A Briefe Discourse of the Scriptures Declaring the seuerall Stories Liues and Deaths of the Fathers from the Creation of Adam vnto the death of Ioseph Very necessarie to be read and practised for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time Imprinted at London by W. White dwelling in Cow-lane 1614. THE PRINTER To the Reader THis short Treatise Christian Reader of The storie of the Fathers from Adam to Ioseph comming to my hands and beeing well approoued of by many godly and discreetly zealous men for the worthinesse of the subiect I was at the earnest request of sundry my especiall good Friendes drawne to commit it as thou seest to the Presse for the benefite of many Of the Author hereof I finde no mention yet likely it is to haue been penned by an Attendaunt on that learned Diuine M. H. B. as a collection from his Notes or Readings Perused it hath been before the authorizing thereof for the print by a Diuine of mature iudgement who corrected such thinges as he found faultie therein Read it without preiudice or partialitie and I doubt not but the profite which thou shalt reape thereby for the increase of thy knowledge in holy Scripture will preserue thee from all repenting of thy paines W. W. A Briefe Discourse of the Scriptures declaring the seuerall Stories Liues and Deaths of the Fathers from the creation of Adam vnto the death of Joseph very necessarie to be read and practised for easie vnderstanding of the Scriptures in a short time Jehouah our God Jehouah is one Deut. 6.4 IEHOVAH is a name of great force to driue vs to the due reuerence of Gods eternall Maiestie for it conteyneth the Wisedome Power and Eternitie of God His Wisedome In giuing a Name vnto himselfe answerable to the glorie of his Maiestie This Name was had in such reuerence among the Iewes that they trembled to name or read it but vsed the name Adonai Lord. After their cōming frō Babel they neuer vsed the name Jehouah but a name of twelue letters conteining Father Sonne and Holy spirit Jehouah hath in it the fiue Vowels which are the sinnewes of all Tongues And as without them no tongue can be expressed so without the true knowledge of Iehouah no flesh can be saued It signifieth Prayse mee the eternall God It conteineth in it Father Sonne and holy Ghost His Power In that from Iehouah all creatures haue their breathing and their being which also in Iehouah is closely expressed For as it consisteth of fiue vowels so hath it two hh which Sholers call Aspirations or Breathings which two Aspirations make vp the number of 7. which is the number of the Sabboth S. Paul closely alluding to the name of Iehouah sayth that from him we haue our breathing and our beeing and in Esay 57.16 the Lord sayth The blasting goeth foorth from me and is included in the body I made the breath So often therefore as we breath we are to remember the Power and Maiestie of Iehouah His Eternitie Is closely expressed in these three Letters י ו τ Whose terminations are Jod vavv be is a signe of the Futertense Presentense Preterperfectense This is made plaine in Apoc. 1.4 Who was is wil be to come Our God Herein is expressed the Humanitie of Christ for it is neither added to the Father the first person in Trinitie nor to the holy Ghost the third person but to the Sonne the second person who was to become ours by taking our nature vpon him Some hold it not to be meant of the Humanitie of Christ but for a word of separation of the God of the Iewes from the Gods of the Gentiles To remooue such absurditie the holy Ghost in Mark 12.29 when there was no difference betweene the Iew and the Gentile repeateth the very words of Moses Deut. 6.4 The Lord our God The Lord is one Thrise naming God as commaunding vs thereby to vnderstand Father Sonne and Holy spirit For this is alwayes to be obserued Whatsoeuer God speeketh of himselfe is to be taken in the heauenliest vnderstanding that can be made of it Iehouah our God Iehouah is one There be three in Heauen The Father the Worde and the Holy Spirit And these three are one 1. Iohn 5.7 The Trinitie is heere described to be one vnited Godhead distinguishable in persons but vndeuidable in coeternitie one in three and three in one GOD who Created Redeemed and Sanctified all One onely wise God who was shewed in the Flesh was iustified in the Spirit was seene among Angels was preached to the Gentiles was beleeued on in the World receiued vp into Glorie 1. Timo. 3.16 Which to know is the first and chiefest poynt of all saluation as Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know the Father and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Which must be obteined by the true vnderstanding of the Bible as Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures and in them ye shall find eternall life Some will say it is enough to know Christ crucified Pilate Herod and Iudas the traytor knew that yet went to eternall destruction Wherefore saluation consisteth not in outward knowledge but in renewing the spirit of our vnderstanding which standeth first in the knowledge and feare of God then in the knowing of our selues which are the first two steps to saluation For true Knowledge is the mother of Godlinesse and as the Eye is the light of the Body so is Vnderstanding the light of the Minde This a man hauing truly learned he is to meditate of the graces of Christ offered vnto vs by his Word God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the World c. Ephes 1.4 HErein we are to consider the louing kindnesse of God to exceed our desertes in louing vs to saluation before we were The Papistes hold merites of saluation which cannot any way hold seeing God of his vnspeakable grace hath elected vs vnto saluation before we knew him This mysterie of Gods Election is not fully receiued of all because men take not words of Scripture in their proper sense as they are layde downe Election is the eternall counsell of God for the sauing and reiecting of some before the beginning of the world The Heathen neuer receiued comfort by this for being told before of thinges afterward to come to passe they could not know the reason but thought that the actions of men were gouerned by the motions of Starres and the course of Nature and not by the decree or fore-purpose of God who worketh euery thing according to the counsell of his owne will not according to our reason Then some will say if God decreeth euery thing why punisheth he any thing It is answered that punishment commeth from God by the iust desert of the rancor of mans minde Election of his free grace which he bestoweth vpon whō he will as he saith Rom. 9.15 I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie Therefore the first thing we ought to know is our
or middlemost but in Gods free election standeth our eternall happines Three Angels appeared to Abraham in his Tent. Three foures of precious Stones were set in Aarons brest Three thinges reserued in the Arke The Booke of the Law The Potte of Manna Aarons Rodde that did alwayes florish Three taken vp in the Old Testament and three in the New Three partes was Ierusalem deuided into Three Letters the roote of euery word in the Hebrew tongue Three Captiuities of the Iewes Three times was the Temple grosly polluted by the Babylonians Antiochi Romanes Three times a yeare were the Iewes bound to come to Ierusalem to giue accompt of their Religion Three dayes nightes was Ionas in the Whales belly Three nightes and dayes was Christ in the Graue Three Iohns viz. Iohn Baptist Luke 1.60 Iohn Euangelist Mat. 4.21 Iohn Marke Act. 12.25 Job saued three Eliphaz Sophar Bildad Daniel saued three Ananias Azarias Mishael Noah saued three Sem. Cham. Japhet In the third seauenth Iubilee the Iewes fell away and then Ieremie said O Earth heare the worde of the Lord c. The Title ouer Christ on the Crosse was written in Three tongues Hebrew Greeke Latin Although it may not bee vrged that all these Threes haue full relation to the Trinitie seeing they fall not out by chaunce yet wee are not to despise the pleasant harmonie and comfortable vse of them but to thinke that the wisedome of God hath contriued saluation into such a sweet Art that verie children may learne the same and therefore the Scripture is called verie fitly a shallow water and a deepe fountaine shallow that the Lambe may wade and deepe that the Elephant may swimme FOVRE Foure Is a square number and vsuall Heber the fourth after the Flood Iuda the fourth sonne of Iacob Foure square signifieth true Religion Moses fourth sonne in the fourth age was Sacrificer to the Tribe of Dan. Foure times seuen Iubilees the time of Christes death Foure The forme of the heauenly Ierusalem FIVE Fiue the letters of Iehouah The fiue Vowels the sinewes of all Tongues Christ seedeth 5000. with Fiue Loaues SIXE Sixe The day of Adams creation which number is often times vsed in the Scripture to put vs in minde of the Creation Sixe hundred thousand fighting men came out of Egipt Sixe hundred yeares old was Noah at the flood Sixe times seuen Standinges had the Children of Israel in the Wildernes Sixe yeares was the land of Canaan in conquering Sixe Cities of refuge for one that killed a man by chance and not of malice had the Iewes to flie vnto Sixe times did the Children of Israel fall before Diuids time in the time of the Iudges SEVEN Seuen the number of the Sabaoth which number of Seuen as it is famous for the Creation so God comtinueth the same proportion throughout the Bible to the Redemption For as God the Father made the World in sixe dayes and rested the seuenth so God the Sonne hauing performed his Fathers will resteth the seuenth day in the Graue Seuen is a yeare of Grace Seuen Planets in the Firmament which Plato compareth to the number of seuen Starres in Apo. 1.16 Seuen yeares was the land of Canaan plagued for that Ioseph the beloued of the Lord should haue been slaine by his Brethren Seuen Stones in the Temple Gods seuenfold Wisedome or Prouidence in all his actions Seuen eyes to looke vpon the Building of euery Stone in in the Temple of Ierusalem Seuen yeares the land of Canaan was setling in rest Seuen yeares the Temple was in building Seuen yeares Nebuchadnetzar was a Beast for destroying the Temple Seuen Gates in the Temple before you come to the Holy of Holiest Seuen Branches did the Candlesticke in the Temple stand vpon which had 24. Knobbes signifying the sixe dayes worke the seuenth day of rest in the Creation Seuen Moneths was the Tabernacle in building Seuen Iubilees was the Arke in the house of Ioseph Seuen Trumpeters is a great number that doe alwayes sound Gods prayse Henoch the seuenth from Adam Heber the seuenth from Henoch Isaach the seuenth from Heber Moses the seuenth from Abraham Iosua the seuenth from Ephraim Elias taken vp in the seuenth age from Samuel Ioram the seuenth from Dauid Salomons Temple was consecrated in the seuenth moneth answerable to the birth of the Fathers The ceremonie of the Feast of Tabernacles continued seuen dayes After the comming from Egipt it was seuen times seuen dayes before the Law was giuen Seuen times seuen dayes after Christes resurrection descended the holy Ghost The stories of the Scriptures goe by seuens from Moses till Christs death thus Seuen yeares the land of Canaan was in conquering Seuen fifties for the glorie of Iosephs house Seuen seuenties for the house of Iudah Seuen tennes for the Captiuity From the Captiuitie to the death of Christ seuen seuenties Moses Ceremonies for the most part were in the seuenth Moneth The Manna that was gathered on the sixt day serued for the seuenth The seuenth yeare the Iewes might not plough sow nor reape In the end of the seuen seuens was the yeare of Iubilee In the seuenth seuen from Cyrus the Walles of Ierusalem were built Seuen times 7000. of the Iewes came from Captiuitie Ioakim endeth the seuenth seuentie with affliction Seuen yeares plenty seuen yeares dearth in the land of Egipt figured by seuen eares of Corne seuen Kyne Noah liued seuen Iubilees after the flood Seuen thousand in the booke of Kings mencioned that neuer bowed their knees vnto Ball. Kaines house cut off in the seuenth age How often shall I forgiue my Brother till seuen times I say vntill seuen times seuentie times alluding vnto Daniels seuens EIGHT Eight The number of the persons saued in the Arke Eight The day of circumcision TEN Tenne Is a full number and the highest or last of simple numbers All Nations after the number of 10. begin againe for plaine teaching and plainnesse in reckoning Ten is the yeare of Iudgement or accompt You haue Ten words for the creation of the World And Ten wordes for the gouernment of the world The Tenth is a holy number as in Tythes which is giuen to vs to acknowledge our dueties In the Tenth moneth the Waters of the Flood abated Sem liued to see the Tenth age a great blessing Tenne Plagues were the Egyptians plagued with for afflicting Sems house Tenne Spies in the Wildernesse misbeleeued Tenne Tribes fell away at Roboams time Daniels Beast hath Tenne Hornes which doe represent Ten cruell Kinges The Beast in the Reuelation hath Tenne Hornes The Pope hath Tenne stately Kingdomes to assist him Noah is the Tenth from Adam Abraham the tenth from Noah TWELVE Twelue Signes in the Zodiacke Twelue Moneths in the yeare Twelue Fathers from the Flood to Iacob Twelue Sonnes of Iacob Twelue Fountaines in the Wildernesse Twelue Stones in Iordan Twelue Stones in Aarons brest Salomon had Twelue Stewards and Dauid Twelue valiant Captaines Salomon at Twelue yeares of age discided the
all the world so notwithstanding the sinne of the Iewes Christ in Canaan wrought the full saluation of all the world These eleuen sonnes of Canaan were setled in one soyle that is in Canaan which is about 160. myles from North to South and 60. myles from East to West Their names are Zidon who built Tyrus the glory of the world for trafique of Marchandize Heth Gebusi who after Sems death as it should appeare possessed Ierusalem Amori Girgashi of whom there were some left till Christes time as Matt. 8. 28 Hiuits of whom Abraham bought his burying place of whose kindred also Esau tooke him Wiues Arkite Siuite Aruadite Zemathite Hemathite It is supposed there were so many Tongues as there were Nations but it was no otherwise then our Cornish and Northerne men differ in their tongues These were Lordes of the whole soyle to plant buyld and replenish it against time to come that the twelue Trybes of Israel might haue Vineyardes that they neuer planted and Houses they neuer builded Whereupon Moses sayth Deut. 32.8 When the most high God deuided to the Nations their Inheritance hee appoynted the borders of a people according to the number of the Sonnes of Israel And when God promiseth to Abraham Gen. 15.18 that he will giue his seed a Land that shall flow with Mylke and Hony hee bordereth it from Egipt to the great Riuer Euphrates within which borders are contained the seuerall Lordships of Canaan and his Sonnes namely the Kenites the Kenesites the Cadmonites the Hithites the Pheresites the Gyaunts the Amorites the Cananites the Girgashites and the Gebusites Because C ham scorned his father who was the restorer of all the world therefore his Countrie was to be giuen to Sems House the Iewes and they were driuen out of their Land by the Sword of Ioshua except some few who were left in the Land to be Spurres in the sides and Thornes in the eyes of the Israelites who were to possesse it that when through the aboundance of wealth they grew to forget God they might be chastened with his rod of correction Thus Shams curse is extended euen vnto Canaan his youngest sonne and he is made a Seruant of seruantes to Sem that the blessing of Sem might appeare and the open cursed should serue the open blessed although it be nine hundred yeares after Noahs Prophecie to shew that although God suffer the wicked a while and doth deferre his punishmentes vntill the sinne of the Amorites come to a full ripenesse that yet he is a righteous Iudge and sitteth vpon a firie Throne from whose presence doth issue Ryuers of fire to consume all such as will not learne to know The Seed of the Woman to be able to breake the head of the Serpent nor desire to dwell in the Tentes of Sem acknowledging the God of Abraham the God of Isaacke and the God of Iacob to be the true GOD that keepeth couenant with all whose Garments were washed in Wine and his Mantell in the blood of Grapes nor marke that Shiloh is that Emmanuel God with Vs who is that Stone that can grind the mightiest Gyant in the land of Canaan to powder Who haue eyes and will not see how God with fire from Heauen consumed their Cities turned Lots wise into a Piller of Salt ouerthew their kinsmen Pharaoh in the read Sea and made the Walles of Iericho to fall downe without violent handes Chams House was not plagued for building Babel onely but for falling from the Religion of Sem and his posteritie had a deadly minde against true Religion And as Cham the rest are in Gehenna in darknesse so in Scripture they are left in darknesse for there is no time of any mentioned when they died but are left in darknesse The wicked men of Canaan would neuer yeeld to the trueth but praysed Gods of Gold Brasse and Stone Now followeth for Iaphet HIs name signifieth Perswaded He had seuen Sonnes Gomer Magog Madai of whom came the Meedes Jauan of whom the Grecians and Romanes come And Tubal and Mesech of whom the Muscouites come And Tiras of whom the Thracians come Of these were the Isles of the Gentiles diuided in their Landes Iaphet hee was pertaker with Sem in the action of couering thier Father but Sem had the prerogatiue of the Promise concerning Christ notwithstanding Iaphet was the elder And if you marke through al the Bible you shal not finde the first borne of any of Christes auncestors to haue the Promise pronounced to them in open tearmes because Christ the first begotten of his Father would not come according to the lust of the flesh or course of nature but by grace Sem in regard of that had the glory of God preached in his Tentes vntill the acceptable Child did come in whom all Nations should be blessed And when the glory of Sems house which were the Iewes was extinct Iohn was banished into Patmos is commanded to write to the seuen Congregations in Asia the lesser where Iaphets sonnes were first setled to so many Congregations as Iaphet had sonnes Grace and peace from him that was and is and which is to come and from the seuen Spirites expressed in Esay 11.7 which are before his throne from Iesus Christ which is a faythfull witnes and first begotten of the dead Alpha and Omega the first and the last who was dead but is aliue and behold he liues for euer euer and hath the keyes of Hell and of Death giueth light life to Iaphet the Gentile who was in darknes and in the shadow of death perswading him to dwell in the tentes of Sem to be a dweller in the spirituall Canaan and a Citizen in the heauenly Salem where there is no earthly Temple For God almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it Now for SEM. SEM being an hundred yeares old begetteth Arphaxad two yeares after the Flood So old was Abraham when he begat Isaacke He is in vertue equall with any before the Flood This Sem was a King Prophet Sacrificer He signifieth a Name to teach them that they should looke to him in whom Sem and the whole world should be blessed He had fiue Sonnes Elam Ashur Arphaxad Lud. Aram. Elam of whom the Persians Ashur of whom the Assirians Arphaxad of whom CHRIST Aram of whom the Aramites Lud of whom the Lidians There be diuers which condemne Genealogies warranted thereby as they say by Saint Paules Councell to Thimothie Neither that they giue heed to Fables and Genealogies Endlesse which breede rather questions then godly edifying by Fayth Indeed seeing Genealogies are of great consequence to the prouing of Christ to be the Messias the Iewes to crosse this faine diuers of their owne which S. Paul calleth Endlesse therefore to be auoided as also tales inuented by them whereby they corrupted the story of the Scriptures But this condemneth not the Genealogies which the Holy Ghost penneth but rather approueth them And
for so long was hee in making it not because hee could not haue made it sooner for God could haue commanded it to be made with a word as well as he made all the world but to shew the patience and long suffring of God in sparing his iudgementes that they who would not heare the preaching of Noah might iustly be condemned Many thinges fall out in the Bible whose number are answerable to this of 120. yeares 120. Nations payde tribute to bring the Iewes home from Captiuitie The gouernment of the Persians was about 120. yeares 120. Seuerall Nations that is some of euery Nation were at Ierusalem after Christes Resurrection The Hebrewes descant very strangely with the letters of Iehouah and the 120. yeares wherein the Arke was in making thus Multiply 120. by the letter which is 5. then you haue 600. which is Noahs age at the Flood with the letter which is 10. then you haue 6000. The end of the world This is the consent of all the Hebrewes Heere is a doubt to be discussed concerning the wordes spoken in Gen. 6. The occasion of the doubt ariseth thus God sayth in Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwayes striue with man his dayes shall be an hundred and twentie yeares In Gen. 5.32 Noahs age is reckoned and hee is then said to be Fiue hundred yeares old and begetteth Shem Cham and Iapheth When his age is reckoned againe at the Flood the summe is but Sixe hundreth yeares So that if the sixt Chapter be in time after the fifth and in the fifth Noah is 500. yeares old and that afterwards God saith The daies of all flesh shal be an hundreth tweentie yeares then Noah at the flood must be 620. yeares for put 120. to 500 and you haue 620. but his age at the Flood is but 600. Therfore some thinke that either the Chronicle is false or else the 20. yeares were shortened like as it was in Ierusalems straytes least no flesh should be saued To answere this doubt we must obserue that it is no reason in diuinitie that because a matter commeth or is made mention of in a Chapter afterwards that the time therefore of that storie or action followeth the Chapters or actions going before for this is but a circumstance of methode For Moses in penning the Scriptures vsed this order He layeth downe things of like nature together as Genealogies together such like though they differ in time because else he should make often repetion of the same thinges The obseruation of this caused the Hebrewes to set downe this Rule that Moses in penning his Storie doth not regard the circumstance of first latter To weete hee doth not set downe that in the first place which is first in time and so that which is latter in time afterwardes but sometimes that which is latter in the first place and that which is first in time in the last as the necessitie of the narration giueth occasion This being thus made plaine the doubt is easily discussed for neither is Noah 620. yeares old at the Flood neither are the yeares of the Flood any thing shortned but the Chronicle is altogeather true For if we referre the 120. yeares of the Flood 20. yeares before that Chapter in which it was sayd Noah was 500. yeares old and begot Sem Cham and Iaphet then doe we make all thinges agree without crossing one another and this of necessitie wee must needes doe For seeing God hath layde downe the generals in proper and plaine termes we must so cast the particulars that they may make the generall true and no way alter it Besides we haue a like example for although all the liues and deathes of the Fathers before the Flood are reckoned and summed vp togeather in one Chapter wee must not thinke that all their liues are precedent to the Chapters following For the Chronicles sheweth that Lamech liued 5. yeares before the Flood and Methushelahs death and the beginning of the Flood are very neare Euen so heere this sentence of the 120. yeares is to be counted before the fifth Chapter wherein Noahs age is reckoned and for the shortning of the dayes in Ierusalems besiedging the holy Ghost sayth it shall be so but for the shortning of the dayes at the Flood we haue no such warrant in Moses Therefore we are not to beleeue it Cxx. yeares begin Gen. 6. In which the spirit of Christ preached while the Arke was in making VPon this sentence there dependeth a great question whether Christ descended into Hell in his humane soule The cause why this question is necessarie to be handled is because diuers of the auncient Fathers hold opinion of Christes discent into Hell in his humane soule Whose opinions hauing been so superstitiously receiued haue drawen others of latter time into the like errours But if men would follow the plainnes laide downe in the Bible and with humilitie search it auoyding curiositie they need not trouble themselues with the errours of the Fathers The wordes of the text 1. Pet. 3.18 are these Christ was dead concerning the flesh but was quickned by the Spirit By the which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison which in times past disobeyed when once the long suffering of God abode in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was in making Now the words whereupon this error is grounded are these Christ being dead as concerning the flesh went and preached to the spirits in prison Vpon this they gather that the spirits mentioned there are meant those in Hell and went and preached that is after hee was dead But if wee compare these words with the residue and consider the time when this preaching was we shall see Saint Peter meaneth nothing lesse than the descending of Christs soule into hell For first the text saith Hee went and preached by the same spirit by which he was quickned This spirit is of necessitie the Godhead For what spirit was there that could loosen the sorrowes of death that they should not hold him and raise Christ from the dead but the Godhead of Christ Then the soules of all men Godly or vngodly being immortall cannot die and therefore this quickning cannot be meant of his humane soule for it needed none Besides we must consider to whom Saint Peter wrote to wit to the Iewes Now seeing Christ taught nothing but Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles nothing but what they learned of Christ with what conscience could Saint Peter write a storie to the Iewes of the seueere iustice of God which was neuer in Moses for Moses neuer mentioneth Christs descent into Hel there to cause the wicked to be more tormented Therefore seeing this old opinion gathered out of the workes of the fathers and bred by them maintaineth manifest absurdities we must seeke for another exposition If we consider the old Testament we shall find that Eliphaz in the booke of Iob. preacheth the same doctrine that S. Peter doth and therefore
Mountaines were descouered Noah tarried yet 40. dayes When 311. daies were past then he sent foorth a Rauen which houered a long time he nameth not the time but as 7. vpon 7. in the Doue is expressed so 40. vpon 40. is here to be vnderstood So then there are daies 351. to which add the 14. last in which the Doue was twise sent foorth then you haue dayes 364. after the 14. daies in which the Doue returned not Moses reckneth the first day of the Moneth in these wordes In the 601. of the age of Noah the first day of the first Moneth the waters were dried vp Concerning the 5. dayes euery sixe yeares they make a leape Moneth the odde quarter of a day in 120. yeares make a leape Moneth Thus much for the vse of the Fathers before the Flood Now follow the Fathers after the Flood whose Storie conteineth vnto the Promise giuen vnto Abraham 427. yeares Some thing will I speake of the generall vse of them both togeather WEe haue two stayes the Fathers before the Flood and the Fathers after the Flood The summe of all is nothing else but to know God and him whom he sent Iesus Christ For surely the spirit of God hath in such plainnesse penned downe the Storie of the Scriptures that all the world must wonder at the wisedome of God layde downe so shortly and plainly Before the Flood he taught nothing but the Gospell adding to the doctrine thereof Kaines Murther and Lameches Adulterie And after the Flood we haue not ten notable Fathers as before For Terah the father of Abraham fell away and worshipped strange Gods And surely as the Sunne Moone and Starres are glorious and excellent for the distinguishing of times so are the Numbers of the ages of the Fathers And through the Scripture for the clearenes of the Word Times are generall or perticular Generall from Adam to the Flood and from thence to Abrahams promise from thence to the comming out of Egypt then to the building of Salomons Temple then to the burning thereof by the Babilonians and then to the end of the Captiuitie and from thence to the death of Christ These are the summe of all the Times the proofe of these is scattered through the Scriptures Thus much for the two Tables in generall After the Flood Noah and Sem be heere handled againe because their storie continued through and after the Flood Compare Noah with Adam and you shall see that Noah is another Adam Adam Was an husbandman Became into transgression by eating vnlawfully And Euah after their transgression seeing their nakednesse sewed Fig-tree leaues to couer them and the very same wordes that God spake to Adam in Paradise for ruling and increasing the very same he reneweth to Noah Had the tree of Life in Paradise for a seale of conseruation Had two younger Sonnes good the elder wicked Noah was an husbandman Became into transgression by drinking vnlawfully After his transgression hauing his nakednes vncouered is couered by Sem and Japhet Had the Rainebow as a couenant of preseruation Had two eldest Sonne good and the younger wicked Kaine the eldest sonne of Adam was cursed C ham the youngest sonne of Noah euen to Canaan his youngest son was cursed The one against nature killed his Brother The other against humanitie vncouered his Fathers nakednes Adam before the Flood might eate no Flesh Noah after the Flood might eate Flesh the Blood onely excepted because in the Blood of euery thing is the life and the life of euery thing will God require at euery creatures hand from the seueritie of which a commandement against Murther was giuen to Noah The reason why they might eate Flesh after the Flood and not before may be because the dayes of man being shortened at the Flood halfe in halfe the bodyes of men were afterwards of a more weake constitution and then you read first of planting of Vines for Wine which was added to be an helpe in digestion to the strengthning of the body and quickning of the vitall spirits as in Psalm 104.15 Wine doth make the heart glad and Oyle doth cause a chearefull countenance Noah was drunke and vncouered in the midst of his Tent and awaking from his Wine hee knew what his youngest Sonne had done and sayd Cursed be Canaan a slaue of slaules shall he be Now Noah would not curse Cham because God blessed him but hee cursed Canaan his Nephew the Sonne of Cham who as some suppose derided also his Grandfather Blessed be the God Sem. And God will perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. Vpon these three sentences doe the chiefe Stories of the Bible depend For whatsoeuer plagues doth befall the Egiptians the Canaanites Ethiopians Blackemores Babylonians and such like is contained within Chams curse Whatsoeuer blessing is promised or performed to the Iewes is comprehended within Sems blessing Whatsoeuer promises of mercie and sauing health was prophecied of to the Gentiles is vnderstood vnder these words And God will perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. The Prophet Noah spake not at random when he said Blessed be the God of Sem. But what is there spoken short in due time is drawen out longer and the not regarding the blessing to Sem doth make many thinges in the new Testament to be neglected And first for CHAM HIs name signifieth Hotte or Cholericke And those Countries did his Sonnes after the confusion of Tongues possesse namely in Africa in the South countrie C ham the Prince of Affricke the spreader of wickednesse inhabited the fourth part of the World with his Families His House neuer got any victorie but for some especiall punishment to be shewed vpon Sems house C ham had a curse in this world and doubtlesse in the world to come He had foure Sonnes The first Cush of whom came the Ethiopians or in our tongue Burnt-faces The second Mitzraijm of whom the Egiptians come for Mitzraijm doth signifie Egypt The third Put of whom the Lybians and Blackamores come And the fourth Canaan of whom the Canaanites come in whom the curse of Cham was pronounced notwithstanding it falleth out also in all his other Sonnes And as Canaan was a slaue of slaues so are they that are of the like infidelitie so that oftentimes for the horrible impietie of one man the whole Nation fareth the worse This Canaan had eleuen Sonnes and himselfe made the twelfe and his Countrie was called Canaan which once was Paradise And as Paradise to Adam resembled the state of Heauen so did the land of Canaan to the Israelites and the Iewes for it was a Land abounding with all good thinges In Paradise was the Tree of life in Canaan CHRIST was borne the true Tree of life Adam neglecting the true seruice of God in Paradice was driuen from thence The Iewes neglecting their Sabaothes and finally the knowledge of Christ were likewise driuen out of Canaan But as notwithstanding Adams fall saluation in Paradise was promised to
if we doe but crosse the account laide downe by the Heathen we do obscure the euidence of the Scriptures Thus much for the answere of this obiection Arphaxad borne when his father Sem was 100. yeares old Noah 602. and Iaphet 102. HIs name signifieth HealÃng Some hold that the Caldeans come from him CHRIST healeth all our infirmities Shelah borne Arphaxad being 35. yeares old HIs name signifieth a Branch or Twigge Hee was the Eather of the Shelanites Heber borne Shelah being 30. yeares old HEber a representer of the Sonne of God who beginning to be thirtie yeares old buildeth vp the decayed walles of the Gentiles Thirtie yeares after the promise giuen to Abram was it before his seede began to be afflicted Ioseph being thirtie yeares old expoundeth Pharaohs Dreame Heber signifieth Pilgrime or Stranger So his faythfull seede confessed themselues to be Saith Abraham I am a Stranger and Pilgrime Giue mee a place for money to burie my dead So saith Saint Peter repeating the same Storie I beseech you as Pilgrimes and Strangers to abstaine from fleshy lustes which fight against the soule And Christ the chiefest of Heber said The Foxes haue holes and the Birdes of the ayre haue nestes but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head Hebers posteritie went as strangers flitting from Land to Land Looking for a Citie whereof GOD was the builder Heb. 11.10 This Heber is from the Creation the fourteenth two seuens a double Henoch He is the fourth after the flood as Iudah is the fourth sonne of Iacob of whom Christ came He is the seuenth from Henoch a man for rare blessinges to be compared with Henoch and is the same in force that Henoch is although you would thinke them cleane contrary and so they are in signification but in effect of diuinitie all one For Henoch signifieth Dedicated to God and Heber Pilgrime or Stranger and hee that is a stranger vpon earth despising the state of worldly pompe is a Citizen with God therefore whosoeuer will be a true Henoch must also be a true Heber And if we will be holy before God acceptable vessels for the vse of his Temple wee must beare Palme boughes in our handes that is sing Hosanna to the highest and be estranged from the vaine conuersation of this earthly Paradise so shall our names continue famous through many Generations as Hebers did and we shall speake the prayses of God in our owne tongues for wee will not consent with Nimrod to the building of our owne Confusion whereby wee might be shaken off from the fauour of God as hee and his adherents were Hebers glory is further enlarged in that the Hebrew tongue taketh the name from him The Iewes kept this sinceerely till they went into Captiuitie into Babylon but when they came from thence they began to stammer for they learned the tongue of the Babylonians Malachy endeth the old Testament the Hebrew tongue for though Schollers write Hebrew yet vpon the first sight it is apparant to be the writing of man so farre it differeth from the stile of the holy Spirit There be one thousand seauen hundred fifty and eight rootes in the Hebrew tongue And this is a wonderfull thing that the bare actions of the Creatures should expresse Hebrew wordet as a horse runninig vpon a cawsey the sound of his feete is much expressing this noyse Ratsat which in Hebrew is to run the noise which birds make by clapping their wings when they flie is of this sound Goth which in Hebrew signifieth a Fowle The Grecians cannot find out the roots of their tongue The Lord tooke such order in penning of the old Testament that one skilfull in the Hebrew tongue will easily know if there be a sentence or a word put in nay if there be but a letter added so that they are very vnwise that perswade others or beleeue themselues that the bookes of Iudith and Tobie are Canonicall scriptures for they are not Hebrew neither were they receiued at any time by the auncient Hebrewes who where so perfect and ready in the text of the old Testament that they could tell how many times the letter Aleph was vsed in the Byble so that to beleeue these bookes to bee Scriptures is to crosse the testimony of the Iewes for their owne story and if they knew our opinions herein they would condemne vs for missing of Religion This Heber was a varie happie man and his happinesse made manifest in that none that liued after him came to his daies for he being a Prophet knew how heauy the curse of God would be vpon the sonnes of men for building the tower of Babel therefore hee nameth his sonne Peleg Diuided The Hebrew name is halfe the abridgment of the story as it falleth out for the most part He had also great cause of sorrow and heauinesse in that thirteene families of Ioctaines sonnes to whom Heber was Graundfather went quite away and were farre from Ierusalem and being out of the fauour of God were bereaued of saluation so that Chams house might seeme to haue greater blessinges for they dwelt neere to Ierusalem and Iacobs sonnes in Egypt married with Chams daughters Iacobs sonnes called themselues Hebrewes because the storie of Heber is the most famous of all the Fathers Peleg borne Heber being 34. yeares old HIs name signifieth Diuision In his dayes the tongues of those that built the Tower of Babel were confounded In the consideration of which storie Time Place Persons are to be vnderstood Time at or a litle before Pelegs birth Place a Plaine in the land of Shinear Persons 70. of Sem. 27. Iaphet 14. Cham. 29. These 70. spake one language the tongue of Heber and going from the East they found a plaine in the land of Shinear where they abode and made bricke in stead of stone and slime in stead of morter and ioyning with Nimrod sayd Let vs make vs a Sem that is a name euen in despight of the blessing of Noah bestowed vpon Sem. But God scattered them from that place into the vpper face of all the earth and they left off to build the Citie therefore the name of it is called Ba-bell that is Come confusion because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth Babell is Babling both in Hebrew and in English 1 This halfe sheweth that as the dayes of men at the 2 Flood were cut off halfe in halfe so likewise at the confusion of Tongues for none after Peleg commeth to halfe Hebers yeares As at the confusion of tongues there was great falling out about words because one could not vnderstand another so hitherto all the world is at variance for the vnderstanding of words And as the builders of Babell fell to Babling so the despisers of diuinity shall fall to Babling Therefore it were to be wished that euery man in the world vnderstood the Hebrew tongue All nations in the earth are compelled to take notice of this