For Cedarlaomers people of Elam must needes be of Sem. This Iarchi and Epiphanius in Ancorato are of one iudgement that many of Sems posteritie such as had not their tongues altered kept about Ierusalem though in tyme Chanaans families wearied them out For that I wyll not striue as Ramban doth agaynst Iarchi but both he citing the Fathers and I also wyll graunt that Sem met Abraham I omit their short speaches in this poynt that onely cite other mens iudgementes as Dauid Kinchi vpon Psal 110. Rabbi Nathan in the recorde of the Fathers Aben Ezra vpon Gen. 14. and Baal Hatturim in his nootes of memorie from the letters of Melec Salem whereby S. and M. in the wordes turned make Sem. Though such toying can be no proofe in sounde argument yet it argueth that to haue beene alwayes the common opinion otherwyse that dallying shoulde neuer haue been admitted whereas yet most weightie things are founde in that worke from the letters in appearaunce but in trueth from the matter strong and cleere of antiquity and for memorie wittely contriued to some note vpon the letters for better preseruation also of the Text. Ralbag confirmeth the Rabbines consent by the great matters which are in Melchisedek and must also be in Sem. Midras Psal 76. maketh a lyuely discourse vpon the name Salem which the very same is in Bereshith Rabbaâ— also in Sepher Aruch The name of that place was Iehouah Iireh Abraham called it Iireh Sem called it Salem as hence appeareth Melchisedek king of Salem the holy blessed God sayd If I call it Iireh Sem a iust man wyll be greeued yf I call it still but Salem Abraham a iust man wyll be greeued for his monument forgotten Beholde I call it as they both call it Ierusalem Iireh Salem That is The sight or reuerence or religion of peace I woulde Ierusalem had as sadly looked to those thinges which were her peace as Midras doth pleasantly open the name The same Midras hath also a strong argument from the place For that was the place of Sems dwelling whence in time Iapheths sonnes should learne to dwel in the tabernacle of God But from Sion came foorth the Law and the worde of the Lord from Ierusalem whereby God had his Tabernacle amongst vs of Iapheths house therefore Sion and Salem was the place of Sems dwellyng Thus reasoneth Midras that being so doubtles Salem and Sem were despised by the buylders of Babel whereupon many tongues sprang and contrariwise by clouen tongues vnderstoode at Salem that Ierusalem was founded in which Iapheth and Sem might both dwell togeather The Iewes at Wormes being demaunded When they thought Iapheth and Sem ioyned sayd at the ouerthrowe which they gaue to Babel and ioyned paynes to buylde Ierusalem And in deede it is somewhat that they say but a small deale to the whole meanyng Then Darius of Madai and Iapheth and Cyrus of Elam and Sem both pulde downe Babel and set vp Ierusalem But the fulnes of their dwelling is in that Ierusalem named Heb. 10 Apo. 3. 21. Now that we cast no stumbling blocke before those blinde we shoulde furnyshe our selues to agree skilfully with them for the writ and take heede least we vrge the Apostle as a new teacher of an olde story in which kind Apostles would not be conuicted disputing with their enimies to teache that which Moses and the Prophetes taught not I will passe ouer Tanchuma Elias Abrabaneel Zakuto to hasten to those Hebrewes which by type mystery or callyng of the matter to an high vnderstanding deale in Melchisedek as doth the Apostle considering how CHRIST in him is represented that thereby the Apostles wordes may lesse amaze vs when we see that y e Iewes of them selues bryng Melchisedek to represent the eternall name of God and distinctly the Messias agaynst their present religion at this day Let vs marke R. Symeon ben Iochai a Rabbin of which a man may speake as Homer speaketh of Egypt that therein been receites many good and many euyll I am to regarde him as a recorder and not a iudge as citing other mens wordes and of small aucthoritie for his owne He is thought of Genebrard to be a very olde writer as of Galatinus and I finde R. Symeon Ben Iochi cited in Talmud Sanadrin pag 70. b. But doubtles many rare thinges for a Rabbin he hath yeelded to many Christians very agreeable to the Apostles doctrine Thus he sayth Melchisedek king of Salem Salem properly VVhen is he king of Salem In the daye of reconciliation when all faces are made lyghtened What can be better spoken or more fitly for the party resembled by Melchisedek For when our Lord Iesus ware the crowne of Thornes then the daughters of Ierusalem were to beholde the true Salomon and king of Salem euen in that day when the most Holy was killed not for him selfe but to make expiation or reconciliation for sinne Therefore the Angel doth vse Daniel 9. the verbe capper for to aunswere Moses worde cippur expiation and reconciliation The same Rabbin Col. 83. speaketh that the spirite of God Gen. 1 2. is the spirite of the Messias who is also Shiloh in which name is Iah the Eternall And there he speaketh of the Serpent desirous to shed blood so that Christ shoulde be kilde and many of Israel with him This may well be admitted in the Cabalist who yet properly helde Melchisedek to be Sem as S. Iarchi the Talmud doth This olde Cabalist shoulde be the more esteemed for that out of him many cite from these wordes Iehouah our God Iehouah the persons of Father Sonne and holy Ghost Yet I may for his skill speake as of one that of late wrote a Booke vnperfect and vnpermitted and forbyd to be printed of the Lyues of the Fathers A discourse framed by a rude Seruing man who had scraped notes from sundry men and stayned all eyther with argumentes vnapt or with blasphemous errours He citing Zoar a booke whereof he can not read one worde caused his booke to be fathered vpon such as woulde loath it and by such meanes many were dispersed and the simple much intangled The same is the case of these Rabbines who haue much from olde writers agreeable to the Apostles doctrine but stayned with dogged blasphemies notwithstanding their readines in the text and recordes in peeces of ancient trueth must be regarded And who so dealeth with them and is founde erronious in story as they who woulde make the rare type of Melchisedek to be of a nation cursed he shall geue them great occasion to disdayne the trueth as was geuen to Hierax and S. Augustine to runne to a speculation vnprofitable I may well ioyne R. Menachem to the authour of Zoar for his wordes Menachem most commonly foloweth Thus he writeth vpon Sedek part of the name and signifieth Iustice The meaning is that the terme Sedek hath a close betokening of Sâ—cinah
Greekes shoulde learne Religion was Sems tentes of olde tyme as I haue touched before their owne wordes from a threefolde aucthoritie And this their obseruation is good to helpe them For as the blessing was performed before Salem was abolished and the worde of the Lord did not fayle so they and we were to looke vnto the cursse Moses telleth that vpon denying the Lord the Lande shoulde haue an eternall desolation Gabriel telleth their particuler denyance in killing of Christ not esteeming of the couenant blood wherewith we are sanctified Our Lord tolde that by the abomination of desolation Math. 24. an host besieging Luk. 22. Ierusalem should be destroyed and continually abyde desolate whyle the Gentiles calling continued Great errour hath been herein committed by not marking the force of Noahs wordes pursued by Moses Gabriel the Lord and full euent and the glorious erecting of the Church tearmed The heauenly Ierusalem in steade of it The Apostata Iulian to falsifie our Lord his wordes stirred faythles Iewes to repayre Ierusalem being him selfe at great charges but Christ shewed his trueth For the Moulde which thousandes caried on the day time was on the night remoued lykewise their Morter and their Playster wyndes tempestes and stormes dispersed Their further madnes an Earthquake terrified Vpon many their buyldinges fallyng quelled them and playne tokens of Christ were agaynst them The Apostata woulde neuer haue been so mad yf he had knowen how long Noahs graunt for Sems place to heare a prerogatiue did continue The Popes when they had fallen as Starres from heauen and brought from the pit a smoke to darken the Starres euen when that Helbrande was manifested to haue the throne of Satan and all his power then they woulde falsifie our Lorde his wordes and would recouer Ierusalem to set vp there a superstition They styre warres for to recouer the low Ierusalem to weaken Princes that their Cleargy myght afterwardes haue Emperours and Kinges at their commaundement So the force of the West was sent to the East and there the foure quarters of the earth made greater warres for the Citie which had been once beloued then the Seleucide and Ptolemei of olde tyme made brynging thyther the force of Gog and Magog who also wrought and suffered greater slaughter then euer the worlde saw before or after for the holding of one place And reason woulde that men going about to disanull the wordes of our Lord should know the price of their folly Seeing they would helpe the Citie that killed Christ to repayre Ierusalem where he was killed to proue the wordes of trueth vntrue to buylde there whereupon Christ had pronounced in Daniel and in the Gospell a perpetuall desolation Our Lorde in wrath agaynst that place remembred mercy towarde the sonnes of Abraham For whereas this was and is amongst the Iewes a grounde of all their errour that Moses Lawes and Ceremonies continue for euer vnchanged and yet them selues confesse that whyle they be out of their Lande their Law can not haue his practise and that they are bounde to affyrmatiue commaundementes only in thynges about their body as Phylacteries and post-writinges The Lord in Moses Deut. 28. and in the Gospell Math. 23. leauyng an unchangeable decree for a perpetuall desolation doth playnely tell them that Sems tentes hauing receyued Iapheth into the same dwelling must be enlarged on the right and on the left hande that they may dwell in desolate Cities ouer all the worlde and buylde a larger Ierusalem then that where Sem dwelt Wherefore it is a great â—mperfection in vs that in so weighty a cause Christians shoulde be founde vnskilfull vnable to expresse the open prophecies for the open place and continuance of Sems Citie and also for the perpetuall Desolation and the vse of that Prophecy If for the fyrst poynt we be founde ignoraunt where Sems tentes were we shall neuer eleerely conclude agaynst them when Sems tentes lose their glory Through our foolysh deuotion towardes Ierusalem in that Pilgrimages be continued thyther and we do not openly profeâ—â—e that place a burden of impietie ouerslowen with an eternal Desolation Ramban a Iew writing vpon Leu. 26. sheweth him selfe stroken with blindnsse and astonyshment of hart For he sayth that God wyll not suffer Chanaan to be replenished with Heathen because God doth forsoth reserue it for Israâ—l to returne thyther Because these poore soules are not mad enough of them selues Popyshe superstition wyshe pricking them forwarde which as it is bad not limityng the ende and tearme of Sems house so let vs not be founde vncertayne for the first places of it Concernyng Mount Sion how ancient the dwelling of the holy Fathers haue been there the same is spoken of Hebrew doctors that the old Latines haue deliuered vnto vs. Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon sayth It is a tradition holden of all handes that the place where Dauid and Salomon buylt the Temple in the floore of Arauna the same is the place where Abraham buylt the Alter and bounde Isaak vpon it and the same is the place where Noah buylt when he came out of the Arke and there was the Alter where Kain and Abel offered where also the first Adam offered soone after that he was created Then if this be holden true the seconde ADAM fiâ—lished his course where the first Adam began his By this we may vnderstande that the Apostle woulde not hope to perswade the Iewes of any to dwell at Salem but Sem in those dayes seeyng this was their vniuersall opinion and so fit for helpe of memory for the story And this much for the place Salem Most certayne of all notes poynting at Sem is the Sacrificehood which though I haue touched already tymes one two three yea and the fourth as Plato phrazeth in Timoeo I must somewhat yet handle it a new and ioyntly with it the continuance without beginnyng of dayes or ende of lyfe As the Sonne of God tooke not of hym selfe the function of Sacrificer but was called by him who said Thou art a Sacrificer for euer after the order of Melchisedek So neyther woulde Moses haue vs to thynke that Melchisedek had not a caller or had an obscure callyng But this open callyng and warranted in story and the highest that wordes coulde expresse was fastened by Noah vpon Sem wherefore it must needes be that he woulde holde it and not yeelde his honour vnto any other The Lorde was not ashamed to be called the God of Sem in his lyfe tyme yea and in his young yeeres in respect of his whole age Iapheth his elder brother being a Prophet as the Iewes rightly thinke and perswaded by God to preferre Sems tentes Now yf Iapheth were his inferiour woulde Moses haue vs to thinke any other man his superiour to represent a Sacrificehood of lyfe vndissolued Neyther Moses nor the Apostle woulde euer wysh any such thought to climme into our heades And seeing the Mightie the most High would be
that is the Diuine nature More plaine is Rabbi Isaac ben Arama vpon Genesis whose wordes Sebastianus Munster Augustinus Nebiensis vse vpon Psal 110. where Melchisedek is a figure of Christ Thus he writeth VVe haue not founde any man not any Prophet whose natiuitie was prophecied before natiuitie of father or mother but onely that of Messias our iustice to that this is spoken And before the wombe before the mornyng hadst thou the dew of thy byrth before the wombe of thy mother was created thy byrth was prophecied And a close signification to the same matter is this Before the mornyng his name was Sonne The meaning is That before the Sunne was created subsisting and firme was the name of our Christ and he sate on the right hand of God And according to this spoken is that Sit on my right hand and agayne The throne shalbe established with mercy and he shall sit vpon it in trueth This much doth this Rabbin confesse Marke R. Moses Hadarsan vpon Gen. 14. And Melchisedek king of Salem He was Sem the sonne of Noah An other exposition Melchisedek c. as it is written The Lord sware and wyll not repent Thou art a Sacrificer for euer after the order of Melchisedek king of Salem And who is he This is the iust king and the sauiour Christ the King as it is sayd Beholde thy King a sauiour also that shall come to the iust This noteth Galatinus from Hebrewes Rabbi Phinees the sonne of Iair sayd Melchisedek that is Christ the king Now he is tearmed Melchi that is king because he is king of the whole worlde and Sedek that is iustice because he shall sende his iustice and his grace vpon the whole worlde as it is sayd Psal 83. Trueth shall budde from the earth and iustice shall be seene from heauen King of Salem that is of the high Ierusalem Consider now whether the Apostle doth not speake to the same effect styring them vp which are dull of hearyng to weigh many thinges from Melchisedek vnto Christe many and hard to be made playne thinges fit for men which haue their senses confirmed by vse This Malchisedek king of Salem the Sacrificer of the mighty most high who met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kinges and blessed him to whom also Abraham gaue tythe of all thinges who first is by interpretation king of righteousnes after that he is also king of Salem that is king of peace without father without mother without kinred hauing neyther beginning of dayes nor ende of lyfe but lykoned to the sonne of God continueth a Sacrificer for euer Consider how great he is vnto whom euen the Patriarke Abrabam gaue the tyth of the spoyles without all gainesaying The lesser is blessed of the greater Who can not see this spoken fitte for the opinion of the Hebrewes which hath continued vnto this day as may appeare by their wordes whom I brought foorth to speake A litle more from them touching the heauenly Ierusalem or Salem much as the Apostles do speake of it Thus wryteth Aben Ezra vpon Cant. 1. in Praes Know that in this spech O Daughters of Ierusalem many haue staggered seeing the Sinagoge of Israel speaketh it what that O Daughter of Ierusalem shoulde meane Some say there be two one in Heauen an other on the Earth beneath it answereable vnto it And Midras Psal 180. he sayth that it shall haue one hundreth fourtie and foure Gates for the twelue Tribes vsyng a phrase lyke that in Apo. 7. where one hundreth fourtie and foure thousande are sealed And Apo. 14 One hundreth fourtie and foure thousand are on Mount Sion Aben Ez. affirmeth that Salomons name in the ende of the Song signifieth Christ And Iarchi vpon the same Booke sayth that the families of the Gentiles are called the Daughters of Ierusalem Then by the best of their wordes the families of the Gentiles vnder Christ make that heauenly Ierusalem Midras vpon Psal 122. where Ierusalem is excedingly praysed expressedly nameth The high Ierusalem and the low But most plentifully in that is Zoar of the former R. Symeon Ben Iochaj who lyuing with R. Akiba esquire to Bar Chosha the pseudo Christ though he mist to holde the true Christ yet he is plentifull of good phrases such as the Apostles haue and speaketh better then he knew in the Apostles kinde Consider an other poynt what y â— Apostle meaneth when he saith of Melchisedek strangely he is by testimony faid to liue styl Although Learned men expounde it so that the not mentioning of his death is the testimony of his lyuing styl I dare not therein folow them to call silence a testimony neyther can I thinke that the Apostle writing to men professing deepe skill in learnyng and skant his fauourers woulde vse any worde that might not abide tryall of the aduersaries Now I holde that the Hebrewe wordes VE HV COHEN that is And he the same styll was sacrificer are vrged euen after Ben Iochais manner who was aliue when that the Apostles wrote and amongst that nation So in Zoar he the Rabbine expoundeth AND HE shall bruise the Serpentes head to import the nature euerlyuing So properly Psal 102. The worde HV importeth GOD who still is the same though the Heauens change Whose yeeres fayle not though the heauens waxe olde as doth a garment In that sort had I rather expounde the Apostle by the Hebrew maner then drawe him to be a coyner of new phrases Whereas the new Testament in 4640. wordes and some more hath not skant any worde or phrase but vsuall in that age specially it regarded the Iewes maner of speeches and in euery booke floweth with such which when we neglect we wander Now for the Sacrificer in Heauen whom Aaron on the earth resembled The godly in that age made the spech so vsuall that the wicked graunt Michael who is Christ the eternall Angell of the couenaunt to be Sacrificer in the Heauens So R. Symeon etteth from Exodus Thou shalt make all thynges according to the forme shewed on the Mountayne to teach men of a Sacrificer in Heauen who is Michael Which very same text the Apostle citeth disputing of y e Sacrificer entred into the Heauens Moreouer in wordes they confesse that Christ should be kilde and Christ supposed the sonne of Ioseph though presently they start aside and wrangle the later of them that there should be two Christes one of Ioseph Rachels sonne who shoulde be killed But their wordes may be cited as reason and art sheweth they were to vnderstand their fyrst aucthours Them selues confesse Christ that was killed to speake as Iehouah Zach. 12. And they haue no whit of glaunce to their other way in Scripture For it is expressedly tolde by Gabriel of the most holy Christ the gouernour or King that he shoulde be killed and ceasse Sacrifices who is Michael Dan 10. 13. 21. and 12 1. Apo. 12 7 and Iud. 9. who doth the worke of Iehouah
them And thus much for the terme Iustice conteyned in Sedek part of the Name Melchi-Sedek whereunto also I drew Religion as a chiefe spice vnder Justice Now for the place SALEM that helpeth not a lytle to know who the person is The worde SALEM betokeneth Peace and so the holy Ghost noteth the power of the worde Heb. 7. Now it was not a short continuance of peace that could make a famous name of peace wherefore long before Abrahams tyme it shoulde seeme to haue had quietnes But it wyll not soone agree with likelyhood that cursed Chanaans brood shoulde excell all in that blessing For the knowledge and loue of Christ onely gardeth men in a continuall peace which the buylders of Babel hauing once despised coulde neuer finde in their families vntyll Christ came Onely some fewe Proselytes yeelded vnto Abrahams religion As for the wicked Esay maketh them as a Sea tossed which casteth vp myre and clay And most liuely doth Daniel describe the enemies of the Iewes while they were the high Sainctes being as foure beastes commyng out of a Sea tossed with foure wyndes Also agaynst the Heathen Christians from out of the Sea ariseth Romes power as both Greekes and olde Romistes confidently expound it So for a long time more then the thyrde part of time since time was we haue a determination for prophane kingdomes how farre they are from such a state as God woulde call peace In all ages we see the state of peace and warre to be alyke The olde Serpent from Adam Gen. 3. to Iohn Apo. 12. executeth the same hatred that Salem properly can be no place but where God geueth a speciall blessing Expounders at Sichem buylt a Salem and make it Melchisedeks citie where Iacob becommeth salem that is safe not to Salem or Peace-Towne Gen 33 18. The warres made in Abrahams tyme and the leagues of men there teach vs to examine this story When the kinges of Elam Synear Ellasar and Goym fought with the kinges of Sodom Gomorra Adama Seboim and Bela the king of Salem had nothing to do with the warres nor with the twelue yeeres subiection nor with their rebellion As Abraham was in league with Mamre Eshcol and Aner so much rather than Melchisedek woulde haue been yf he had been of kinred When the foure kinges stroke Rephaim Zuzim Emim Chorim and En-Mispat to the playne of Pharan and the Emori in Chazazon-Thamar Woulde they haue suffered Salem so neare to be in peace but for some greater cause then woulde soone befall a Chanaanite to be in Wherefore the short Hebrew Commentary called An exposition of euery hard worde in that place calleth Melchisedek Sem induced not onely by aucthorities but also by the matter Whereas Chanaan by the cursse shoulde serue Sem and doubtles Sem woulde not omit the open vantage of superioritie it may well be that for some encrochment vpon the possessions of Sems families the first contention did arise Whereupon the king of Elam as the eldest house of Sem shoulde reuenge his younger cosens quarell That Sem shoulde settle in Salem it is by many reasons most lykely for some his posteritie and for his breathren Epiphanius so farre disputeth of Sems sonnes in such sort to haue been there but weeried thence by Chanaanites encrochment that there was a ciuill right and not onely the sole lordshyp of God in geuing Chanaan to Abraham And R. Abra Ben Isaak thinketh that Iacob the dweller in Tentes learned religion from the tentes of Sem Heber Now for Sems breathren the Greekes beare memory of Iapheth Anchiale a daughter of Iapheth is by Eustathius recorded to haue buylt the towne of that name As for Cham the lande of Egypt is expressely named of him Now for the middle brother the middle space betwixt both is the fittest The middle Seas most fitly seruing such vse of their lyfe And yf the first dwellinges by any partition from Noah were appoynted they gesse well which gesse at this partition for the first dwelling to be from Noahs appoyntment Abraham Ben Perizol a Iew in his Cosmographie foloweth Christians not only for placyng of Sem at Salem or for Cham of whose place none doubt But also for Iapheth to be setled where we place Iapheths sonnes We haue good reason because Virgil Ouid and Horace from Hesiodus and other ancient Greekes such as Eustathius afterwards foloweth vpon Homer making Iapheth one of the Gyantes in whose tyme they warred agaynst heauen Also Lucian before him making Iapheth the eldest of all folke because these carry the memory of Iapheth we haue good reason to place him in those countreys whence we came Horeouer Egyptians made a God of Ammon so Ch-am in Greeke may be written where Cheth is in many names as in Eue for Cheue vnpronounced and the Greeke termination obserued That religiō doth credite y e narratiō As that of our ancestors who were much better taught by Iapheth to auoyde Idolatry and to tearme hym one that had been in the Gyantes age and neuer to make a God of him or as that of the Fable which telleth that Prometheus the sonne of Iapheth made men of the slyme of the earth which thing came from his spech wherin he taught how God made Adam and Eue a pandora full of al goodly vertues that Heathen Charites Pallas and Venus coulde not be so well imagined of as Eue was Goodly in deede It is vsuall in all kinde of writers to attribute the worke vnto the narration So Christ was crucified before the Galathians not by the Souldiers of Cittim or Italy that with nayles and speare wrought the forespoken tyranny but by the tongue of the Disciples So Prometheus tongue made men And yf we from fables are called somewhat to a trueth for our ancetour shall not a more certayne recorde for the place of Sem fit for the situation fit for religon helde so continually of his posteritie moue vs to folowe ancient plainnes Or coulde there be any reason why Melchisedeks story shoulde be hid vntyll the Apostles tyme to haue an other meanyng afterwardes then euer it had before that the Apostles shoulde not be able to teach the olde sayth but by a new meaning in the story which Iewes neuer did neuer wyll lyke of The Apostles woulde haue no such reuerence geuen to their wordes as to bryng them to a meaning vnheard of by the Apostles nation Furthermore yf Mount Sion be so fayre in situation and the glory of all the earth where Isaak was offered where Salomons care buylt the first Temple where Cyrus decree buylt the seconde Temple where Christ the true Temple powred out the waters of lyfe shoulde we thinke that Sem being a Prophet woulde not enquire from what place the Lawe and the worde of Iehouah should come Nay it is expressely manifested and obserued by the very Iewes that the place whence the
that is voyde Now by the Law they meane not that which commonly men woulde thinke Moses law For long after that was geuen but they meane the commaundement of Circumcision or any thing that God commaunded Abraham The law of Fayth standeth rather in a narration then in a forme of imperatiue speech which being tolde but in Adams and Sems tyme for common and open recorde they who knew not Christ coulde neuer knowe whom Melchisedek coulde represent and they who knew the preferment of Sem woulde soone knowe why he shoulde be lykened to the sonne of God Sacrifices doubtles were commaunded but no expresse worde is written so that men myght be forâ—ed more to the law of Fayth which they that knewe not thought all a Tohu or emptinesse vntyll Abraham that euen Sem in all his royaltie and office coulde not shewe them an eternall Redeemer So for the other poynt of Dulnes in hearyng The Lord woulde neuer blame the Iewes Nation for ignoraunce in the Prophetes language open sayinges as Therig that they call the. 613. commaundementes nor for the tymes wherein for all knottes they yet haue the trueth nor for the place whyther Christ was to come nor for the families recorded who doubtles at that day agreed with S. Matthew and S. Luke though they woulde neyther commende them nor keepe a recorde of theyr owne they neuer durst resist them For these poyntes whereupon the Scripture to vs seemeth sealed with seauen seales for want of dayly readyng wherein we should be occupied The Nation most cunnyng in these poyntes touchyng the open phrase shoulde not be blamed but for the close lyfe skattered through all these sayinges the Scripture blameth for dulnesse of hearyng touchyng Christ for his person and his office For the whole worlde by losse of Millions dayly finde this a great secrete how God was manifested in the fleshe was iustified in the spirite was seene of Angelles was preached in the world was beleeued of nations was taken vp in glory The Turkes Iewes and all other Infidelles they heare this but they heare these poyntes dully Though in the two thousande yeeres of Tohu no expressed sayinges for Religion to continue are written but for these poyntes of the Seede that shoulde ouercome the Serpent and of the blessed God of Sem. By neglect of the first came impietie in all kindes and thereupon the Flood The floutyng of Sems blessing buylt Babel to make a Shem or Name and that bredde the shame of Languages Before Abraham and Moses this was a deepe poynt And after in expressed wordes it is the ende of the Law For Moses Leu. 26. describing perfect recompence of Iustice speaketh of plenty in Corne VVine Peace and such and of the placyng of Gods Tabernacle amongst vs which poyntes Amoz 9. S. Luk. 1. and Apo. 21 turne to Christ and neuer enclyneth towards any story in men for perfourming any such thing but contrary in the punishmentes for breaking Moses foretelleth their story vntyll they are in Babylon 70. yeeres and how they wyll confesse their sinnes and the sinnes of their Fathers and telleth how God will remember his Couenant with Iacob Isaak and Abraham and that he brought them out of the land of Egypt This doth Moses tell Daniel sheweth the perfourmance He when the Captiuitie was ended confesseth his sinne and the sinne of his Fathers and that euery cursse written by Moses had taken effect from the iust God and notwithstandyng that God would remember how he brought his people from Egypt Hereupon God doth worke for vs woonderfull thynges He sendeth an Angel to Daniel to teach him vnderstanding who did so as he him selfe recordeth for more certayntie that we shoulde take his wordes in that meanyng as he him selfe tooke them and not be wyser then Daniel He calleth the Prophet that gaue God holy prayse of iustice and trueh Delight it selfe Chamudoth in Hebrew and telleth that the worde came foorth at the beginnyng of his prayer Now he prayed for returne to buylde Ierusalem and from the outgoing of that worde vnto Messias the king most holy brynging in Iustice eternal to ende Sacrifice to seale vision and Prophet 490. yeeres exactly were pared out and thereupon Ierusalem shoulde be destroyed This he tolde but who did looke so farre to the ende of the Law As Moses face did shyne to such as coulde looke vpon it so doth his doctrine shyne to such as pursue the tenour of it Yet none can come to the ende of it nor remoue the coueryng from their hart but such as the Father doth turne and draw vnto the Sonne After the Lord had long taught lytle coulde men looke into the person of Christe They thaught him to be Iohn Baptist Elias Ieremy or one of the Prophets but could not know the King Holy of Holy therein they were styll dull of hearyng Neyther coulde any of the Scribes and Pharises assembled tel how Christ was both Lord and Sonne of Dauid Let vs come to the Apostles them selues how skantly they knewe Christe Peter doth confesse that he was Christ the Sonne of the lyuing God but the thunder of his power agaynst Satan by his death that he did not vnderstande For when the Lord sayd that he shoulde be killed and ryse agayne the thyrde day he was not now Symeon Bar Iona a ryght hearer of Ionas case what shoulde be answereable to Ionas lying in the Whales belly there dayes and three nyghtes but sayd Chos ve shalom in our phrase God forbid being a Satan a stumbling blocke not conceyuing the thynges of God Let vs consider how dull we our selues are for the worde Rocke That worde in the Prophetes diuinity and in the Apostles phrase and course of the demaunde of Christ importeth God So the Septugint translate the terme ZVR that is Rocke by tearme Theos God And this sentence twise telleth vs that playnely there is no Zur Rocke but Iehouah And S. Paul called Christ the Rocke and our Lord sealeth vp the Disciples answere how he him selfe is the most Holy the Rocke who wyll performe vision and Prophet by whom alwayes came forgeuenes of sinnes In this poyâ—t the sharpest edge wyll soone turne aside The Romises do not onely there turne to Peter the name neuer bestowed but vpon God but do the lyke in Gen. 3. saying She not HE shall bruise the head Though the masculine gender be past all doubt in the Hebrew These deepe sayinges they mocked before the Flood and at Babels worke And when Christ graunted that he was the Sonne of God they made that the occasion of his death Moreouer when S. Stephen sayd That Iesus of Nazareth woulde destroy that place and alter the lawes that Moses gaue what had he then spoken more then Gabriel spake That Christ woulde destroy Citie and Sanctuarie and finishe Sacrifice Offering And where it is in Moses sayd that his lawes should continue Le Olam continually It falleth out most fitly in this cause For Olam signifieth a Iubilee