Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Appendix
AN APPENDIX, OR ADDITION TO THIS SECOND BOOKE, containing that divine Prophecie of IACOB, in his last Will and Testament, and the Historie of his solemne funerall, and honourable buriall.
Dedicated To the right reverend Fathers in God, TOBIE, L. Bishop of Duresme, and MARTIN, L. Bishop of Elie.
RIght Reverend Fathers, among other honorable Friends, whom I have remembred in this worke, I thought it not fit in silence to passe by your Lordships: of whose humanity, humility, and love, especially toward Ministers and Preachers of the word, as of the one I heare honourable report, so of the other, I have comfortable experience:1 Tim 3.3. Tit. 1.8. that unto you both fitly agreeth S. Pauls description of a Bishop, that he should be gentle, and foreign, a lover of good men, as Ambrose saith, Episcopu… ut membris suis utatur clericis, & maxime Ministris, qui sunt vere filii: Offic. 2.27▪A Bishop should use Ministers as his members, and Clergy men, as children.
I have beene bold to ioyne you together, in this Preface, that as you were consociate together in your learned education in that famous college,Christs-church in Oxford. and are now still linked together in affection; so I would not separate you in this dedication: that as Ambrose saith, Quemadmodum vobis ibi omnia fuere communia, In obit. Satyr▪ita hic quoque jus dividuum nesciatis: that as there you enioyed a certaine communion, so here you should not have a division.
One of your Lordships hath an interest in me, as being Patron of that Church to the which I am called; the other hath an interest in this worke: to whom one already, a painfull and industrious man,Master Gibbons upon Genesis dedicated to the L. Bishop of Duresme. now as I heare with the Lord, did dedicate his labours upon Genesis: that which he begunne, making but an entrance into this booke, I have by Gods grace finished: yet proceeding an other way, than …e… propounded to himselfe, and as yet hath not beene attempted by any: so that I may in some sort modesty say with Hierome, Opus in manibus mauditim habeo, non quod studium …eum insolenter extollam, sed quod sudoris conscius, ad lectionem eorum pro vocem nescientes: I have a worke in hand, not heard of before, no… that I insolently commend my study, but only to provoke to the reading of that, wherein I have so much laboured, those which yet knew it not.
In this Booke of Genesis, Moses the first and best Historiographer, doth pen the lives and acts of the holy Patriarks, Abraham, Isaack, Iacob, Ioseph, with the rest: into whom God vouchsafed this great honour, that so great a Prophet as Moses, like unto whom there rose not up any in Israel, should be the Chronicler of their doings. Tullie in a certaine place remembreth of Alexander the great conquerour,Orat. pro Archia. that beholding Achilles tombe, he should thus say; O fortunate adolescens, qui tuae virtutis Homerum praeconem inveneris, O happy young man, which hadst Homer to be the setter forth of thy praise. But much more happy are these fathers whose doings are commended and recorded by Moses.
The examples of these godly Fathers, who practiced as they professed, and so lived as they loved God, whose obedience was answerable to their faith, doe teach all Christians, but especially us that are set apart to this function, to beautifie and adorne our holy vocation,1 …. 2.21. with a godly conversation: So Abraham is set forth in Scripture not onelyonly as a faithfull beleever, but as a fruitfull follower of good works: by his faith he was justified with God, by his works he is also said to be justified, that is, so declared and testified before men: whose example we must imitate both for beleeving and living, whose sonnes and daughters we are,1 Pet. 3.9. as the Apostle saith, While we doe well. Cyprian also well saith, Nil prodest verbis proferre veritatem, & factis destruere virtutē, serm. de mortalit. altaribus placere debent, qui de altaribus vivunt; tales sunt sacrati, qualia sacra sunt, de singular. Clericor. It profiteth not in words to pronounce verity, and in deeds to renounce verture: they which live of the Altar, must please the God of the Altar: consecrated men should be like to the sacred things.
In this last addition to this booke, I have explaned the divine & propheticall speeches and bequests of Iacob to his sonnes: and especially that heavenly prophecie of the comming of Shilo, Gen. 49.10. where I have brought divers expositions of sundry learned men, and some not yet touched by any: I have handled in this & other parts of this worke many difficult questions, with such perspicuity, brevity, variety, as I either could, or they have yet beene treated upon by any: so that I trust as Hierome saith of the transslating of Origen into the Latine tongue, I may say of our English, Agnoscit Anglicana lingua quantum boni & ante nescierit & scire nunc coeperit, Romana apud Hieron.praefat. in Origen. in Luk. That by this meanes it knoweth both how much good it was ignorant of before, and beginneth to know now.
These my labours I now commend to the profitable use of the Church of God, and your favourable censure, and your Lordships to the blessed protection of the Almighty.
Your Lordships ready to be commanded in the Lord, ANDREW WILLET.