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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17009	A treatise of Melchisedek prouing him to be Sem, the father of all the sonnes of Heber, the fyrst king, and all kinges glory: by the generall consent of his owne sonnes, by the continuall iudgement of ages, and by plentifull argumentes of scripture.	Broughton, Hugh, 1549-1612.	1591 (1591)	STC 3890; ESTC S105849	61,881	91

yf it myght be receiued it woulde shake the certainty of Scripture yet needefull at this day is the confuting of him For I haue heard Learned men more then one obiect earnestly this aucttoritie of Epiphanius litle considering how thereby the authoritie of the scripture copies should perish wholly He they shalbe answered both at once if they wyll start to no further skapes then Ep●phanius him selfe would like off that is yf they ioyne not with Melchisedekians and Hierax in the exposition of the wordes without father without mother I wyll graunt Epiphanius that the tymes make sure the cause and agree with his dealyng that he coulde bring no other reason agaynst it that Sem shoulde be Melchisedek but from the Greeke accompt of tyme. Yet I must needes tell him that he as other natiue Greekes hath hindered y e trueth exceedingly and wrought great annoyance to Religion in vrging the Greeke translation for proprietie where it dallieth for a ground against the grounde for trueth where touching sadde meanyng it is further of then any Heathen woulde or coulde lightly misse The Hebrew text hath Gods aucthoritie and sad propriety it standeth sure styll and of the wysest was alwayes holden true Of it most sensible reasons may be rendred amongst them whose senses by vse are made fit to iudge though it seeme strange at the first Variety hath not been founde in the Hebrew text nor Hebrew commentaries since Ezras time whereas nothing is more vnconstant then the sundry copies of the Greekes and theyr citations in the Greeke Doctors Now in the Hebrew text it appeareth that Sem who lyued sixe hundreth yeeres was but about fiue hundreth and thirtie when Abraham met Melchisedek and therefore Epiphanius hath nothyng for his defence And the more is he to be blamed in that by some copies he found from Sems birth to Abrahams warres but sixe hundreth twentie and nine yeres which varietie might haue hardened him to haue sought for y e original in true plainnes I thinke he might haue found in some Greeke translations or commentaries the letter phi which standeth for fiue hundreth in stead of chi that he citeth and woulde make sixe hundreth yeeres and so the Hebrew aye was But to conclude all Europe where Vniuersities haue had Hebrew and all our Bibles in these west partes that I haue seene Englysh Latine Italian Spanishe French Duch. c. condemne Epiphanius for this poynt as going about to shake the Hebrew text the strongest post of Diuine buylding In the same blame must they be wrapped that vse for their defence the authoritie and testimony of his conclusion And thus much for turnyng agaynst hym that which he chiefly leaned vpon in his outward shew Now that Melchisedek is not a Chanaanite two poynts are handled therein by S. Augustine The one that no Chanaanite coulde be greater then Abraham An other that Abraham coulde not be the father of many nations to reuiue fayth decayed yf a Chanaanite helde it styll of these two neyther wyll suffer other to fall but eyther wilbe sure And for their obiection that make the superioritie to stand in the blessing * that is alwayes doubtles that the rule of blessing is aboue them which are blest But here the worthynes of the person is considered whereby the blessing from his mouth was regarded Yea and Abraham him selfe was a sacrificer and therein coulde not be inferiour to any Cananite for office Moreouer what warrant should Abraham haue to acknowledge a Chananite of a nation cursed his superiour They whose tongues were confounded also lost religion by the wrath of God But the Chananites had seuerall Dialectes therefore they all had lost religion neyther was the name of the One true God knowen to them In deede Eusebius recordeth 1. Praep their religion as somewhat sounding towardes a voyce of good but in trueth bad to them selues For whereas God is called in Sems house ●l Elion the Chananites had seuerall Gods one called El an other called Elion as often hearing somewhat of Melchisedek who was sacrificer to God knowne by the termes El and Elion But they not holding the trueth and being rather scattered from the face of the presence of God went on eche one after their owne goddes wherefore I can not see how agaynst a generall rule one of a cursed Nation and strange language in the lyfe of Sem shoulde excell Abraham and Sem. And thus much for the thirde opinion wherein also I was constrayned beside the naturall methode to answere the obiections agaynst the fourth Now the fourth is that of the Hebrewes which holde it doubtles the learned of them who cast Sem to be yet then alyue that Melchisedek can be no other but Sem. For the better satisfiyng of all I wyll name here some of the chiefe Authours with their testimonies Syracides sayth that Seth and Sem were most glorious amongst men For Set● it is manifest in that all men are Num. 24. called the sonnes of Seth But for Sem I see not how he shoulde be manifest in such glory but in the person of Melchisedek And vnlesse he were a Prophet I see not howe he shoulde excell nor yet how he may be counted a Prophet but in the blessing of Abraham So Seder Olam Rabba Cha. 21. reckoning Sem in the catalog of olde Prophetes vsed Melchisedeks story for a profe Such Hebrewes as I haue that handle that case recorde not onely their owne iudgement but also the iudgement of others agreeing thereunto that Sem was thought to be Melchisedek R. Bochai is peremtorie in that Fol. 23. col 2. line 42. and there in a kinde of Rabbinical descantyng vpon the phrase sheweth how Abraham was named by him heyre of the worlde from the attributes spoken of God in the wordes Blessed be Abraham to El. Elion the Mightie the Hygh possessor of heauen and earth There also he handleth Thamars case that sentence was geuen by Iudah vpon her to be brent because she was so they the Rabbines talke Melchisedeks or Sems daughter and burning was the punishment of the sacrificers daughters in suche faultes Marten Luther in sadnes confuteth that reckonyng howe long before Melchisedek was dead and shewyng that the tyme wyll not agree As I thinke they noorished that tale to teach their babes to weigh Melchisedekes case and no further thought that Sem shoulde be her father in deede For we shoulde not soone imagine them to be senselesse from whose kind of study learning the new Testament bringeth many speches in them yet to be founde commonly and in no other writers though touching their fables we haue a warning Salomoh Iarchi handleth the cause of this blessing whose wordes be these vpon Melchisedek Gen. 14. He in Midras Hagadah is Sem the sonne of Noah and he brought forth bread and wine as vnto men wearie in battell and he shewed the other that his hart was not styrred agaynst him for killing his Children

beginning from their Ierusalem and tentes of Sem. By not marking the Rabbines here we norysh vntruethes in two speciall stories Sems fyrst and Abrahams lykewise by not discirnyng in what kinde of spech Hebrewes make Sem and Abraham eldest where they helde it in trueth for both to be otherwyse Lykewyse Epiphanius not being marked droue some to expositions which him selfe had blamed in Melchisedekians But boubtles he must nedes be holden to hide his minde bringing but one reason that from a false grounde And for reasons agaynst that in him he is strongly resolued that Sem helde the place after geuen to Abrahams seede This dissemblyng in wryters should not seeme strange seeing that euen Poetes in kinges persons set it foorth and Rhetoritians thence gather preceptes for that kinde Homers Agamemnon preparyng a set fielde maketh an oration of going home to try his Souldiers myndes and courage but his reasons are strong agaynst returnyng He vrgeth a goyng home because the warres were long and it was shame to leaue all vnperfect and their shyppe tymber was rotten and their sayles were ragged which poy●●Tres all were contrary to returnyng notwithstanding the multitude tooke holde on his spech quickly and so preparde homewarde that skantly coulde all the wysedome of Nestor perswade them that the King meant otherwyse or the witte of Vlysses stay them from returnyng Hermogenes helde this dealyng to be so common that he thought good to teach from Homer how to do it artistcially But most common was hiding of the minde amongst the Iewes nation touching the Septuagint Eusebius recordeth out of Aristeas that they bound their nation by paine of a cursse that none of them should alter the Greeks Translation Aquilas Symmac●us and Theodotion were hated not onely for their heresies but also for theyR TraINslations though they were not of their nation Wherefore Epiphanius had two thinges to bridle him the one that he might not drawe in the same yoke with Heretiques the other that he myght not run into the cursse for altering the Greke I thinke that the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes was also to regard that wyshed not to offend the nation where no neede required And we see that S. Paule was loth to differ from the common maner in reckonyng of the Iudges tyme after a sort 450. yeeres as Iosephus in effect doth which tyme was nothing neare that in proprietie and yet in a dobble reckoning by Oppressours and Reuengers most exactly so much Also S. Luke reckonyng Iacobes familie to be seuentie and fiue soules accordyng to the Sep●uagint was loth to breake the agreement or custome of their nation So I thinke that Epiphanius to Greekes durst not disclose the secretes of the Elders And thus much for testimonies of Hebrewes Greekes and Latines touching Melchisedek where for Latines I broughe many of Witenberge becaluse that to an abridgement of Codomans Chronicle there set forth an opinion vnlyke theirs is fastened by one which woulde not haue it searched who the person shoulde be and in a seconde edition is agaynst him selfe drawing men not to mislyke that he should be a litle Cananite king That the simple might knowe this opinion not to come from Witenberge I 〈◊〉 authours thence otherwise minded Vnder the testimonies and vpon some discourses many reasons were brought which by the matter without mans countenaunce seeme to stande each one But least by them selues and seuerall they shew not all their strength or beyng scatttred cannot be so well vewed nor make so good a shew To conclude this cause I thinke it good to bring them togyther and to strengthen them yf neede be And fyrst to take away that which most seemeth to hinder the mistaking of the Apostles wordes of being without Father without Mother that I confidently affyrme to be spoken onely by relation to Gen. 14. without any condemning of such as from other places affyrme who in trueth Melchisedek was Now that Moses meant that Sem shoulde be knowen to be that King and the Apostle lykewyse the matter it selfe cryeth out aloude For Moses speaking of Sem blessed front Noah by these wordes Blessed be the God of SEM and of Chanaan cursed vpon Chams badnes and to be his seruaunt also of Iapheth to fetch religion from SEMS house First sheweth how the cursse came in that Babel was buylt rebellious Nemrod of Chams race and the youngest brother erecting a tyranny and setting forwarde a worke for men to make them selues a Shem that is a Name He reckoneth the Languages that came vpon that worke wherewith they that were punished were scattered from the presence of God of which we shoulde not fayne any to holde Religion nor by their owne abilitie to recouer Grace nor without hearyng of the worde to be made faythfull nor to affyrme of special preaching to them without warrant from Scripture Now as for blessed Sem Moses returneth to his strory telleth of his lyne to Abraham reckoneth how long they all lyued omitteth mention of death Gen. 11. far otherwyse then he dealt Gen. 5. casteth Sem to be aliue very long after Abrahams calling and lykewyse for a good whyle Arphaxad and Selah men borne before the confusion of Tongues Heber also that forwarned it longest of all but none borne after Babel as Peleg Regu Sarug Nachor Terah and expressely mentioneth Terahs death that fell to Idolatrie that we should consider him dead before the Promyse as the wrath vpon the Towre-buylding yea and vpon the Fathers borne after vntyll Abraham that none of them lyued to see the Blessing continued Then sheweth how Abraham called to l●aue his Countrey going to Chanaan going to Egypt returnyng to Chanaan recoueryng his Lot partaker of the blessing killing of the king of Elam was after this blessed of Melchisedek representyng CHRIST and saying Blessed be Abraham to El Elion and blessed be the God of Abraham Doth not the golden chayne of the story thus setled and of the phrase alyke continued drawe Sem hither who as he receyued the Blessing from Noah deliuereth it vnto Abraham Shoulde we thinke that in so great a matter Sem shoulde haue a blessing and lyue obscurely all his lyfe and some vpstart of Families cursed shoulde pronounce it vpon Abraham Whyle Libanus beareth Snow and Iordans waters flowe that wyll not stande I trow Such a stately matter falleth not out without a prophecie If Adams fall beyng so speedy yet had with a warnyng a kinde of foretellyng If the Floodde at Noahs byrth was closely foretolde and also the Languages confounded vpon Cham chursed through his families I woulde also thinke that the blessing of Abraham should not be a late tolde thing but depende vpon auncient speches As the Lordes workes are knowen to him of eternitie so it is vsuall in his worde that he sheweth thinges before they aryse and doth nothyng but that he telleth his seruauntes the Prophetes In this kinde I assure my selfe that Moses purposedly continueth the blessing

of Sem to Abraham The matter wyll better appeare by considering other attributes of the man that blesseth Abraham He is a King and iust in such high degree of commendation that those tearmes turne in him to be as a proper name And doth not this honour driue vs to search for some man specially blessed to be this King Also in that Noah called his sonne by a generall tearme in our language Name this falleth out fitte for him who is in story set foorth by a generall name without a proper Moreouer the office of a King is fitte to haue a beginning from such a man as Sem was for a Kingdome is a Diuine policie Religion doth require exact properties of a King and Heathen by naturall lyght speake to the same purpose both by diuinitie humanitie the office is of an heauenly force These properties God requireth to be in a King A king commendable to the faythfull Deut. 17 15. shoulde be of their brethren not seeking the fauour of Chams land not a louer of many horfes nor many wyues nor much golde nor proude harted among his breathren but a keeper of the ●●w to prolong his dayes Of this Sem before the Law was a pattern beyng not of Leuy Heb. 7. but ancestor to Leuy as to all the sonnes of Heber Gen. 10. and the stocke of Israels branches and for kinred in Abraham agaynst his kiured in blam he woulde be glad of a victorie He knew that Cham was cursed and being a Prophet myght foresee through Gods spirite Pharaohs dealyng and woulde hate cursed Cham with his race As touching many Horses that age yet was not much in that kinde neyther is there the name of an Horse spoken of before Iosephs tyme. Gen. 46 17. But for the same in force I meane for the quietnes of the mynde resting in God who then shoulde be so setled as Sem whom so great experience of deliuerances had taught How for the other poynt of Wiues he had but one Gen. 6. and knowyng best how the best byued from the beginnyng would so continue Now for Golde yf he had loued it he myght haue chosen the lande of Chauilah but that he did not chose as the name sheweth tearmed not from him but from the sonne of Chush and Chams house That he was a keeper of the Law there is no doubt For this is the worke of God to beleeue in him whom the Father woulde sende who was promised to come of him Gen. 9. And God was not ashamed to be called his God for he had prepared him a sonne after the fleshe who after the spirite of holynes is the sonne of God and God to be blessed for euer Rom. 9. and the fayth in this sonne was the very ende of the Law wherein doubtles Sem was a notable ringleader As touching long lyfe none euer was comparable to him for sight of posteritie he onely same an eleuenth descent in the faythfull lyne whereas of all others in the faythfull lyne n●●e sawe ten though Arphaxad saw faythles Ismael in the tenth Thus for the holy description of a King before the Law his state myght be some forme to a Law The Heathen that had no more written Lawe then Sem had by the Lawe written in their ha●tes agree in the worthynes of a Kinges office Xenophon sayth well that a good Ruler differeth nothyng from a good Father Now Sem who was not to be ruled but to rule amongst his ofspring he acquainted with the fatherly gouernement that was before the Flood woulde best practise that And we see Gen. 10. where the Families be counted that bad tongues skattered by the rebellious pride for buyldyng the Towre that his families in that cursse were not halfe so many before the sixt age in Ioktanes thirteene sonnes as Chams sonnes were in the th●rde posteritie punished with parted diuers languages He that wyll may there marke and count the houses of spe●che altered and he shall finde it so Whereb we may gather that sundry families of Arphaxad Selah and Peleg continued in Adams or Hebers tongue And doubtles hereto the fatherly gouernement of Sem was a great helpe And as Ioktanes sonnes dwellinges are farthest now from Ierusalem as by Heathen writers we may see by such as geue testimony to Moses whom they knewe not But Arams chyldren neare Ierusalem had better successe So this in myne opinion may very well be attributed vnto the happy neighbourhood of the good and fatherly Emperour Sem. And as Grandfathers are most tender so he the greatest Grandfather must needes excell in fatherly aflection and ancientie to cary away the generall name of a King as proper to him selfe more worthyly then Greekes by the common name of Poet meane Homer particulerly or meane Demosthenes by the tearme of Oratour Moreouer yf a king be wel defined to be One ruling according to Lawes vncontrollable and agayne distinguished from a Tyrant by rulyng men willingly subiect where a Tyrant ruleth men agaynst theyr wyll Sem must needes be supreame in these properties We see by his obedience in Noahs house procuring an eternall blessing that he would be fittest to rule when tyme shoulde come For as none can well rule but he that can wel obey so he that best can obey can best rule But Sems obedience in willing care for his Father was the best amongst his breathren wherefore lykewise Sem shoulde be the fittest ruler to care as a father for his subiectes Also most willingly woulde men suffer such an one yf any to be vncontrolled that same so many yeeres As men learne the way of one that hath gon it before so they that will learne most willingly learne of the aged how quietly to tread the way of their lyfe to come to olde age and soonest suffer experience to be farre from checke It was not so in Nemrod For he starting vp from the youngest house to be so great a Tyrant as God from heauen should ope●ly looke to did not long thriue nor liue For in Sems lyfe Cedarlaomer being the king of Elam had Amraphel the king of Synear as his Vassal yea whyle Sem was yet alyue and deubtles of continuance in kingdome Wherefore by the generall name of a King whom then but Sem coulde he meane One ornament of Kinges may not here be omitted which Sems story doth shew that is The antiquitie of a Kingdome that before tyranny sprang it was Now by expressed wordes of Scripture that a political cause must chiefly be looked vnto vnlesse we make Sem to be Melchisedek we can not playnely proue that a King reigned before Nemrod Wherefore the honour of Kinges for the antiquitie of them shoulde with great delyght embrace him to be the first King who had iustice as a proprietie and represented the first and last the sonne of God As the perswading to obedience is goodly before God and profitable for men so Sems