1 IN that all men which haue beene since the Hood, come of those tenne Patriarches, all may be counted faultie, that regarde not the Historie of such their owne and most noble Ancestors: all faythfull Christians; all recor­ded thrise in the Writ of trueth for their age. Gen. 5. and 6. And all recorded in three Bookes for their line. Gen. 3. 1. Chr. 1. Luk. 3.

2 Seeing Iewes and Gentiles both agree, that CHRIST is the glory of all men; all should thinke that the Holy spirit would not begin his Line, to leaue it afterwarde vnperfect (as the wicked Iewes now know it not) but would continue it through vnto himselfe; as in S. Luke it is chayned from Ely Maries father, vp to Zorobabel, Nathan, Dauid, Adam.

[Page 2] 3 While these men liued in the world, there was but one Tongue, that in which Adam spake, What Tongue Adam & Eue palce. and was fit to argue his Angel-like witte; which the same, the holy Spirit vsed in all the Bookes of the old Testament, and hath not left it in any other Writer extant; but hath ended it with the old Testament. Their Lan­guage so wittie and so sanctified, should be knowen of all their (not bastardly) race, what worthinesse it hath, In some generalitie.

4 That Adams Tongue was the same which Moses vsed, the Notations doe shew in Adams wordes: Hee calleth her which was taken out of his side, Isha;(in the morning presently vpon her creation) because she was taken from Ish. That Language helde vnto In Mala­chies age the old Testament ended, and authenticall Ebrew. The h [...]d Apocry­pha is not in that tongue, nor penned by the holy spirit. Malachy: Ish for Man, Isha for Owman, or Of man.

5 The same appeareth in the name which he giueth to the woman in the euening of the same day, vpon the promise of Life; Eua or Ch-Eua, Life: from a tearme of lyuing, Chaya, flowing out of the same spring.

6 Eua declareth the same Tongue to be her Tongue: For she nameth her first sonne Kain, Possession; from the verbe Kanah to pos­sesse: shewing that to be the reason of his name, because she possest a Sonne by the Eter­nall.

7 The other names, A digression to Habel and Kayn. Adam, Earthie, of Adama Earth. Habel, Vanitie, are plaine of them selues, and often touched in glaunces; as [Page 3] Col Habel, Col Adam; the whole that commeth of Adam, is wholly Vanitie. Psa. 39. 6. And all Adam, Man is Habel. Psal. 39. 11. And, truely the sonnes of Adam are Vanitie. Psal. 6. 2. 11. Adam is like to Habel, Man to Vanitie. Wee may not thinke it a small matter, when the matter is so often handled by the spirit of all Wisedome perfect, that hath nothing super­fluous. Thus we may finde the [...]guage of our first Parents, what it was [...] and moreouer how it was most fit for perfect Wisedome; and how the first persons conteine all mans estate. Adam the earthy man, what possession (Kynian) soeuer he gate; all is (Habel) vanitie. The Man (Chaya) liueth by the promise in CHRIST.

The words of Rabbi Bochai touching Kain and Habel, are in mine opinion worthy citing: and the enemies owne testimonie for a trueth, should be not the worst. Thus Bochai sayth. In a wittie sense Kain & Habel conteyne in their names aduertisementes, & close glaunses for matter of true continuance, and corruption▪ Kain, betokeneth Pos­session in this world: & Habel betokeneth one hum­bled in minde, and holding such possession vayne. Such was his offering, Sheepe kinde; the gentlest of all lyuing beastes: and therefore the fauour of God folowed him. And the offering of Kain was of the fruict of the Earth, as he loued the possession of this worlde, and the seruice of the body (which yet can haue no continuance) and followed after body lustes: [Page 4] Therfore the blessed God fauoured him not. This the Rabbin speaketh, glauncing at their names. Diui­ner matter from their persones & doing, we are taught: That Kain was of the Serpent, and hated his brother, because of good workes. Also iust Habels slaughter, the first that dyed, was an ef­fectuall proofe, that for beng iust, the best should die: as our Lord telleth the Iewes how Habels blood shou [...] be required at them, murhterers of him. And the faythles Hebrew Docters are at their wits ende, as touching what Gods counsell was, in that good Habel should so be kilde. The Apostles compare them with Cain; Habel with Christ, suffering for goodnes. But my degression, drawing vnto the ten Fathers to collateral men, may not be long; I will go to the right lyne.

1 Seth commeteh Adams heyre. His name in Adam tongue and ours, falleth a like; Set, or setled sure. Eue named him Seth, because God hath Set mee an other-gates Seede in stead of Habel, for Kain slue him, and prooued his dayes to be Habel, Vanuie. Gen. 3. 25. Adam approo­ued the same name, as knowing that hee should be the sure-setled, when all other Familyes should ende by the Flood.

2 Therefore Balaam speaketh, that all the Sonnes of Seth, that is, all Nations (all come of him) sh [...]lbe vnwalled by Christ; and taught by doctrine or experience, that all their strength is nothing Num. 24.

3 It is a good meditation to thinke of Adam, [Page 5] Habel, and Seth; how the Scripture conferreth all three with our Lordes cases: Adam the ear­thy, with the heauenly: Habels blood, with our Sauiours: and Seths families, with his con­questes.

4 Adam and Eue both agreeing for the name Seth, gaue a doble witnessed warning to the world, that as Kain was cursed, so other families ioyning with his, should feele in the Flood, the curse of all the earth, that they should better re­gard Seths right line.

5 The Scripture telleth in Seth onely in plaine sort, that after Adams image and likenesse he was borne, because hee was the fittest to shew what all Adams [...]ace was, beeing the first in the line continued still: and as hee was, so must all be.

6 The Iewes commonly Some Iewe [...] of malice stu­die to perue [...] all Christians doctrine: as this man, A­brabbaneel, or, Barbinel, a Rabbine of great paines and witte, bu [...] not of grace: and only to b [...] folowed whe [...] he clearely is on our side. Without then our age can not fear [...] [...] thinges: and much they [...] the vn­acquainted with them. peruert the mea­ning of the tearmes: The Image and likenes of Adam. Thus Abrabbaneel expoundeth it. pag. 39. Because Adam was excellent in his likenesse and Image intellectiue, God like; Seth came foorth like vnto him in that image and likenesse which God made in him: For he was a wise sonne, & in his wise­dome and vnderstanding, hee was like his Father; which was wiser then all men, being the frame of the handes of God. And hereupon it is sayd; And hee beg [...]t according to his owne likenesse, according to his owne image: That is, hee begot a Sonne which should issue in the likenesse and wi [...]te of Adam: the wit [...]e, and of knowledge; and therefore his name was called Seth, by a tearme of stablishment and set­ling: [Page 6] because he saw by his Wisedome, that his seede should be setled in the world. And therefore it was not spoken so of Kain or Habel, because they were not after the likenesse of Adam, and should not haue continuance in the World, but their end should faile. This doctrine is badde. Euery man is borne the Foale of a wild Asse, and conceaued in sinne, and dead in sinne, and a child of wrath naturally. Kain, Habel, and Seth, were all three borne after the image of the earthly: Kain continued therein; Habel and Seth were borne againe. The menti­on of naturall corruption, or Adams image and likenesse in Kain or Habel, had not touched vs so much as in our owne Father: So the name of Seth is frowardly applyed by him to Adam like­nesse; for all Adams, is all Habel: His continu­ance and setled state was by Gods fauour, not by his witte or wisedome. His other Families proo­ued that.

7 Against the Iewes Yet in all o­ther of Seth, they held the nature of all men, corrupt. But that point was very need­full to be clea­red to the full. common errour, our Lord teacheth Nicode [...]s, that the Sonnes of Seth, and all of Adam, must be borne from a­bone, or they enter not into the kingdome of Heauen: and so much [...] [...]oses meant, to tell of Adams corrupt image in Seths birth; not of that which he first had, and lost.

8 Enosh is next Seth, his Sonne, much to be considered. The letters of his name in the appel­latiue, signifie Sorrowfull, Grieuous, and the like; and that very often in Scripture. Moses giueth closely a reason of Seths counsell at the [Page 7] naming of him so, Tremellius, Tum caeptum est profana [...]i in inuocando no­mine Jehouae. saying: Azhuchal, Then sprang Corruption, touching the calling vpon the name of God.

9 Men not acquainted very much with Scripture, would maruell why any would cite the Text so, seeing it is commonly translated thus; Gen. 4. 26. Then men began to call vpon the name of the Lord. So Moses may be translated; AZ huchal, Then was a Beginning. The Greeke dra­weth neare vnto that. The Latine translation called S. Ieromes, followeth that, and many o­thers.

10 This poynt cannot be well weighed, A digression for a matter of some dif­ficultie. with­out iudgement of a rule generall through Moses and the Prophets, and the later Iewes their trans­laters from Adams tongue into Greeke, how all these hide their minde, when matters come to be spoken of, which to prophane men would seeme strange. Life eternall plainly meant, but neuer na­med in Moses: and why? Moses neuer nameth life eternall in the plaine and vsuall phrase, but by strong consequentes; as how the Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaak, & Iacob; and not of the dead, but of the liuing: whereby they must be holden to liue. So Life in his Law, signifieth often Life e­ternall: and Death, Death eternall. So by this place, Deut. 32. 39. I kill, and I make aliue; Aben Ezra noteth, that Death, and life after it, is close­ly taught. And this reason is rendred of many Rabbines, why Moses neuer nameth Life eter­nall, though all his doctrine tendeth thyther; euen because the world then all prophane, which [Page 8] skant heard of one God, and hardly beleeued the Creation, was to be allured by open and plaine thinges, first vnto the worship of the one God: and that being done for Earthly blessinges, they might afterwardes be drawen easily vnto the Eternall: Vnto which, if directly they were cal­led, the strangenesse would make them reiect all. So, Moses hideth his minde in the Paradox of Adams present fall, with manifold turnings of the Narration: and likewise of the ages of Iapheth and Sem, Gen. 11. Haran and Abraham: and with doubt­full tearmes for the Peregrination of the Chil­dren of Israel, as though they had been 430. yeares in Egypt: But he had relation to Abrahams Peregrination and Promise of Christ: Galat. 3. 17. which the estranged could not conceiue. From disputing whereof, he minded to bridle men vnskilfull, by doubtfull speaches; yet giueth rules thyther, to vnderstand him As in Exod. 6. 18. shewing that his grand­father, who was of their number who came into Egypt, ivued 133. yeares, his sonne Am­ram 137. Mo­ses 80 there: all 350. rightly. So heere, the tearme Huchal may be taken for a Beginnig, or for Cor­ruption: But the matter telleth, that God was called vpon long before that, in the first Sab­bath; and therefore, Beginning could not be then: wherefore, Corruption must be meant there, by Huchal. So Dauid Kymchi the King of Grammarians, doth take it in his Rootes, for Corruption. So in Breshith Rabba, the fallinges away from God, are reckoned in the dayes of Enosh, of the Deluge, and of Babel. The Zoar, and others, the most of Iudahs name, hold the same: Arias Montanus hath both. The Greek-He­brewes [Page 9] knowing why Moses hid his minde, they turned it fit for Heathen, Then men hoped to call vpon Gods name. All who incline that way, haue great defence by Grammer, and much authority; some of Hebrewes, more of others. But the mat­ter will require Corruption; not a Beginning of Religion, to be meant there: As in the speach continuing the Narration (after the Catalogue of the Fathers) it is manifest; how the Sonnes of God, saw the Daughters of Adams Sonnes, and so chose Wiues of a strange God: Otherwise, Moses telleth not when apostacie from Religi­on should fall.

11 If at Enosh birth, men began to call vpon God; Seth vpon that occasion, would not euer haue named his sonne Sorrowfull Enosh; nor Moses haue ioyned presently thereupon (after na­ming the Fathers) the falling away. The Pro­phets likewise name Life. My digression would be too long, if I tooke examples of the like con­cealing the minde, from the Prophets, and from the Greeke translaters. I will now proceed vnto the next.

12 Kenan is hee: Konen, To Lament, might be the roote, for his name. Twise speaking of one thing is vsuall, for vehemencie; as in Dan. 5. Mene, Mene: So these two names, Sorrow, and Lamentation, teach, that they lamented the sor­rowes of their Workes, and of the Earth, which God hath cursed.

13 Ma-hahal-El, a prayser of God; teach­eth [Page 10] what comfort ought to be in sorrow; the seeking of Gods prayse, and glory for the world to come. An other Notation, Mahal-Le-El, God bringeth a Confusion (by water,) is well agreeable to the Argument. So, thy Wine, is Mahul, Confused (with water.) That is fittest for the continuall threatning of the Flood; to shew the curse vpon the Flood. So that this name comprehendeth the drift of all the Scrip­ture.

14 Iared, is in the playnnesse (casting away no letter) Descending: as betokening a downe­fall in the behauiour of men, without hope of goodnesse to any bettering. Such as deriue this name from Radah, to Rule, go twise further then they neede: The Argument calleth for no such matter; and, that Etymologie should first be ad­mitted, which hath best agreement in the Letters, when nothing for the matter disagreeth; and not any farre off sought out, when one at home is fit onely.

15 Enoch signifieth, Dedicated, Appoynted vnto. If Kain had called him so, the name had been of no praise; but as in one appoynted for the wicked world; now it is the best as in one Con­secrated vnto God. Hee is in number, the seuenth (as any may reckon) from Adam: and also, as the Holy ghost noteth, for an higher purpose. The prouidence of God may be sweetly consi­dered, in continuall calling of vs to consider the Sabbath, by his disposing of great matter graci­ous [Page 11] most often by seauens. So Moses was from Abraham, the seuenth. The time of his life is wonderfull, matching in yeares the dayes of the Sunnes yere. 365. A matter most pleasaut to teach, what recompence commeth by walking with God. If his assumption had not been recorded; yet the number of his yeares would haue caused cele­stiall admiration, what kind of man he should be. Hee walking with God, was doublesse a most zealous Preacher of righteousnesse, and told of the Flood to come. S. Iude eloquently frameth an Oration for him, by the matter, as Oratours may lawfully doe: thus it standeth, Iude 14. Be­hold, the Lord commeth with his holy thousandes, to execute iudgement against all men, and to reproue all the wicked of them, for all their workes which they haue committed; and for all their hard words which wicked sinners spake against him. This is a most sweete Oration, framed from Moses, for this our holy Father. In the Flood God shewed iudge­ment: and as on Sinai hee came with thousandes of his Holy-ones; so doubtlesse at the Deluge, against men that cast oft, and scorned trueth of Religion, and holy Patriarchs admonitions, and liued wallowing in all badnesse. Also, the tearme Behold, may haue a close glaunce at the nota­tion of Methuselah: Then first, Enoch walked with God, as a Prophet and holy Teacher.

16 Meth, He dying, V, then; Shelah, He (God) sendeth: what? the matter spoken of, iudgement vpon the wicked. The Scripture is [Page 12] full of close glaunses: And well might Enoch name his Sonne so, as Iared gaue him a name fit­ted to his euent. While Methuselah liued, the Flood came not; few dayes after his death it came, when he had skant begun his last yeare of 969. For memory of the phrase, the Iewes say, that he lay vpon the Arke: For, being iust, he pe­rished not; onely eight were in the Arke; and he could not haue his full yeares 187. to Lameches birth, & 182. thence to Noahs, & his 600. com­pleat, but as vpon the Arke. This is the meaning of their fable, the shewing how his age reached into the Flood. And I thinke that the mockers which S. Peter speaketh of, skoffed the prophecie conteined vnder his name, when they said, Where is the appearance of his comming? For since the Fa­thers dyed, the world continueth in the same state. Now the Fathers all, and his Sonne, dyed before the Flood: and for the sadnesse of that, hee gaue to his Sonne the name Lamech.

17 La-Mech, of Mach, Striking. Tubalcayns father, that would kill a man in his wounde, had the same name, as a Striker: but this man was stroken with all calamities: Hee saw Adam tur­ned to dust, Seth set in his rest, Enosh taken with sorrowes of death, Kenan lamented by mourners in the streete, Mahalaleel depart thyther where Angels prayse God, Iared descend to the low partes of the earth, Enoch taken vp; and knew that he should die before his Father, when he na­med Noah, the Comforter. Whereas seeing his [Page 13] Father liued vnto the Flood, without propheti­call knowledge, that he should die before his Fa­ther, hee, not Noah, should haue been thought the Comforter. And the saddest Oration that could proceed from a broken heart, is that which hee maketh at Noahs birth, saying: This is hee that shall comfort vs, concerning our workes, and concerning the sorrowes of our handes, and con­cerning the earth which GOD hath cursed. So Lamech giueth sadnesse; as his Sonne, a remedie to sorrow.

18 Noah, the tenth, hath his name arguing that Lamech spake Hebrew; as Moses in the Notation, Noah and Naham. Great matters are to be considered in him: Hee was long a single man. When hee was 480. the spirit of Christ, not recorded euer since the first day of man, to haue spoken to any (sauing to the cursed Kain,) neuer to any for effectuall Saluation, speaketh to Noah. Therefore S. Peter talking of Christ his Diuinitie, had not an auncienter open record since the speach to Adam, to talke of, for Christ his open full speach speaking vnto men, though the other nine were illuminated with prophe­ticall knowledge. Noah is 500. before he was a Father, or maried; as we may gather: That ar­gueth his great feare of Gods iudgementes; farre vnlike his sonnes now adayes, giuen as Horses, to all voluptuousnesse, and not ca­ring for their owne most certaine destruction. Twentie yeares before hee was maried, hee [Page 14] had a warrant, that his house should not perish. His breathren and sisters yet would not take that warning, for all that Lamech and Methuselah both could doe, beholders of the Arke, and witnesses doubtlesse of the wtath no come. Lamech lyued not out the whole to 120. yeares, as Methuselah; but dying before his Father, gaue a further war­ning, that he spake as a Prophet, touching the Flood. The three witnesses, were a full condem­nation of the wicked world. The further Stories of Noah, may better be fetched from the foun­taine of Genesis, then abridged by any mans wit. This much I thought good to speake seuerally of these ten Fathers: some thinges common to them all, may well heere be ioyned; as their Re­ligion, & long life: and neare the same, commeth the comparision of their ages togeather.

Their Religion was perfect and sinceere. They knew the Creator to be Gen. ver. 1, 3. one GOD; and that the Sonne should bruse Satans power; and that the Spirit was a person coequall and coeter­nall. All that Moses recordeth for vs, touching those times, wee may know that they knew, by the speaches vttered in Iob before the Law: Eliphaz, Zohar, Bildad, and Elthu, spake no o­therwise then the Fathers: For they had not the Law to reach them, but were taught from the fathers, as they had bin. For they spake sound­ly of all Religion; whereby wee may be sure, that the first, came not short of them, in know­ledge. Adam knew the natures of all thinges, the creation of the visible thinges, and the vnui­sible; the fall of Angels, and their eternall con­demnation: [Page 15] the corruption of mankind, being the seed of the Serpent, and a generation of Vi­pers. And as Moses telleth, that Elohim sayd; Let Vs make man: So hee knew that, and why Elohim was a forme plurall, for GOD. It were grosse to thinke that the Cabalistes (which ex­pound Elo him, El-hem, They be one God, in Bachai vpon Gen. 1.) should know more then Adam, for names. And the Hebrews vpon Mid­dras Tillim, bring in God talking with Adam as he gaue names, & asking; What is my name? To whom Adam sayd: Thou art Elohim, and Iehouah. Whether God by expressed word na­med himselfe Iehouah and Elohim, or gaue Adam wisedome so to doe; we see that the names were knowen from the beginning: For the Serpent nameth Elohim to Euah, and turneth presently the forme plurall vnto Gods prophanely, saying: Yee shalbe like vnto Gods, that know good and euill. Which pluralitie, Adam and Euah referred to the holy Trinitie. There the Greekes in the Serpents word Elohim, the second time translate very learnedly, Gods. And so doe the Talmudistes hold it meant, in Masseceth Sopherim, Perk. 4. And we may be sure, that Adam and Euah were not ignorant of Satans thoughts, when by expe­rience they found him out. Now when Euah bare a Sonne, she spake voyde of all doubt, to the Vnitie, I haue possessed a Sonne by Iehouah, by the one Eternall: yet we may be sure that she remem­bred the speach of the Trinitie, Adam wilbe like [Page 16] to one of VS now. The late Iews haue Satans darknesse, which will haue that tearme VS, to be spoken of Angels. The Angels were not yet spoken of in all Moses style, and therefore they could not be meant by any of his tearmes; but as Elohim was vsed for the Creator onely, so com­mon natiue logique would stretch it no further there: and VS the plurall, to be as Boreica, Thy Creators in Eccle. 12. 1. a misticall speach, mar­ked and cited euen of Rabbi Bochai the Iew: a witnesse strong against his owne side.

Moreouer, as Moses knew a difference in sig­nification betwixt Elohim the tearme of Might, and Iehouah named of Beeing simply by him selfe, and giuing a Beeing to all his workes and wordes; and therefore neuer vseth the tearme Ie­houah, before the Creation had his full beeing, Gen. 2. 4: So wet may be sure, that Adam and Euah knew the difference betwixt Iehouah and Elohim. The Serpent nameth not Iehouah, but onely Elohim, as a name of bare Might, and the forme whereof her might peruert to Gods: Hee trembled to consider the eternall trueth, con­stant to giue performance of Mercie and Wrath, noted by the tearme Iehouah Now, whereas in Sems time, EL was Gods name; it is all one as Elohim, Mightie: onely a forme singular.

And this seemeth to be the reason, that Satan had corrupted the world to vnderstand Gods by the tearme Elohim; as in Nachors religion, Elohim is Gods in Labans wordes: Therefore [Page 17] Sem might vse EL, Almightie, in the frame sin­gular.

Abraham first nameth God Adonai; that is, My Pillers; with a misticall note of the trinitie. Adam, who knew not vpon what Pillers the Earth could be fastened in the middest of the li­quid Ayre and Water, but by Gods power, knew him to be Adonai, though occasion was not of­fered to vse the word, vntill God and his proui­dence became vnknowen, and denied almost of all the world.

IAH, an abridgement of Iehouah, vsed first in tearme by Moses, Exod. 15. substaunce could not be vnknowen to Adam, though in later times more names to expresse Gods nature were seene needfull by the eternall Spirit. The Vnitie and Trinitie being thus knowen to Adam, hee would deliuer it ouer equally to his Sonnes, to Methusela and Lamech.

Now for the Redemption: Hee confessed that hee was naked, and was afraide; hid himselfe, as needing one to bring him into fauour: and knew that hee who should ouercome Satan, being in mans nature, was to die, as all of Adam: and must recouer himselfe from death, and must reuiue Adam, and must restore all, fallen once to cor­ruption: and know that none but God, could doe this much: And this hee beleeued, and therevp­on named the Woman Life. And for the most vnlikely part, of death, hee had Sacrifice to seale [Page 18] assurance of that; and requiring an open profes­sion of that euery Sabbath, that day being ordey­ned for that vse: Whereby wee must needes know, that when that was performed, which in that day was represented, the day must be altered. And as the Skinnes of the Beastes couered his body; so the Carkases burnt, represented whose Death should couer his Soule with Iustice, tak­ing away the giltinesse of sinne. Moses was to speake short or these matters, that the prophane should not trouble them selues with that, which they would neuer beleeue. Doubtlesse Adam knew that the most Holy should annoynt the Humanitie, with the dwelling of the Godhead in it, and sanctifie himselfe for Adam and his faythfull Sonnes; and must be called by the name fittest Messiah: And hee that knew the whose course of Nature, could not but know, that the liquor of Spices was the fittest to represent De­uine thinges by an Oyntment made of it. And seeing it was most needfull that hee should be a great Prophet, wee may say well with the Iewes; that hee saw the lot of his Sonnes through all ages: And God would hide nothing good for the Vineyard; nor would doe any thing, but hee would reueale it to his Prophets. And although hee liued not to see Henoch taken vp, hee might well know it; and Iared might vse his counsell in giuing Heno [...]h the name Consecrated, or, Dedicated to God. And as Noah in his three Sonnes names conteined their Storie for Religi­on, [Page 19] in Deuine Sem: in Iapheth, that the new Te­stament should be written in Greeke, as the Iewes well gather in Thal. Ierusalemi, in Megilah, by the alusion Iapheth, and Iapheth will perswade: So, Hotte Countries dwelling, by Chams house, by his name Hotte. And as Noah saw their whole state; so no doubt Adam did as well as hee: and they all beheld the dayes of Christ, and knew that hee should redeeme them on Mount Sion. And Rambam recordeth that, which no reason can denie, how the Iewes euer held by tradition, that Adam, Habel, and Kain, offered where Abraham offered Isaac, where both Temples were built: on which Mountaine our Lord taught, and on that also he died.

All that, Moses figured at large: and that the new Testament openeth in substaunee they knew. And seeing they be our Fathers, and Mir­rours of Wisedome in their names, fayth, feare of God, and yeares; wee should in our meditati­on bring backe the Ghospell vnto them, as they foresaw it, and forbade to say, Who can goe vp to Heauen to bring Christ downe? or who can goe into the deepe of the Earth, to bring Christ from the dead? But they knew (as I touched both, in the Incarnation) that the Sauiour in He­brew Ioshuang, in Greeke Iesus, was God dwelling in Christ: and iust Habel shewed his death, and Henoch his ascension. And in these few poyntes, Deuinitie standeth; in the Trinitie, and Redemp­tion: that all iust went hence vp to ioy at Gods [Page 20] Throne. All this the Heathen heard of, and the Scribes held it sure: But, that God was to dwell in Christ; and that hee should by death ouer-him that had the power of death, they despised to hold that in knowledge, bending their mindes to earthly benefites.

These meditations I hold profitable for all, who by studie will of them selues multiply them: and a Child knowing these Stories, shall passe Aristotle in sound Wisedome, to feare God, till the Body returne to the earth, and the Soule to God that gaue it: To whom with the Sonne, and Holy spirit, be all prayse, honour, & glory, both now and henceforth for euermore. Amen.

For conference of ages, Conclusion. I thought good to place heere, the Table printed in the Concent: where euery Patriarches yeares be set vnder­neath him, at what age he is a father, or dieth; and with how many others he liued, and how long.

Meditations herein, will bring great know­ledge, comfort, and delight.

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