when one is become that which he was not before so was Abel a Herdsman and David a King and a Prophet and Aaron a Priest without changing humane Nature from what it was and thus we say The Word of God was made Man God being not changed in his Nature The Son of David the Son of Abraham he calls him not the Son of Joseph because he had not to do in his Generation neither doth he call him the Son of Mary although he was made Flesh by her it being not agreeable to the custom of Scripture to compute Genealogies from Women but he mentions David and Abraham because the beginning of his Generation of Chist is referred to them For he said unto Abraham In thy seed shall all the Natious of the Earth be blessed And unto David Thy Children shall sit upon the Throne for ever And to shew unto the Hebrews that he descended from David as the Prophets had foretold Moreover he calls him the Son of David thereby to raise the greater esteem of him he was a Nazarite because nursed in Nazareth according to what Philip said unto Nathaniel We have found Jesus of Nazareth The Promise was made unto Abraham because he was the first who was converted from Idolatry It was also made unto David forasmuch as he was the first King who kept the Commandments and for that he pleased God and brought up the Ark and was desirous to build a house unto the Lord. He sets David before Abraham by reason of his Kingdom his Majesty and the Renown of his Time for the Fame of his Deeds were celebrated in the mouth of all men and from him they expected that Christ should arise according to that Was it not from the seed of David and from Bethlehem that Christ was to spring And they called all good Kings which ruled over them by the Name of David as David my Servant shall rule them and I will set over them David my servant And it was with an oath said unto David The Lord swore unto David in truth and will not repent Of the fruit of thy Belly And I have sworn unto David my servant and A Rod shall sprout out of the Root of Jesse Again he placeth David before Abraham because the Promise made unto Abraham was That he should be Father of Nations but it was promised unto David That Christ the Redeemer should spring out of his Seed and it was meet that he from whose Seed Christ the Redeemer was to come should be preferred to him who was Chief of the Nations For the Redeemer is more to be esteemed than they who are Redeemed For this cause it is that he mentions Abraham after David because unto him was the Promise of calling the Gentiles The Son of Abraham that is to say He calls Christ the Son of Abraham according to the flesh but he neither calls him the Son of David nor of Abraham as of Marital Conjunction but according to Genealogy and Descent and he whom Mathew calls the Son of David Mark calls the Son of God and Luke the Power of the most High and John the Word of God but he was called God and the Word and the Power of the most High because he was so and he was named the Son of David and of Abraham for that he was made so and he was one and the very same and not different Persons Abraham begat Isaac he sets down this Genealogy to shew that Christ came as God formerly had promised to Abraham and to David and that he was the Messiah expected by the Jews and that they were inexcusable if they would not believe in him Isaac begat Jacob Jacob begat Jadah and his brethren He did not mention the Brethren of Isaac and Jacob because they had no Commerce with the Stock of Israel for they were Heathens and the Sons of Ishmael Arabians and Edomites and not by reason of their being wicked as others say for the Scripture mentioneth those who were more wicked than they He mentioneth the Brethren of Judah because that from his Lineage is derived the Genealogy of Christ who was of the Seed of David Judah begat Pharez and Zarah of Thamar He mentions Thamar who was of the Gentiles and was guilty of Fornication hereby we are instructed of the Mercy and Goodness of God who was not only made Man but was born from such-like Ancestors as these and by reason all men were brought under the yoke of Sin there was a necessity of his coming upon earth and if Judah sinned and David committed Adultery how much more was the transgression of others He by his coming absolved those who were under the reproach of guilt and his Gospel accepted of every Believer Adulterers Fornicators and as many of all sorts as were Penitents And it was for our Consolation that he made mention of Thamar that we should not be ashamed of our wicked Ancestors but be comforted by the Vertue Pulchritude and Ornaments of our own minds for a man is not scandaliz'd by evil Parents for if a Fornicatrix be converted into vertuous habits her former evil manners will be no reproach unto her How much less reproach is it to a man to have been the Son of a Fornicatrix or the Adultery or Sins of his Fore-fathers if his own Manners do not reproach him Moreover he mentioneth Thamar to reprove the Jews who boasted of Abraham and yet were destitute of a good Conversation as if he had said unto them Behold she who committed Fornication was the Mother of David Furthermore we say That Thamar did not sit there with a purpose of Fornication and it is manifest from what Judah said She hath been more righteous than I but that she might minister to the Generation of our Saviour Christ Gen. 32.26 who was concealed in Judah and this is known from hence that she did thus with him and no other man and thus she did after the death of his Wife that she might not seem to offend for the Law was not then written which prohibited the same Again she had the greater proclivity in her affections to Judah in regard of his want of Children for destitution of Children was reputed a disgrace to every man Moreover Thamar prefigured the Church and the Gentiles who committed Fornication with Idols and by the off-spring of Thamar were redeemed Thamar was of the off-spring of the Gentiles so also was the Church Thamar committed Fornication so likewise did the Church commit Fornication with Idols and as Thamar was mixed in the Genealogy of Christ so was the Church made a parcipitant of the Body and Blood of Christ Thamar is expounded the Church as calling Christ unto her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come my Lord unto me inhabit with me Wherefore doth he mention Pharez and Zarah Zarah signifieth the East they appeared in the light of Gods Worship as Enoch Shem Japheth and Melchizedech and he sprouting out for a while and stretching forth the hand
Latine Haebraice Ratione Judaeorum Graece Ratione Pilati Latine ratione Herodis in ipsissimis Linguis quibus usi fuerunt in accusatione ejus hostes ejus Evangelium praedicarunt Evangelistae Lucas processit secundum rerum ordinem omnia proprio ordine disposuit prout gesta erant a Domino nostro scripsit Johannes etiam similiter fecit salvo eo quod nonnulla in medio reliquit quia dicta fuerant per Socios suos Mathaeus vero non eodem processit modo sed usus est Doctrinae Methodo cohaerentiae insimul collocando Leges enim quas Instituit Dominus noster in uno capite ordinavit alteri vero Evangelistae sparsim eas tradiderunt Marcus sequitur dispositionem Mathaei multi vero non Intelligentes modum quo quisque eorum respective scripsit existimarunt se suisse sibi invicem contrarios Quia principium Evangelii fuit Baptismus Christi prout supra diximus propterea inde exorsus est Marcus Mathaeus enim altius ingressum fecit apud Geneologiam familiaram ut monstraret Haebreis quod sicuti praedixissent Prophetae Christus ortus est Lucas vero altius orditur pertingit usque ad Nativitatem Johannis ut subaccusaret eos qui praefatione omissa aggressi fuerunt scriptionem Historiae Christi Johannes ascendit usque ad sermonem divinum ut monstraret quod etiamsi socii sui scripsissent Christum hominem suisse quatenus incarnatum erat tamen Deus cum Patre fuerat postea incarnatus homo factus suit Doctrina eorum medio Plataearum alta voce fuit praedicata ipsis dicentibus Deus revelatus est in Corpore tolleravit passiones in carne mortuus fuit Resurrexit confirmata fuit eorum praedicatio per Miracula quae fecerunt Johannes loquutus est de sublimibus socii sui de inferioribus Mathaeus quidem quia ad Judeos scripsit ei curae fuit ut natraâ—et Generationem ejus consuetudinem in carne Marcus vero solicitus fuit ut scriberet contra Simonem qui praedicaverat Filium dispensationem suam egisse per Phantasium qua propter confirmavit ea quae ad corporationem spectabant dicitur quod in mandatis dedit ei Petrus ut scriberet vice sua hac ratione ut nonnulli existimant ne propter Petri Eminentiam socâ—orum suorum scripturae parvi haberentur ipse mandavit ei ut scriberet de ejus abnegatione accurate similiter Lucae mandavit Paulus ut scriberet in cujus Imitatione extense admodum Oratoris Loquitur in confirmatione Theophili Corrigenda in Epistola ad Lectorem p. 2. line 3. pro Cycles lege Cyclis A Clear and Learned Explication OF THE HISTORY OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST c. MAthew begins saying The Book of the Nativity of Jesus Christ Mathew said not as the Prophets that the Lord said unto me or I saw a Vision for by reason that the Jews were carried about after false Prophets it behoved them to say so but Mathew forasmuch as he wrote to the faithful he needed not to have imitated the Prophets nor did he put his Name to the Book because he wrote to those who were near at hand after the manner of a Narrative Yet Paul because he wrote to those who were afar off he wrote in the manner of an Epistle and therefore it was necessary to put his Name thereunto he calls the Book the Book of Nativity because the Nativity of our Saviour is the source of all Blessings or even as Moses names his Book from the Creation whil'st he Treats of such other things as were transacted and performed in the World for the space of two thousand two hundred and sixteen years and calls another Book by the name of going out yet wrote therein of other things so it is called the book of Generation by reason that this is the principal matter that God should be born in the Flesh tho' he treats of the rest of his Conversation on Earth for it is the principal part as being the best part that gives Denomination say the Philosophers and although Baptism be the begining of the Gospel yet he commenceth from the Nativity that he might instruct the Hebrews that this was the Messiah whom God had promised to Abraham and David that he should spring out of their Seed and that he was the Giver of the Gospel Nativity is spoken in many sences First as from a Woman Secondly as from Baptism according to that he who is not born of Water and the Spirit Thirdly from the Grave who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things that the Earth should bring forth in one day or that a Nation should be born in one hour Fourthly Nativity is said also of things remote from the Birth Esa 66.8 according to this * 1 Cor. 4.15 for in Jesus Christ I have begotten you and he was pleased to beget us in the Spirit and I know not what to morrow is to bring forth and who hath begotten the drops of Rain and he Travelleth with Iniquity Joh. 38.28 Psal 7.14 and hath conceived falsehood and brought forth Destruction Fifthly as the beam and splendor which is begotten of the Sun or fire and as the Eternity of the Son is begotten of the Father according to the Divine Nature but here he doth not speak of the Eternal Generation from the Father but of the Temporal from the Virgin and tho' it be called in Scripture the birth of Abel and Jacob yet it is not there said of any of the Fathers the book of the Nativity except of Christ to the end that we may take notice that Christ is not meer Man but God made Man And that he was not born according to the ordinary Course of Humane Nature of Father and Mother but Supernaturally of the Holy Ghost and the blessed Virgin Moreover he begins at the Genealogies to signifie that although Christ was reputed by the Jews to be the Son of Joseph yet they were not perswaded of his Eternal Sonship yet of Joseph there was some doubt whether he were the Son of David or not and this is accurately made known by the Genealogies and the doubt Resolved The Greek hath it the Book of making or being and making or being is said to be nine fold First when of nothing something is made as the Heaven and Earth were made of nothing Secondly when of something something was made as the Firmament and Trees were made of something Thirdly by way of Contempt as God said Adam is made as one of us Fourthly by way of Transmutation as Lots Wife was made a Pillar of Salt Fifthly Impersonally the Evening and the Morning were the first day Sixthly by way of help or assistance as the Lord was with Moses Seventhly Temporally and I was as one who heareth not Eightly Of Grace according to that Moses was a God with Pharaoh Ninthly Without Transmutation
Amotsia begat Hosia they wrote the Names thus that Joram begat Achosia and Achosia Joash and Joash Amosia and Amosia Osia Others who followed them coming to Write the Gospel in Greek began from hence that Joram begat Achosia and that Joram begat Osia by reason of similitude of Names and the variation of them in the one Letter Coph and this perhaps they did unwillingly or willingly to Adapt their Genealogie to fourteen Generations for those of the Jews who believed were mightily taken with the Number seven and fourteen and so the Syriack Copies were derived unto all Nations But we Answer him thus This is not true and if it had been an Errour or mistake of the Writer and Mathew himself had not left out those Names then Mathew must have said that from David to the transmigration had been seventeen Generations but for as much as Mathew wrote afterwards fourteen Generations we understand that Mathew omitted them Others say that the Hebrew Christians put these three out of the Text to Adapt the Generations from David to the Captivity to the Number of fourteen which was delightful unto them for there is extant a Syriack Copy as Ancient as that Translation from the Hebrew which sets down these three Kings in the Genealogy and at the end of them computes fourteen and not seventeen Generations and this computation of fourteen Generations the Hebrews introduced in the place of seventeen for allyance to fourteen which was a Number grateful unto them for that on the fourteenth day they departed from the Bondage of Aegypt Others say that Mathew omitted those Names because they were abominable in the Eyes of the Jews for Achasia associated himself to the House of Achab having sent Ships to fetch Gold and ascended unto the High Places of Ramath Gilead with Ahab and reproved the Prophet and was afterwards slain by Jehu and Joash by reason of the Sons of Jehojedah the Priest Amotsia also was slain in Rebellion having excited the King of Israel to War with him and by occasion of him and by his hands was the Wall broken and the Sanctuary violated wherefore Mathew omitted them for the stock will take up that which is pleasing unto him Josiah begat Jocaniah and his Brethren in the Babylonish Transmigration in the Book of the Kings and in the book of Bar Jamin it is not Written that Josiah begat Jocaniah but that Josiah had five Sons Jehu Achaz and Eliakim who was Joiakim and Shalon and John and Tsedekiah who was Mathania Others say That Josiah begat Jehoas who was John and Jojakim who was Eliakim and Tsedekia who was Mathania and Shalon who was Jokania others call Shalom Jokania the book of Bar Jamin that is to say computing the Sons of Josiah and Joiakim who is Eliakim begat Jokaniah who is Joiakim who was led Captive to Babylon and how is it that Mathew doth not write That Josiah begat Joiakim and Joiakim Jokaniah and Georgius saith That he wrote so but saith that the Transcriber mistook and wrote Jocaniah instead of Joiakim Others say That Mathew omitted Joiakim because he was despised and slew Euria the Prophet the Son of Shamaiah and had Defeated as he thought the Prophets Jokania his Son departed least the Sanctuary should be reproached and was perfect and therefore he sets down his Name Others say That Manasseh was worse than he how then doth Mathew set down his Name But we Answer that every one of them was called by two Names as Joiakim and Eliakim and Joiakim and Jokania the Son of Joiakim wherefore Jokania was the Grandson of Josiah and he calls him his Son according to the Usage of Scripture which calls Lot Abrahams Brothers Son his own Brother for Abraham said We are Brethren and Laban the Sons of his Daughters Moreover Nathania and Jehoaaz who were the Uncles of Jokania he calls them his Brothers Again Josiah begat Jehoaaz who was called Shalom and Eliakim who was Jojakim and Mathania who is called Tsedekia and from the time that Pharaoh the Lame slew Josiah he made Johoaaz his Son to Reign whom when Pharaoh had bound and loosed he placed as King in his stead Eliakim his Brother the Son of Josiah and Pharaoh called him Joiakim and after the death of Jojakim he made Jojakim the Son of Jocania to Reign and afterwards he was called by the Name of his Father Jojakim and him Nebuchadnezzar led away captive and placed in his stead Mathaniah his Uncle who was called Tsedekiah by Nebuchadnezzar all these the Evangelist records in saying Jeconia and his Brethren for the Kingdom was derived by all of them In the Captivity of Babylon He mentioneth the Captivity of Babylon to shew that the Jews were not amended from their iniquity no not after they were led into Captivity And again for that the Captivity remained for Generations he said From the Captivity until Christ Fourteen Generations Moreover because there was a necessity of the coming of Christ that he might redeem us from the Captivity of the Devil and of Death he doth not mention the going down into Egypt as he doth the Captivity of Babylon for that descent was a long time before and this was but newly past and that was not for their Sins but it was for their Sins that they were led Captive into Babylon Furthermore they did not fear the Aegyptians but they were in a continual dread of the Babylonians but forasmuch as Josiah did not see the Captivity of Babylon wherefore did Mathew say That Josiah did beget Jokaniah and his Brethren in the Captivity of Babylon We answer That therefore the Captivity is computed from the time of Josiah because then Jeremia prophesied concerning it Even as God said unto Abraham Thy seed shall serve in a Bondage Nine Years where the years are reckoned from the day wherein those Words were spoken until the going out of Egypt So in the time of Josiah Jeremiah prophesied concerning the Captivity and from that time made his Computation and for that reason accommodates the Captivity to Josiah on the thirteenth year of Josiah Jeremiah prophesied concerning the Captivity and from that time to the thirtieth and one year of Josiah his Reign Jocaniah begat Shelathiel and Shelathiel begat Zorobabel Jeremy said concerning Jocania That his Seat was despised as being without Sons and that none of his Seed should sit on the Throne of David yet Mathew here said That Christ did descend from him by Genealogy according to that The Lord will give unto him the Throne of David his Father and Ld. Severus saith That this of Joconiah the Prophet speaketh so for that the Earthly Kingdom was held in Judah but the Kingdom of Christ and his Throne was not the Earthly one but that which is heavenly in respect whereof he said My Kingdom is not of this World yet is he King over the ends of the Earth Others say That Joconia who was before and in the Captivity was not the same of whom Mathew
said that he was after the Captivity but that other who was before the Captivity of whom mention is made in the Book of the Kings is he who was after the Captivity and in the Book of Jeremiah is mentioned whom he cursed and called Joiakim Others say That the Joconia of whom Jeremy speaks was not the same with that of Mathew and he of whom Jeremy speaks was Tsedekiah the Son of Josiah whose Children were slain before his face in the Captivity and he dy'd in Babylon grinding in a Mill but he of whom Mathew speaks was Jokoniah the Son of Jojakim and his Mother was called Shushan and she was the Sister of Jeremy the Prophet and this Jokoniah begat Shelathiel It is now necessary to enquire whether Shelathiel and Zorobabel mentioned by Mathew be the same with those of Saint Luke or others and if they be the same wherefore doth Mathew call Shelathiel the Son of Jokonia whom Luke calls the Son of Neri We answer That St. Severus wrote that often-times Mathew and Luke produced the very same Persons for Families are used after the similitude of Rivers which run in divided Channels to run together again and being divided from one another to be intermixed by intermediate Persons after they have been long separated for behold both the Evangelists make mention of Shelathiel for Mathew names him the Son of Jokonia according to the course of Natural Generation and Luke calls him the Son of Neri in respect of Legal Deduction Malchim  Neri according to the Law  Nahashtha the Wife of Shelathiel  Joiakim  Jokoniah according to Natural Propagation Malchim the Father of Neri who was derived from Nathan took to wife one who was called Nahashtha the Daughter of Eliathan from Jerusalem and of her begat Neri and when Malchim died Jojakim the King took Nahashtha for her Beauty and begat Jokonia and this Neri and Jokonia were Brethren by the Mother and Neri took a wife and died without Children and Joconia his Brother took her and of her begat Shelathiel according as was commanded by the Law that if a Man should die without Children his Brother should take his wife and raise Seed to his deceased Brother and Shelathiel was the Son of Jokonia by Natural Propagation and the Son of Neri by Legal Institution And Mathew said that Jokonia was the natural Son of Jojakim and Luke saith that Shelathiel was the legal Son of Neri wherefore both of them are in the right Georgius saith that they were not the same but that Neri who was derived from Nathan being willing to resemble his Son by the Son of Jokonia the King called him Shalathiel after his name even as Shalathiel in emulation willing to represent his Son by the Son of Shelathiel called him Zorobabel And this is certain from hence that there are many Names imposed by Mathew from David and under which are synonimous with those of Luke such as are Joram Eliezer and Eliakim for there was often-times a Synonimity in the Genealogy either by Chance or Design as say the Philosophers Moreover it is doubtful how Malkim being from Nathan took at first Nahashta and after that he begat Neri from her and died Jojakim the King should take the Widow he being Eighteen years of Age and of her begat Jokonia or after that he was slain that she became wife to Malkim and brought forth Neri Both these Opinions are doubtful this that we should believe that Jojakim in his youth should take to wife a widdow woman or that she who had been a Queen should marry one of a mean condition being of another Tribe Besides it is written in the book of the Kings that Nebuchadnezer led Joiakim and his mother and his wife into captivity and if Nahashta the mother of Joiakim descended with her Son into captivity it is unlikely that she was marryed after the death of Jojakim her husband neither would Josiah have taken the widdow of Malkim for a wife to his Son Jojakim therefore Neri the Son of Shelathiel the Son of Jokonia of whom Mathew wrote is not Shelathiel the Son of Neri whom Luke sets down neither is it written either in the book of the Kings or in the book of Bar Jamin that Jokonia had a Son called Neri who dying childless Jokonia took his wife and of her begat Shelathiel In the book of Bar jamin it is written thus concerning the Sons of Josia Jehoaaz John Jojakim Tsedikia Shalom and that Jokonia was the Son of Jojakim therefore they are not the same who are mentioned by Mathew and Luke neither do they agree in Name Zurubabel begat Abiud Zurubabel is expounded the Seed of Babel because he was there begotten and born Mathew said That Zurubabel begat Abiud and Luke saith That Zurubabel begat Resa my Lord Severus saith That Zurubabel had two Sons Abiud and Resa and that Mathew reckons the one and Luke the other and as from David the Genealigies are divided between Nathan and Solomon and they descend to Joseph Mathew taking up the Genealogie of Solomon and Luke that of Nathan so also from Shelathiel the Genealogies are divided between Abiud and Resa and they likewise come down to Joseph Georgius de gentibus saith That the Zurubabel who begat Abiud and the other who begat Resa of whom Luke speaks were different persons others say That Abiud the Son of Zurubabel was called by two Names Abiud saying I and Resa and therefore every of the Evangelists call him by a particular Name even as the Sons of Josiah were every of them called by two Names Mathan begat Jacob Jacob begat Joseph the Husband of Mary from whom Jesus was born who is called Christ By the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whom had it not been pointed it might have been thought that Christ had been born of Joseph but the Supernal Point over the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheweth that he was begotten of the Virgin and not by Joseph and according to the Greek Translation it is not so written but Joseph the Husband of Mary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Feminine Gender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore if Mathew had omitted the Gender it would have been thought that he had been the Son of Joseph but forasmuch as he wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex qua and not ex quo he makes it manifest that he was born of Mary and not of Joseph Moreover by reason he added the Husband of Mary he sheweth that he recited the Genealogie with regard to Mary and that she was of the House of David and of Abraham and therefore he brings in her Name Mathew calleth Joseph the Son of Jacob and Luke calleth him the Son of Heli for that there was a certain Man whose Name was Mathan of the Lineage of Solomon and he took a Wife whose Name was Esther and of her he begat Jacob and Mathan dyed and
according to the Word of Gabriel who called the House of Jacob The Gentiles who believe in him Fourteen Generations For he doth not say the forty two Generations altogether nor doth he divide them into six parts for the Number Seven was dear unto them but he divided the Total into three parts hinting thereby that as it was not grievous unto them that they were changed from the Government of Judges to the Government of Kings and from the Government of Kings to the Government of High-Priests so it should not seem strange in your Eyes that ye are changed from these to the Government of Christ tho Christ also was a Judge a King and an High-Priest for as his ancient Types Ministred unto him so he applyed them altogether unto himself The Jews Accused the Apostles as introducing new Laws to the Creature and Mathew willing to shew that they were far from blame he signified that the Government of God always varied in the Administration of Affairs accordingly as was expedient and agreeably to the Mutation of things divided the Number of Generations from Abraham unto Saul they were subject to Judges Mathew accounts Saul as a Judge for that he Governing filled up the time and was rejected They were under Kings ceased in the Captivity they were Governed by the Chief Priests wherefore according to the change of Constitutions he divided things and he hints that it is no wonder if he who at first set up Judges and afterwards Kings and then Rulers should set up the Government of his Son for neither did the change of State-Affairs amend the Jews but whilest they were Governed by Judges Kings and Rulers they still continued in the same Sins Philoxenus said That therefore he divided the Generations into three parts because the Father revealed the Promise concerning his Son in three Places to Abraham saying in thy Seed shall the Nations be Blessed To David I will Establish thy Seed for ever Moreover by another Prophet that David my Servant shall feed them Others say That this Promise was made to Adam at his Creation and that for this Reason he Ascended unto Adam he divided them into doubled Sevens that is to say fourteens that by Weeks he might Illustrate the Words of Daniel and to shew that he was the expected Messiah and that the Prophets preached concerning him This was Chrysostom In the last of the Generations whereas he sets down but twelve said they were fourteen And the Lord John saith that he put the Captivity in the place of a Generation and George saith de Gentilibns that Christ was reckoned a Generation for as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until did not exclude David from the Fourteen Generations in the first part so neither doth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until exclude Christ from the last part but the middlemost was made Fourteen by the leaving out of Three Others say That the last part was made Thirteen by leaving out One between Shelathiel and Zorubabel that is to say Nadabia that the Number of Fourteen may be made up of Mary for that instead of her Fore-fathers she entred into the place of a Generation or he brought Christ into the place of a Generation as we have said Eusebius saith That he doth not reckon Fourteen Generations by the Number of Men but some certain quantity of years which was divided into Fourteen parts The first part consisted of eight hundred years and the Generations thereof were Fourteen but the middlemost consisted of four hundred years and its Generations were Twelve the first and the last were equal as to the Number of Persons but he computes the the middlemost with the Two by reason of the paucity of Years and Persons The GENEALOGY according to the sense of Georgius de Gentilibus The Genealogy of the first part The Genealogy of the second part The Genealogy of the third part Abraham Salomon The Captivity Isaac Rohboam Shelathiel Jacob Abia Zorubabel Judah Asa Abiud Pharez Joshapat Aliakim Hetzron Joram Azor Aram Ozia Zadok Aminadab Jothan Achin Nahashon Achaz Eliud Salmon Hezechia Eliezer Boaz Menase Mathan Obed Amon Jacob Jesse Josia Joseph David Jochania Christ Fourteen Generations Fourteen Generations Fourteen Generations The Genealogies of the Two Evangelists and the Difference between them according to the Judgment of St Severus The Holy Genealogy of St. Luke alone ADam Sheth Enosh Kain Mehalliel Jered Henoch Methushelah Lamech Noah Shem Arphaxad Kainan Shalech Eber Phaleg Arao Sarug Nahor Therah From Adam hitherunto Twenty Generations and Fathers From hence Mathew and Luke agree Abraham Isaac Jacob Judah Pharez Hezron Aram Aminadab Nahashon Salmon Boaz Obed Jesse David Glory to Christ the Lord to whom all things are easie Moreover Those of Luke from Abraham to Joseph were fifty five Fathers and from David to Joseph were forty two and those of Mathew from Abraham to Joseph were forty and two taking into Computation the Captivity and Christ Whence did Mathew and Luke learn the Genealogie We say from the Holy Ghost as the Prophets taught hidden things and from the book of Bar Jamin and from the books of Esra Moreover it was the Custom of the Jews to repeat their Fathers Genealogies by word of Mouth or Tradition I such a one the Son of such a one from one to another unto Adam Wherefore Paul commanded Timothy to abstain from Fables and Genealogies Mathew because he wrote to the Hebrews began from Abraham and David because to them the Promise was made and that was sufficient to Answer his purpose but Luke Ascended to Adam because he wrote to the Gentiles to shew that Christ also sprung from Adam and to abate the Pride of the Jews who gloried in Abraham Again he Ascended to Adam in mystery of Baptism to shew that he who is Baptiz'd and Regenerated is to Ascend to God whose Sons we are made And moreover to take away that doubt How can a Virgin bring forth a Child he shew'd that as the Spirit was able in the beginning to form Man without Copulation so was he able at last and formed the body of the Word from the Virgin without Copulation for it was the one and the same operation of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and for that the Father framed Adam it is certain that the Son and the Spirit framed him Wherefore doth Mathew descend in the Genealogy and Luke Ascend We say that this is the Custom of the Scripture it is written in the book of Ruth Pharez begat Hezron and Hezron Aram and Aram Aminadab and Aminadab and so forth until he descended to David It Ascends where it saith Helkana the Son of Jochom the Son of Elihu the Son of Aho the Son of Resoph Again Mathew descends to shew that the Word of God descended and came for our Redemption according to the Promise first made But Luke Ascended to shew that they who are Baptised mount up to Heaven and this is
measured Jerusalem a thousand Cubits and as with a Span measureth he Man Secondly For Grace as the Prophets who were Anointed privately with the Spirit Thirdly for Oyl as the Kings and Priests were Anointed with Holy Oyl and Men likewise with ordinary Oyl Fourthly in the way of Honour as it was said of the House of Abraham and Isaack Touch not my Anointed Fifthly by way of Distinction as they who are set apart to do somewhat by Direction as Cyrus and Hazael who being seperated for a design were called Anointed Sixthly for Faith as That which is of Faith and Baptism is as the Body of Christ Seventhly for the Holy Ghost even as the Word Anointed his Body that is with his Godhead and with his Spirit for the Christ whom we Worship we do not call so as the Man born only of Mary and afterwards Anointed by the Spirit and Sanctified as the Hereticks say but we call Christ the Word of God who was begotten of the Father from Eternity and we call him Christ because he vouchsafed to be Anointed with the Spirit and to be Sanctified in the Flesh and as his Nature was high and above the Birth of a Woman of Passion and Death and yet vouchsafed to be born and to suffer and to dye in the Flesh for us so did he take upon him to be Anointed with the Spirit being the Giver of it and Holy in in his own Nature he was pleased to receive the Grace of the Spirit as not needing it and therefore receiv'd it that he might bestow it upon us And in all things he was the beginning to us as the Second Adam according to the saying of Paul That by his means he might give us the Holy Ghost Moreover we call him Christ because the Spirit descended into the Womb of the Virgin as the Angel said and this Spirit framed the body of the Word of God and Anointed and Sanctified it and so the Word was United to this Body and this the Spirit did not that it was unable to frame and Sanctifie the body out of the Womb but that it might be known that he that was born was God coequal in Nature with the Spirit who formed and Sanctified the body and not meer Man Again the Spirit formed the body of the Word and Sanctified and Anointed it that the distinctions of persons in the Trinity might be made known It was the Fathers pleasure the Son should be incorporated and it was the Holy Ghost who made him a Body in that he formed his body of the Virgin The same Order was observed in the Creation The Father commanded things to be made and the Son made them and the Spirit finish'd and accomplish'd them Furthermore the Father said Anoint and the Son was Anointed and the Spirit supplied the place of Oyl wherefore we call the Word of God Christ or Anointed Again we call the Word of God Christ for two Reasons and the first is for that he vouchsafed to be Anointed in the Flesh by the Holy Spirit tho' equal in Nature with the Giver of the same Secondly because the Holy Ghost Anointed and Sanctified his body being United to the Word Moreover this Name Christ teacheth the whole Doctrine of the Trinity it was the Father who Anointed the Son who was Anointed and the Holy Ghost was the Oyl or Unction he who said That Christ was made Man Naturally and that he was Anointed by the Spirit for Sanctification let him tell us where he was Anointed if before his Conception he had then no body in the Womb of the Virgin and behold it is not written that he was Anointed at his Baptism but behold he was called Christ at his Birth Some Hereticks there are who say that Jesus Christ signifies one made Man against whom we say that Jesus Christ signifies the Word of God not as he is God alone but as he is made Man Again The Name of Jesus Christ doth not denote Man from Mary nor God and Man together but the Word of God and it is most certain from hence for Jesus saith thus to the Jews Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the World do ye say Thou art a Blasphemer Who therefore was he who was sent from the Father Man Or God and Man together Or the Word as saith Paul that God sent his Son and he was made of a Woman Therefore he who was sent to the World is the Word which was from the Father and he is called Jesus and is the same who is said to be Sanctified and not meer Man neither God and Man together but the Father Sanctified the Word by the Holy Ghost who Anointed him not as he is God for so he is equal to the Father and the Spirit and the Giver of Holiness but as he was made Man for us Moreover Christ said before Abraham was I am who therefore was before Abraham the Man who was of Mary or God and Man together For the Man who was from Mary was so far from being before Abraham that he was not before Mary but after Mary being born of her 't is certain therefore that the Word of God who was called by this Name of Jesus Christ was before Abraham Furthermore Jesus said to the Jews What say ye concerning Christ whose Son is he They said unto him the Son of David and he said unto them How did David call him in the Spirit Lord for he said The Lord said unto my Lord sit on my right Hand if David called him Lord how was he his Son he therefore who is the Lord of David is the Man from Mary who as yet was not in the time of David nor Mary of whom he was born Either he calls Man and God together Christ for he calls one in the singular Number my Lord and not many Lords it is therefore certain that he calls the Word of God coequal with the Father in Nature Lord according to this The Lord sent down Fire from before the Lord on Sodom and according to this also There is born unto them to day a Redeemer who is the Lord Christ wherefore he calls him Christ again it is written That thy Throne is for ever and ever after he had called him God and said Thy Scepter is for ever and ever that is to say there is no end or term to his Kingdom he said God hath Anointed thee that is the Father hath Anointed the Word of God by the Holy Spirit but not as God but as he was made Man and accordingly as the Word said He whom the Father Sanctified and Sent. Moreover the Prophet said He hath Anointed him above his Fellows that is he hath Anointed him above us and above the Prophets and Apostles and others who are Anointed for all Men who are Anointed of the Spirit receive what they stand in need of but the Word being Sanctified and Anointed with the Spirit received it tho not in want thereof but full and a bestower thereof
Children of Bethlem and all the borders thereof from two Years old and under according to the time he had inquired For he slew the Children that with them he might murder Christ and because he did not know him he slew all their Children and slew also the Children in the Borders thereof because it was suspected they might have made him fly into one of the bordering Villages and that he might not escape death And in saying All he shew'd that there was not one omitted He said From two years old and under because he enquiring of the Wise-men they answered him It was two years since the Star appeared unto us therefore said the Lord Ephraim and Eusebius that the Wise men came in the second year of our Lords Nativity And the Lord John and St. Cyrill say that the Star appeared two years before and that the Wise men tarried long before they came in the way and when they came our Redeemer was born and worshiped in a Manger and in Swadling-Cloaths But whether these or they be in the right the Discourse of the Evangelist is certainly true which saith According to the time he had enquir'd Some they killed waking some sleeping some having hold of the Brest some swimming others they snatch'd from their Mothers Embraces and wash'd with their blood their Mothers and the Earth and there was great Lamentation and weeping because there was not an house wherein a Boy had not been murdered and from the contest and inquisition of some saying the Lad is two years old and of 〈◊〉 saying he is not and of some saying there is a Child here and of others saying to the contrary and the like there was a great clamor and Lamentation Some men demand How many Children were slain And this is not known but some busie-bodies babble saying That Herod sent forty Head-Officers and with every of them forty Butchers or Man-slayers and every of these Butchers killed forty Children Wherefore there being forty Officers and the Butchers with them being 1600 the Children who were slain must be 64000. This we have not writ as believing it to be true but for delight of the simple Wherefore did our Lord withdraw the Killing of the Children and was our Lord or Herod the cause of the Killing of them We answer That Christ was not the cause of their being slain no more than David was the cause of killing the fourscore Priests whom Saul slew but as Saul himself was the cause of killing the Priests so Herod was the cause of slaying the Infants And as Elia was not the cause of burning the two Captains of Fifties and those who were with them but those who sent them But we say As Peter was the cause of killing the Soldiers so Christ was the cause of killing the Children Moreover The execrable wickedness of the King was the cause of their destruction for had Herod seen the Walls broken and the Doors pulled open he might have put the Soldiers to death but all things being sure he ought to have worshiped the Doer of Miracles and not to have slain the Keepers for God was willing to have converted the King and not that the Guards should have committed destruction So here the coming of the Wise-men the assembling of the Scribes the Testimony of Prophecy were that Herod might believe and be saved and not that he should kill the Children And wherefore did God permitt them to be slain Some say That the Fame of his Nativity might be made known in every place others that the Prophecy might be fulfilled according to that a voice was heard in Rama But these are not approv'd expositions We say therefore that this permission was given that they might not be as their parents nor partake of Innocent blood 2ly That they might receive an Earnest of the Kingdom long since prepared for them as an Inheritance and might at his second coming enter into possession thereof Again All our Sufferings are of two kinds either for our Sins or that a Reward might be given to us for the same and 't is evident from what Paul said of him who committed Fornication Deliver him to Satan in the Body that he may live by the Spirit in the day of our Lord. And David when he overcame Shimei commanded he should not be put to Death and he said Behold my Subjection and Labour and forgive me all my Iniquity they therefore are not miserable who suffer Evil if they patiently suffer whether they be corrected of God or Persecuted by Satan for their Sin and for Sufferings of the second kind to wit for Wages or Reward that of Job may suffice for Illustration wherefore the Children suffer'd in the second kind in relation to Wages or Reward And what Sin was it that was Attributed to the Children For behold they sinned not We Answer it was sufficient for them that they were to be Rewarded with Bliss after Death he did not impugn the Free-Will of Herod for Free-Will is a great Gift given unto Men for the doing what they will and God does not Reverse his Gift and if they perish'd they obtain'd great Trophies of Victory and we say that if God had known that they would have proved Virtuous he had not permitted that they should dye for if he forbears the Wicked how much less would he have permitted them to have been overcome but they went away being Innocent and escaped Evil and became Martyrs because they bore Testimony for Christ and the Baptism of Blood supplyed the Place of Water-Baptism But how were they Martyrs being slain without knowledg We Answer that in this kind or manner Children receive the Gift of Baptism without Knowledg and it is a true Gift unto them and so Slaughter was true Testimony Rachel Weeping for her Children Jeremy said this personating the Jews led Captive to Babylon and by Rachel adumbrated the Tribes of Benjamin and Judah Mathew makes use of this Text in reference to the Murther of the Children Others with whom we also agree say That Jeremy hereby Typified the Children and 't is evident from the subsequent Words which run thus Restrain thy Voice from Weeping for there is a Reward for thy Tears for they who were led Captive to Babylon had no Reward for their Tears for they were led into Captivity for their Sins but the Children being put to Death in their Infancy there was a Reward reserv'd for them it is therefore evident that Jeremy spoke in Relation to them and Rama belonged to the Children of Benjamin and Bethlehem of Judah also belonged unto them and because Rama was the Capital City of the Tribe of Benjamin therefore it was reputed also the City of his Mother But Since Rachel dyed so long before wherefore are the Children imputed to her We Answer because it is agreeable to the Law of Nature and to the Scripture accordingly all the Children of Men are called the Children of Adam and the Israelites are called the Children of
Nazareth and both declare the Truth but this of Luke was first for he abode forty days in Bethlehem from the time he was born and afterwards went to Jerusalem and offer'd Gifts and Simeon bore him and from Jerusalem he went to Nazareth and at the end of that Anniversary he came to Jerusalem and so returned to Nazareth and at the end of the second year he came from Nazareth to Jerusalem and from thence to Bethlehem and there the Wise-Men Worshipped him and from Bethlehem he went to Egypt as saith Mathew and Luke declares where he was born and what things were done at his Nativity and that he went up to Jerusalem when the days of her Purification were accomplish'd and when they had performed what the Law required they went unto Nazareth Mathew afterwards sets forth that the Wise-men came and found him in Bethlehem after he was Circumciz'd and had offered his Gifts and was two years old and then it was told Joseph that he should carry him by flight into Egypt and he remained three years in Egypt and suddenly returned to Nazareth and hence it is known that the Wife-men worshipped him when he was two years old for there was no Congruity with reason or conveniency that they should bring him up to the Temple whilest Herod breath'd forth destruction against the Children Which is called Nazareth The Jews question in what book these two passages are written viz. He shall be called a Nazarite and Out of Egypt have I called my Son To whom we say that these are not allegations of praise and exaltation but of humiliation for this word Nazareth they spoke of it as an house of Indecency out of Nazareth c. And the other is applyed to flight and had they not been True Mathew had not produced them because they were not of advantage Moreover many books perished as the book of Barjamin teacheth us for the Jews continually were drawn into the Errour of Idolatry and some of the Books they lost and some of them they tore as Jeremia declares and he who wrote the Book of the Kings faith that Deuteronomie was scarce found after a long time which was hidden and plundered For if when they were free from Warr they had so little care or regard for Books much less had they in the time of war And if they shall say if it was not written in the time of Christ whence doth Matthew produce it We answer that it was the daughter of a Voice And in the time of Mathew it was delivered and propagated from mouth to mouth and therefore Mathew wrote it or it was in the Books which were Lost or the Spirit which dwelt upon him in the Parlour Revealed it unto him or in his time it was preserv'd in Books and after Mathew wrote it perish'd in the destruction of the City by the Romans And if a Jew will indeavour to Falcify the Gospel because this allegation is not Extant he may be Reprehended from his own Books wherein are many Speeches written say'd to be in writing and are not written wherefore we may hold theirs in the like repute Moses speaks to Aaron concerning the death of his Sons I will be Sanctified by my near ones and I will be praised before all the People yet this is not found any where and it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord. A Flame in the Whirlwind in the Torrent of Aron Moreover To teach the Children of Israel the use of the Bow behold it is written in the Book of Jasher But neither did he reveal what is the Doctrine of the Bow It is said of Jeroboam the Son of Jehu I will turn the Border from the going in of Hamath to the Book of the Sallows as said the Lord by his Servant Jonas the Son of Mathi the Prophet in Gad-Hether and this is not written any where no not in Jonas And Thou hast said the World shall be Built in Grace and also in Esaia This Word the Lord spake concerning Moab and it is unknown where these two passages are written therefore let the Jew take our Excuse from his own Moreover The Gospel according to Custom and with regard to the accomplishment of things produceth an Allegation for Isaiah saith There shall come forth a Rod from the Root of Jess and a Bough shall sprout forth And in the Hebrew a Branch or Bough is expounded a Branch and Nazaren one who sprouts out and when Mathew saw that Christ came and dwelt in Nazareth he expounded this of Esaiah A Branch shall sprout out He shall be called a Nazaren and he was called a Nazaren from Nazareth that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one sprouting out from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sprout so they are expounded in the Hebrew Tongue Others say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expounded New and that Nazareth signifieth New and signifies Typically that the Son would newly be made Man for Men Others say That Nazareth signifies Justice and Nazaren signifies Just and if they shall say that because he was born in Bethlehem and not in Nazareth Esaiah calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them know that the Apostles called him as did the Prophets and that this of Bethlehem was not hid as to the Prophecy but chiefly intended according to that of Nathaniel who from this was moved to make Enquiry and said From Nazareth c. For Nazareth was a contemptible place as was Galilee and our Lord was not ashamed to be called from thence After he had discoursed concerning Christ's Nativity c. at last he came to the beginning of the Gospel which is the Baptism of Christ And so he Continueth his Discourse on towards his Passion MATH III. ANd in those days came John the Baptish He doth not understand by those days the time when Jesus returned from Egypt to Nazareth for in those days Jesus was five years old but the time of his abode in Nazareth being Twenty five Years he was Thirty Years of Age when he came to Baptism as saith Luke Others are of opinion that he calls those days the time when he came to be baptized for it is the custom of Scripture to term by the Name of those days the days wherein any matter what-e'er it be is acted or done Others think that he calls those days the time wherein the Jews had neither King nor Prophet forasmuch as the Prophecy of Jacob was fulfilled The Scepter shall not depart c. but Tiberius then Reigned as Luke saith Others say thus In those days that is our Lord did not immediately after his teturn from Egypt come to John but when he was Thirty Years of Age being Two years old when he went down into Egypt where he remained Three years and afterwards dwelt in Nazareth Twenty five Years and in these years he paid the debt of our Nature and fulfilled the Law and abrogated it and it is the Custom of