an holye man Zapâ—nath paenea wordes of Egipte are they as I suppose and as moch to saye as a man to whom secrete thinges be opened or an expounder of secrete thinges as some enterprete it That Joseph brought the egiptians in to soch subiection wold seme vnto some a very cruell deade how be it it was a very equall waye For they payde but the fifte parte of that that grewe on the grounde And therwith were they qâ—ytt of all duetyes both of rent custome tribute â—oll And the kinge therwith founde them lordes and all ministres and defended them We now paye half so moch vnto the prestes only besyde their other craft ye exactions Then paye we rent yerely though there grow never so litle on the grounde And yet when the kinge calleth paye we neuer the lesse So that if we loke indifferently their condition was easyar theÌ„ oures and but even a very indiffereÌ„t waye both for the comen people and the kynge also Se therfore that thou loke not on the ensamples of the scripture with wordly eyes lest thou preferre Cain before Abel Ismael before Isaae Esau before Jacob Ruben before Juda Sarah before Pharez Manasses before Ephraim And euen the worst before the best as the maner of the worlde is ¶ Emprented at Malborow in the lande of Hesse by me Hans Luft the yere of oure Lorde M CCCCC xxx the .xvij. dayes of Janu arij A PROLOGE IN TO THE SECONde boke of Moses called Exodus OF the preface vppoÌ„ Genesis mayst thou vnderstonde how to behaue thi silf in this boke also aÌ„d iÌ„ all other bokes of the scripture Cleaue vnto the texte and playne storye and endevoure thi silf to serch out the meaninge of all that is described therin and the true sense of all maner of speakynges of the scripture of proverbes similitudes aÌ„d borowed speach wherof I entreated in the ende of the obedience and beware of sotle allegoryes And note euery thinge ernestly as thinges partayninge vnto thyne awne herte and soule For as god vsed hym sylf vnto them of the old testament even so shall he vnto the worldes ende vse him silf vnto vs which haue receaved his holye scripture aÌ„d the testimonye of his sonne Iesus As god doeth all thinges here for them that beleve his promises and herken vnto his commaundmentes and with pacience cleaue vnto him and walke with him euen so shall he do for vs yf we receaue the witnesse of Christ with a stronge faith and endure paciently folowinge his steppes And on the othersyde as they that fell from the promises of god thorow vnbeleffe and from his lawe and ordinaunces thorow impaciencie of their awne lustes were for saken of god aÌ„d so peryshed even so shall we as many as do lykewyse and as manye as mock with the doctine of christ and make a cloke of it to lyue fleshlye aÌ„d to folowoure lustes Note therto how god is founde true at the last and how when all is past remedye aÌ„d brought into desperacion he then fulfilleth his promises and that by an abiecte and a castawaye a despised and a refused person ye and by awaye impossible to beleue The cause of all captiuite of goddes people is this The worlde ever hateth them for their fayth and trust which they haue in god but iÌ„ vayne vntill they falle froÌ„ the fayth of the promyses aÌ„d love of the lawe aÌ„d ordinaunces of god and put their trust in holy deades of their awne findinge and live all to gether at their awne lust and pleasure without regard of god or respecte of their neygboure Then god forsaketh vs and sendeth vs in to captiuite for oure dishonouringe of his name and despisinge of oure neghboure But the world persecuteth vs for oure faith in christ only as the pope now doeth aÌ„d not for oure weked livinge For in his kiÌ„gdome thou maist quietly aÌ„d with liceÌ„ce aÌ„d vnder a protectioÌ„ doo whath so euer abhominatioÌ„ thi herte lusteth but god persecuteth us because we abuse his holye testameÌ„t aÌ„d because that wheÌ„ we knowe the truth we folowe it not Note also the mightye hand of the Lorde how he playeth with his aduersaries aÌ„d provoketh theÌ„ aÌ„d sturreth theÌ„ vpp a litle aÌ„d a litle aÌ„d deliuereth not his people in an houre that both the pacieÌ„ce of his electe aÌ„d also the worldly witte aÌ„d wilye policye of the weked wherwith they fight agaynst god might appeare Marke the longesoferinge and softe pacieÌ„ce of Moses and how he loveth the people aÌ„d is euer betwene the wrath of god aÌ„d theÌ„ aÌ„d is readye to lyue aÌ„d dye with theÌ„ aÌ„d to be put out of the boke that god had writen for their sakes as Paule for his brothren Roma .ix. and how he taketh his awne wroÌ„ges pacientlie aÌ„d never avengeth him silf And make not Moses a figure of Christ with Rochestre but an ensample vnto all princes aÌ„d to all that are in authorite how to rule vnto goddes pleasure aÌ„d vnto their neyghbours profette For there is not a perfecter lyffe in this world both to the honoure of god and profytte of his neygboure nor yet a greatter crosse theÌ„ to rule christenlye And of Aaren also se that thou make no figure of christ vntill he come vnto his sacrifisinge but an ensample vnto all preachers of goddes worde that they adde nothinge vnto goddes worde or take ought therfro Note also how god sendeth his promisse to the people aÌ„d Moses consermeth it with miracles aÌ„d the people beleve But wheÌ„ teÌ„ptacion cometh they falle into vnbeleffe aÌ„d few byde stoÌ„dinge Where thou seest that all be not christeÌ„ that wil be so called aÌ„d that the crosse trieth the true froÌ„ the fayned for yf the crosse were not Christ shuld haue dissiples ynowe Wherof also thou seest what an excellent gifte off god true fayth is aÌ„d impossible to be had with out the sprete of god For it is aboue all naturall power that a man in tyme of teÌ„ptation when god scorgeth him shuld beleue then stedfastlye how that god loveth him aÌ„d careth for hiÌ„ aÌ„d hath prepared all good thinges for him aÌ„d that that scorginge is as ernest that god hath electe and chose him Note how oft Moses sturreth theÌ„ vpp to beleve aÌ„d to trust in god puttinge theÌ„ in remembraunce alwaye in tyme of temptation of the miracles and wonders which god had wrought before tyme in their eysight How diligently also forbiddeth he al that might with drawe their hartes from god to put nought to goddes word to take nought therfro to do only that which is right in the syght of the Lorde that they shuld make no maner image to knele doune before it ye that they shuld make none altar of hewed stone for feare off images to slee the hethen Idolatres vtterly aÌ„d to destroye their Idolles aÌ„d cutte doune their groves where they worshupped And that they shulde not take the doughters of them vnto their sonnes nor geue their doughters to
wyle adveÌ„ture without any certayne rule therfore though I haue spoken off them in another place yet lest the boke come not to all mennes handes that shall reade this I will speake off them here also a worde or twayne We had nede to take hede euery where that we be not begyled with false allegories whether they be drawne out of the new testament or the olde ether out of any other storye or off the creatures of the worlde but namely in this boke Here a man had nede to put on all his spectacles and to arme him selfe agenst invisible spretes First allegories proue nothinge and by allegories vnderstonde examples or similitudes borowed of straunge matters and of another thinge than that thou entreatest oft As though circumcysyon be a figure of baptim yet thou canst not proue baptim by circumcysion For this argumeÌ„t were verye feble the Israelites were circuÌ„cysed therfore we must be baptised And in like maner though the offering of Isaac were a figure or ensample oft the resurrection yet is this argument nought Abraham wold haue offered Isaac but God delyuered him from deth therfore we shall ryse agayne and so forth in all other But the very vse of allegories is to declare and open a texte that it maye be the better perceaved and vnderstonde As when I haue a cleare texte of Christ and of the apostles that I must be baptysed then I maye borowe an ensample of circumcysion to expresse the nature power and frute or effecte of baptim For as circumcysion was vnto them a comon bagge sygnifienge that they were all sodiars off God to warre his warre and separatinge them from all other nacyons disobedient vnto God euen so baptim is oure comen bagge and sure ernest and perpetuall memoriall that we pertayne vnto Christ and are separated from all that are not christes And as circumcision was a token certifyenge them that they were receaved vnto the fauoure off God and theyr sinner forgeven them even so baptim certefyeth vs that we are wasshed in the bloude of christ aÌ„d receaued to fauoure for his sake and as circumcysion signifyed vnto theÌ„ the cuttynge away of theyr awne lustes and sleynge of their fre will as they call it to folowe the will of god even so baptim signyfgeth vnto vs repentaunce and the mortefyinge of oure vnruly meÌ„bres and body of synne to walke in a new lyffe and so forth And likewyse though that the savinge of Noe and of them that were with him in the shyppe thorow water is a figure that is to saye an ensample and likenesse of baptim as Peter maketh it 1. Petri 3. yet I can not proue baptim therwith saue describe it only for as the sheyppe saved theÌ„ in the water thorow faith in that they beleved god and as the other that wold not beleve Noe peryshed even so baptim saveth vs thorow the worde of faith which it preacheth when all the world of the vnbelevinge perysh And Paule 1. Corin. 10. maketh the see aÌ„d the cloude a figure of baptim by which and a thousand mo I might declare it but not proue it Paule also in the sayde place maketh the rocke out of which Moses brought water vnto the childerne of Israel a figure or ensample of christ not to proue christ for that were impossible but to describe christ only even as christ hisilf IohaÌ„nis 3. boroweth a similitude or figure of the brasen serpent to lead Nichodemus froÌ„ his erthy imaginacyon in to the spirituall vnderstondinge of christ sayenge As Moses lyftedvpp a serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lifted vpp that none that beleue in him perysh but haue everlastinge liffe by which similitude the vertue of christes deth is better described then thou coudest declare it with a thousande wordes for as those murmurars agenst god as sone as they repented were healed of their deadly woundes thorow lokynge on the brasen serpent only without medicyne or any other helpe yee aÌ„d without any other reason but that god hath sayed it shuld be so and not to murmoure agayne but to leue their murmuringe even so all that repent aÌ„d beleue in christ are saved from euerlastinge deth of pure grace without and before their good workes and not to synne agayne but to fight agaynst synne aÌ„d henceforth to synne no moare Even so with the ceremonyes of this boke thou canst prove nothinge saue describe and declare only the puttyng awaye of oure synnes thorow the deth of christ for christ is Aaron and Aarons sonnes and all that offer the sacrifyce to purge synne And christ is all maneâ— offering that is offered he is the oxe the shepe the gote the kyd and lambe he is the oxe that is burnt without the host and the scape gote that caryed all the synne of the people awaye in to the wildernesse for as they purged the people froÌ„ their wordly vnclennesses thorow bloud of the sacrifices even so doth christ purge vs from the vnclennesses of everlastinge deth with his awne bloude and as their wordly synnes coude no otherwyse be purged then by bloude of sacrifyce even so can oure synnes be no otherwyse forgeven then thorow the bloude of christ All the deades in the world saue the bloude of christ can purchase no forgevenesse of synnes for oure deades do but helpe oure neyghboure and mortefye the flesh aÌ„d helpe that we synne no moare but and if we haue synned it must be frely forgeven thorow the bloude of christ or remayne ever And in lyke maner of the lepers thou canst prove nothinge thou canst never coniure ouâ— confessioÌ„ thense how be it thou hast an handsome example there to open the bindinge and lowsinge of oure preastes with the kaye of goddes word â–ª for as they made no man a lepre even so oures haue no power to commaunde any man to be in synne or to go to purgatory or hell And therefore in as moch as bindinge and lowsinge is one power As those preastes healed no man even so oures can not of their inviseble and domme power dryve any mannes synnes awaye or delyver hym from hell or fayned purgatorye how be it if they preached gods word purely which is the authorite that christ gaue them then they shuld binde aÌ„d lowse kylle and make alyve agayne make vncle â—ne and cleane agayne and send to hell aÌ„d fett thence agayne so mighty is gods word for if they preached the lawe of god they shuld bind the consciences of synners with the bondes of the paynes of hell and bringe them vnto repeÌ„taunce And then if they preached them the mercye that is in christ they shuld lowse them and quiet their raginge consciences and certefie them of the fauoure of god and that their synnes be forgeven Fynallye beware of allegoryes for there is not a moare handsome or apte a thinge to be gile withall then an allegorye nor a more sotle and pestilent thinge in the world to persuade a false
yâ— timothy had not happlye forsworne wyne I thinke the same and that the apostles forsware not wedlocke though many of them lyued chast nother yet any meate or drincke though they absteyned from theÌ„ that it were good for vs to folow their ensample How be it though I vowe swere aÌ„d thynke on none exceptyon yet is the breakynge of gods coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„tes except all chaunces that haÌ„ge of god As if I swere to to be in a certayne place at a certayne houre to make a louedaye with out exception yet if the kinge in the meane tyme commaunde me a nother waye I must goo by gods commauÌ„dment aÌ„d yet breake not myne othe And in like case if my father and mother be seke and requyre my presence or if my wiff children or houshold be visited that my assistence be requyred or if my neyghbours house be a fyre at the same houre and a thousand soch chaunces in which all I breake myne oth and am not forsworne and so forth Read gods word diligently and with a good herte and it shall teach the all thynges The fourthe boke of Moses called Numeri ¶ The .iiij. boke of Moses called Numeri ANd the Lorde spake vnto Moses in the wildernesse of Sinai in the tabernacle of witnesse the fyrst daye of the seconde moneth aÌ„d in the seconde yere after they were come out of yâ— lott de of Egipte sayenge take ye the summe of al the multitude of the childern of Israel in the it kynredes and housholdes of their fathers and numbre theÌ„ by name all that are males polle by polle froÌ„ .xx. yere aboue euen all that are able to goo forthe in to warre in Israell thou AaroÌ„ shall nuÌ„bretheÌ„ in their armieâ— with you shal be of euery try be a heed man in the house of his father And these are the names of yâ— meÌ„ that shall sâ—oÌ„ de with youâ—in RubeÌ„ Elizur the sonne of Sedeur In SimeoÌ„ Selumiel the sonne of Suâ—â— Sadar In yâ— try be of Iuda Nahesson the sonne of Aminadab In Isachar Nathaneel the sonne of Zuar In SebuloÌ„ uliab yâ— sonne of HeloÌ„ AmoÌ„ge yâ— childern of Ioseph In EphraiÌ„ Elisam a yâ— sonne of Amihud In Manasse Gamaliel yâ— soÌ„ne of Peda zur In Bâ— Iamin Abidan the sonne of Gedeom In Dan Ahieser the sonne of Amnn Sadai In Asser Pagiel the sonne of Ochran In Gad Eliasaph the soÌ„ne of Deguel In Naphtaly Ahira the sonne of Enan These were councelers of the congregacion and lordes in the trybes of their fathers captaynes ouer thousandes in Israel And Moses and Aaron roke these men aboue named and gathered all the congregacion together the fyrst daye of the seconde moneth and rekened them after their byrth kinredes and houses of their fathers by name froÌ„ .xx. yere aboue hed by hed as the Lorde coÌ„maunded Moses eueÌ„ so he numbred them in the wildernesse of Sinai And the childern of Ruben Israels eldest sonne in their generacions kynredes aÌ„d houses of their fathers wheÌ„ they were numbred eueryman by name all that were males froÌ„ xx yere and aboue as many as were able to goo forth in warre were numbred in the trybe off Ruben xlvi thousande and fyne hundred Among the childern of Simeon their generacion in their kynredes and housses of their fathers when euery mans name was tolde of all the males from .xx. yeres and aboue whatsoeuer was mete for the warre were numbred in the trybe of Simeon .lix. thousande and .iij. hundred Amonge the childern of Sad their generacion in their kynredes and housholdes of their fathers when thei were tolde by name froÌ„ xx yere and aboue all that were mete for the warre were numbred in the tribe of Sad. xlâ— thousande sixe hundred and fyftie Amonge the childern of Iuda their generacion in their kinredes and housses of their fathers by the numbre of names from .xx. yere and aboue all that were able to warre were tolde in the trybe of Iuda .lxxiiij. thousande and sixe hundred Amonge the childern of Isachar their generacion in their kinredes and houses of their fathere when their names were counted from .xx. yere aÌ„d aboue whatsoeuer was apte for warre were numbred in the trybe of Isachar .liiij. thousande and .iiij. hundred Among the children of Sebulon their generacion in their kynredes and houses of their fathers after the numbre of names from xx yere and aboue whosoeuer was mete for the warre were counted in the trybe of SebuloÌ„ ivij. thousande and .iiij. hundred Amonge the childern of Joseph fyrst amoÌ„ge the childern of Ephraim their generacion in their kynredes and housses of they re fathers when the names of all that were apte to the warre were tolde from .xx. yeres and aboue were in numbre in the trybe off Ephraim xl thousande and syxe hundred Amonge the childern of Manasse their generacion in their kynredes and houses of their fathers when the names of all that were apte to warre were tolde from .xx. and aboue were numbred in the tribe of Manasse xxxij thousand and two hundred Amonge the childern of Ben Jamin their generacion in their kynredes and housses of their fathers by the rale of names from twentye yere and aboue of all that were mete for warre were numbred in the trybe off Ben Jamin .xxxv. thousande and .iiij. hundred Amonge the childern of Dan their generacion in theyr kynreddes and housses off theyr faâ—hers in the summe of names off all that was apte to warre from twentye yere and aboue were numbred in the trybe of Dan .lxij. thousande and .vij. hundred Amonge the childern of Aser their generacyon in their kynredes houses of their fathers when thei were summed by name from .xx. yeres aboue all that were apte to warre were numbred in the tribe of Aser .xli. thousande and .v. hundred AmoÌ„ge the childern of Nepthali their generacion in their kynredes housses of their fathers when their names were tolde from xx yeres aÌ„d aboue what soeuer was meteâ—o warre were numbred in the trybe of Nephtali .liij. thousande and .iiij. hundred These are the numbres which Moses aÌ„d AaroÌ„ numbred with the .xij. princes of Israel of euery housse of their fathers a man And all the numbres of the children of Israel in the housses of their fathers from twentye yere and aboue whatsoeuer was mete for the warre in Israell drewe vnto the summe of syxe hundred thousande fyue hundred and .l. But the leuires in the tribe off their fathers were not numbred amonge them And the Lorde spake vnto Moses sayenge only se that thou numbre not the trybe of Leui nether take the summe of them amonge the childern of Israel But thou shalt appoynte the leuites vnto the habitacioÌ„ of witnesse and to all the apparell thereof and vnto all that longeth thereto For they shall bere the tabernacle and all the ordinaunce thereof and they shall ministre it and shall pitche their tentes rounde aboute it And when the tabernacle goeth forth the leuites shall take it