messias should descend of them Secondly the absurdities are all auoided because by the coupling of Terahs 205. yeare with Abrams 75. yeare Abrahams natiuitie is most certaine Thirdly the proportion which is pretended was in the first-borne For doubtles the other Fathers had their last children at a farre greater age and perhaps Haran was borne when Terah was 70. yeare old for that he was farre elder than Nahor appeareth verse 29. in that hee had a daughter mariageable for Nahor and also elder than Abram the Iewes doe inferre holding that his daughter Ischa was Sara Abrams wife being but ten yeare yonger than Abram as Moses sheweth Howsoeuer it be that argument is of no force for there was a greater disproportion and oddes between Noach and the other Fathers before him and euery man seeth that the mistaking of that ground caused the lxx and Eusebius to misse their footing so much in the yeares of the other Fathers Fourthly the cause of Abrahams admiration was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 4.19 that is that himselfe haueing a dead body and Sara his wife a dead wombe beeing both by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 barren and vnfruitfull Heb. 11.11.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Abraham complaineth for himselfe Gen. 15.2.3 and Moses affirmeth apparantly for Sara Gen. 11.30 should nowe after they had beene married aboue 40. yeares together at that age he being 100. Compl. Bibl. and she 90. yere old become fruitfull begin to haue childrē Otherwise the impediments and barrennes by Gods blessing being taken away Abraham doubteth not after the death of Sara Gen. 25.1.2 whē he was 138. yeare old for all his age dare operam liberis and to take a new wife by whō he had 6. sonnes and no matter of wonder at all He that obiecteth that saint Steuen erred also in other nūbers in the same speech though he bite at S. Steuen yet he bettereth not himselfe For if in those numbers there be an error which I dare not say or thinke yet the cause thereof may be not in Saint Steuen but in the carelesnes or needlesse curiositie of Scribes and Writers many yeares after But this is such as must needes haue proceeded from saint Steuens mouth and saint Lukes pen. The third Article is plainely confirmed Gen. 12.4 And Abram was 75. yeare old when he departed from Haran The fourth Article is cleare Exo. 12.40 the soiourning of the children of Israel which soiourned in Egipt was 430. yeare Yet about the beginning of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soiourning or Peregrination there is some controuersie For it seemeth it ought to begin at the descending of Iacob into Egypt Because Moses calleth it the soiorning of the Israelites and to bee in Egypt which reasons are verie pregnant were it not euident in Scripture to be otherwise For first Cohath beeing one of the Descenders liued but 133. yeares Exod. 6.17 Amram his son liued but 137. yeares verse 19. Moses his sonne whē they came out was but 80. yeare old Exod. 7.9 all which added together come short of 430. If Cohath descended when hee was but a yeare old and Amram and Moses were borne in the yere that their fathers died in But indeed frō Iacobs the Israelites descending into Egipt vnto their departing thence is but 215 yeres as these ancient Writers auouch Ioseph Antiqu lib. 2. cap. 13. Eusebius out of Alexander Polihister praep Euang. lib. 9. cap. 4. Cedrenus Zoneras Sulpitius Seuerus which is iust halfe the time of the Pilgrimage or soiourning as Epiphanius noteth in Anccrato Againe saint Paull Gal. 3.17 euidently sheweth that those 430. yeares are the space betweene the promise made to Abraham and the law giuen to Moses And therefore in Exod. 12.40 the name Israelite must be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the lxx doe cleare adding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they and their fathers and Egipt is taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a part for all as the lxx doe likewise expresse it adding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the land
of Canaan and Gen. 15. it is not said they shal be strangers in Egipt but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a land that is not their owne neyther doe the wordes Exod. 12.40 importe that they were so long in Egipt for thus they sound The soiourning of the children of Israell which soiourned in Egipt was 430 yeares So that the wordes which soiourned in Egipt serue for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to describe the persons not for a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to define the time So that it is cleare that the peregrination began in Abrams time but at what yeare of his age is a greater question for many great Chronologers begin it at the taking of Abrahams iournie from Haran when he was 75. yere old but I am of the opinion that it began at the taking of his iournie from Vr to Haran when he was iust 70. yeare old Whereunto I am induced by foure credible and sufficient witnesses 1 Moses or rather God himselfe in Moses Gen. 15.13 plainely pronounceth that Abrams seede should be soiourners and subiects or seruants in a forraine Land 400. yeares The seede which he meant was Isaak the terme which he mentioneth began at Isaaks birth as S. Steuen sheweth euidently Act. 7.8 And so Abraham begat Isaak and circumcised him hauing relation as well to the soiourning as to the circumcising of Isaak Isaak was borne when Abraham was 100. yeare old Gen. 21.5 whereout we must take 30. there remaine 70. for Abrahams age before the soiourning and then he tooke his iourney from Vr to goe to Canaan Gen. 11 31. and soiourned 30. yeares without seede and then his seede soiourned 400. which make vp the 430. recorded Exod. 12.4 They which beginne the soiourning at Abrahams iourney from Haran are forced to make 405. yeares betweene Isaaks birth and the departing out of Egypt and therefore some of them say that the tearme of 400 yeares began at Ismaels deriding of Isaak when he was as they imagine 5. yeares old But first it is vncertaine when that was done Secondly God saieth that his seed shall not onlie be afflicted but also bee both Soiourners and Subiectes too Thirdly that hee will iudge the Nation which shall afflict them which was neuer verified in Ismael or the Ismaelites but on the Nation of Egypt Againe other of them say that God spake indefinitly summa solida without respect of the smal oddes of 5. which is an indefinite answere and will serue for anie thing and therefore not to bee admitted but where the true and definite number is otherwise manifest As Iud. 20.46 there are mentioned but only 20000 though there were 20100. because that odde hundred was euidently set downe before in the definite number verse 35. 2 Achior in the booke of Iudith who protesteth that there shall not a lie come out of his mouth most euidentlye beginneth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Soiourning of the Israelites Iudith 5.5 Abrahams iournie from Chaldaea into Mesopotamia and maketh three parts of the whole Peregrination or three seuerall soiourninges one at Haran another in Canaan the third in Egypt Heare him speake 6. This people came of the stocke of the Chaldaeans 7. and they soiourned before in Mesopotamia because they would not follow the Gods of their fathers which were in the land of Chaldaea 8. but they went out of the way of their auncesters worshipped the God of heauen the God whom they knew so they cast them out from the face of their Gods and they fled into Mesopotamia and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Moses saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 11.31 Soiourned there many dayes 9. Then their God commaunded them to depart from their b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soiourning and to go into the land of Chanaā and they dwelt there and were increased with gold siluer and with very much cattell 10. But when a famine couered all the land of Chanaan they went into Egypt and soiourned there vntill they returned And so Moses maketh plainely their being at Haran a soiourning Gen. 11.31 vsing the selfe same word which he doth Exod. 12.40 and therefore when Moses accounteth from eyther of the latter soiournings he doth specifie it as Gen. 16.3 Then after 10 years of the soiourning of Abraham in Chanaan Not of the whole soiourning but of that particular part of it 3. Saint Steuen Act. 7. peremptorily affirmeth that that famous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recorded Gen. 12.1 Get thee out of thy countrie and from thy kindred into the land that I will shew thee c. was spoken to Abraham before he came to Haran and Moses insinuateth the same sufficientlie Cha. 11 31. affirming that Abraham with Terah came from Vr to goe into Chanaan Moreouer saint Steuen auoucheth that Abraham did obey follow execute or put in practise the same calling when he came from Vr. Act. 7. Heare Saint Steuen himselfe speake 2 The God of glorie appeared vnto our Father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Haran 3. and said vnto him Come out of thy countrey and from thy kindred and come into the land that I will shew thee 4. THEN came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans dwelt at Haran 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thence when his Father was dead hee made him flit into the land wherein you now dwell 4 Saint Paul Gal. 3.8.14.17 ioyneth with S. Steuen and maketh all plaine auouching that the law was giuen 430. yeares after the promise What promise hee vrgeth appeareth ver 8. 14. namely this and in thee shall all the Nations of the earth bee blessed Which was spoken in respect of Christ as Paul prooueth and it was spoken to Abraham when hee was bidden goe out of his countrey c. as Moses sheweth Gen. 12.3 that was before Abraham dwelt at Haran as saint Steuen sayeth Ioyne Paul to Steuen and them both to Moses and take old Achior to them I thinke the proofe of this Article will bee clearer than the sunne in his morning brightnes and stronger than the authoritie and arguments of men can infringe The reasons which the other opinion standeth vppon are very slender as 1. that God so precisely dateth the departing of Abraham from Haran namely when he was 75. yeare old which they say could be done for no other cause than to limite the beginning of the Peregrination But it appeareth in the former Article Pag. that the 75. yeare of Abraham beeing the first yeare of his age mentioned by Moses was there so precisely set downe with Terahs death and age at his death to shew the distance from the birth of Terah to the birth of Abraham which could not otherwise be knowne 2. They vrge that Abraham was bid to goe out of his fathers house I would know of them whether Vr were not his fathers house when GOD spake to him before he came to Haran before they
went from Vr for Canaan Gen. 11.31 he was not bid go from his father therefore his father and he both together left their auncient mansion and house of their auncetrie Againe Abraham was bid go frō his natiue soyle or land of his natiuitie and that was not Haran but Chaldaea and there Abraham beginneth his Peregrination euen from the land wherein he was borne Gen. 24.7 Thirdly they presse the order of the text Gen. 12.1 as though that calling of Abraham were after the death of Terah because it is placed after Whereas indeed it is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and reason of the iournie of Abraham from Vr toward Canaan which Moses had specially set downe Chap. 11. 31. without insinuating any cause of it and the 32. verse is inserted betweene by way of a Parenthesis The order and sence of the Story is this Then Terah tooke Abraham his sonne and Lot the sonne of Haran his sonnes sonne Gen. 11.31 and Sara his daughter in law his sonne Abrahams wife and they departed together from Vr of the Chaldees to goe vnto the land of Chanaan and they came to Haran and they soiourned there at which Haran Terah died Because Terah died here this is interlaced 32. 12.1 2. 3. 4. being 205. yere old For the Lord had said vnto Abraham while hee was at Vr. Get thee out of thy countrie and from thy natiue soyle and from thy fathers house vnto the land which I will shew thee c. And Abram leauing Haran too now that his father was dead went as the Lord had said vnto him at Vr continuing his iournie toward Chanaan and Lot went with him and Abram was 75. yeare old when hee went from Haran The fift Article is cleare 1. Reg. 6.1 In the 480. yeare of the departing of the children of Israel out of the land of Egipt in the fourth yere in the month Ziu which is the second month of the raigne of Solomon ouer Israel he built the house of the Lord. The particulers of this space are counted thus vnder Moses 40 vnder Iosua 17 vnder the Iudges 199 Eli 40. Saul and Samuel 40 Dauid 40 Solomon 4. For Solomons fourth that 480. yeare runne together though the Temple were founded the second month of both those yeares as appeareth 1. Reg. 6.1.2 Chron. 3.2 The number of 450. yeres from the diuision of Canaan to Samuel Act 13.20 is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as most doe take it or an ouersight in writing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which indeede is pronus lapsus and soone done De Ciuit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 13. but this non casum redolet sedindustriam as Aug. saith of the like For it was the temeritie and ouerboldnes of an ignorant Corrector who to the sum of 339. yeres which is the time of the Iudges Eli added the 111 yeres of seruitude vnder forreners which amounteth to the iust summe of 450 not considering that the same yeares of seruitude were included in the yeares of the Iudges as not onlie the Iewes but also Eusebius Lyra and Hugo doe affirme See Mercator Demonst Temp. Chap 1. T. In the same Chapter of the Acts Vers 18. it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and about the time of 40. yeares he suffered their manners in the wildernes where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wel added to shew that forty years were not fully complete for there wanted about a month fifteene daies which were spent before their entrance into the Desert and before the vttering of their euill manners and murmuring against God because of the Desert Exod. 16.2 Wherefore H. Wolphius ouer reacheth too much who maketh the abode of the Israelits in the wildernes to be full 42. yeares that is as he saith one yeare on month and twentie dayes from their departing out of Egygt to their departing frō Sinay Numb 10.11 and thence to the returne of the spies ten or eleuen months to make vp full two yeres because the spies returned when grapes were ripe But there first he putteth six monthes too much For with Moses the first month is Abib the 14 day wherof they celebrated the Passeouer Cap. 9.3 and the 20 day of the next month they departed from Sina Cap. 10.11 and within foure or fiue monthes after they might haue ripe grapes which he maketh aboue 10. monthes after And then he beginneth the 40. yeares which after their turning back into the wildernes they wandred in it till all were dead the first of which 40 he beginneth with the third yeare of their departing out of Egipt De tempore Lib. 1. Cap. 6. For the defence of Wolphius account this may be saide God threatneth the wandring of 40 yeares in the wildernes after the returne of the Spies and that as a punishment to some of the Spies for discrediting discommending the land to the people for not beleeuing Iosua and Caleb and that also to be inflicted according to the number of the daies wherein the spies searched the land which were 40. Numb 14.33.34 and therefore they must not begin before the offence was cōmitted but at the next morrow whē they were turned back into the wildernesse as a punishmēt Vers 25. which was about one yere and halfe he saith two yeares after their departure out of Egipt This reason were great were it not that Moses counters doe controll the same For Moses affirmeth that Aaron died in the first day of the first moneth of the fourtieth yeare of their departing out of Egipt Num. 33.38 in the next six monthes they had diuers victories specially against Sehon and Og Num. 21. and did and indured those things which after are recorded in the booke of Numbers then in the first day of the 11. month of the same yeare Moses deliuered the repetition declaration of the law in Deuteronomie Deu. 1. 3.4 and anone after died and Iosua presently as the month of mourning was out led the people ouer Iordan That Moses died immediately after the reading of the law appeareth by his age for Deut. 31.1 it is saide that he was at the reading of the law 120. yeare old This day am I 120. yeare olde and Cap. 34.7 when he died he was but 120. yeare old Which was not full fortie yeares after their departing out of Egipt For a little before their departing when they went to Pharao Moses was 80. and Aaron 83. yeare old Exo. 7.10 That Iosua led the people ouer Iordan presently after Moses death appeareth by the ceassing of Manna The Israelites did eat Manna 40 yeares Exod 16.36 Manna began the 16. day of the second month of the first yeare Exod. 16.2 it ended and ceased the 16. day of the first month of Iosuas first yeare Ios 5 11. which is 40 years wanting one month Wherefore the punishment of 40 yeares wandring in the wildernes according to the 40 daies of searching the land must be vnderstood of the