Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Dedication 7 – Part 2
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE HIS SINGVLAR GOOD LORD, SIR THOMAS EGERTON, Lord Ellesmere, Lord Chancellor of England, and of his Majesties most honourable privie Councell.
RIght Honourable, there is a saying,foreign. That nothing so soone w…eth old, as thankes for a benefit received: This imputation of unthankfull oblivion might justly fall upon mee, if having occasion to use my penne, I should in silence passe over your Honour: I cannot therefore forget your Honourable favour and bounty, which I have some yeeres past felt and found. The eye better seeth the object removed in equall distance from it, than when it is put close unto it: so a thankfull heart will as well consider of a benefit after, as at the first time when it is received. I hate flattery, neither have I used to fawne upon great men, in praising above desert, or blazing their names, whom their vertues commend not: yet I hold it as great a wrong not to ascribe praise where it is deserved, as it is follie to give it where it is not due. It is a good saying,Plutar…. foreign. It is seemely to give incense unto God, and praises unto good men: for the praise of the instrument redoundeth to him that handleth it, and the industry of the Minister commendeth the skill of the chiefe worker: and the acknowledging of the gifts and graces of men, setteth forth the praise of God that giveth them.
This therefore I cannot conceale, that I have found your Honour the greatest respecter, and only rewarder of my poore travels and labours. This I speake not, as though wee which by preaching and writing keepe the watch-tower against the enemy, ought to make the reward of the world the end and scope of our paines taken in the world: I hold it Pharisaicall to doe any thing,Matth. 6▪ for the praise or recompence of men. This is sufficient for the servants of Christ, that their Lord hath promised; Thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14.14▪ Menide…u… ▪I am of his minde, that when one had said, It is an excellent thing for a man to obtaine all that he desires: made this answer: Multò majus est non desider are e…, quib… nibil indiges: But it is a greater matter, not to desire at all the things which thou needest not. But this I have mentioned, to note by the way the strange humour of this age, that of all presents, least esteemeth bookes, and vilipendeth no gift, as it doth the fruits of Scholars studies. I have read that the women among the people called Iberi, Ex histor. Nicola… de m…rib. Gentia….did use every yeere to shew publikely their spinning worke, and that she was most honoured, which in the judgement of the men had laboured most. If the Spinsters of these times,A & 9. …. Cor. 11.…. which spinne and weave garments, not with Dorcas to cloathe the body, but with Paul to adorne the soule, were had in such regard, we should have more spinners, and better worke. Such bookes I confesse, as feede mens fansies, and breed wanton delight, are had of some in price, when graver treatises are set light by:Ex A…lii Donati praef…t. in Ter…ntium. as one of Terentius Comedies, called Eunuchus, was valued at eight thousand peeces of money, which make two hundred crownes: more than all Tullies Orations, and other his learned workes were esteemed at. But the choice of bookes should bee as the choice of Physicians: Medicus non jucundior, sed utilior eligitur: A man will have a Physician rather profitable, that can doe him good, than pleasant to feede him with words. Such difference there is in bookes: they which please the eare doe flourish with leaves, but such as instruct the minde doe yeeld the fruit: the one as a song of Musicke, that endeth with the sound, the other as wholsome physicke, that worketh after it is gone:Oenopides so distinguisheth the bookes of the learned and unlearned. the bookes of the one are foreign, Commentaries to instruct, the other are foreign, Commemoratives of mens folly. Now what should be the reason, why bookes of Divinity are so much at many hands contemned, and treatises of vanity so highly commended, may easily be conjectured: for as Diogenes being asked, why men used to give unto the blind and lame, but not unto Philosophers, made this answer, Because they may thinke they may one day become blind and lame themselves, but never hope to be Philosophers: So mens affections being blind and lame, and their phantasies vainly bent, must needs delight in vaine and lame pamphlets which feede their humours, and cannot brooke that which would purge them. But leaving to complaine of that which I cannot helpe, I cannot but commend that which I heare, and have my selfe found: that your Lordships respective care in preferring freely men of desert, (a rare president in these corrupt times) and protecting and patronizing their labours, is not the meanest flower in your garland, nor the smallest pearle among your jewels, nor of the least grace among your vertues.Lima nunquam pulchri…r appare… quàm cum plena est. But as Plutarke saith, The Moone never sheweth fairer, than when it is at the full: so your beneficence and favour toward such, sheweth your fulnesse, which with all other honourable parts I wish may still increase with you as the Moone, and never decrease as the Sunne.
Now in one word I will touch the occasion of my writing. As before I handled, in my Commentary upon Genesis, the holy histories of Abraham, Izhak, Iakob, Ioseph: So observing the same method, I have entred into the history of Moses life and acts. I have chiefly handled the obscurer questions, which fall out in this booke of Exodus, not to bee inferiour (in mine opinion) either in depth of knowledge, or weight and pithinesse of argument or variety of delight, to any in all the Scripture: Neither have I omitted the plainer observations (of most speciall note) fit for edifying: for, as Augustine well saith, In omni copia scripturarum sanctarum, pascimur apertis, exercemur obscuris: illie fames pellitur, hic fastidium: In the great plenty of the sacred Scriptures wee are nourished with the plaine places, and exercised with the obscure; that ariveth away hunger, and this satiety. Of Moses therefore the Writer of the Law, I thought good to write to a Moses in our times, a most honourable Professor and Iudge of the Law. Three things in Moses are worthy of all eminent persons to be imitated: his beginning without ambition, his proceeding without corruption, his ending with glory.
For the first, Moses presumptuously aspired not to that high calling, to be the deliverer and Iudge of the Lords people, but by all meanes would have declined it. And as the Apostle noteth of Aaron, that no man taketh this honour to himselfe, Heb. 5.4▪but he that was called of God, as Aaron: So was it true of Moses: and therefore as Hierome saith; Indignum se judicans ministerio Dei, major effectus est: While hee counted himselfe unworthy of the service of God, he became greater.
Secondly, in the execution of his office, Moses was most faithfull: as the Scripture giveth testimony of him, that he was faithfull in all his house, Heb. 3.2. Hee aExod. 2.12.delivered the oppressed, delayed not bExod. 18.14.the right of the poore, cDeut. 16.19.received no gifts, dIbid.corrupted not judgement, sought not himselfe. The people waited upon Moses, but from morning to even, Exodus 18.14. which Iethro his father in law thought to bee too much, that the people should stay so long for judgement, and therefore adviseth him to take a more speedy course for expedition.Exod. 1… ▪ It was admirable that Moses having six hundred thousand people to attend upon him for their causes, held them no longer, than from morning to even. Herein your Honour, with other of your honourable place, shall doe well (as your Honour hath well shewed heretofore your care that way) to imitate Moses, in abridging the tediousnesse and length of suits, and in taking care that poore suters bee not wearied with long attendance. But this is more to bee wondred at, that Moses having two sonnes, Gershon and Eleazar, sought not their advancement, nor to make them great, seeing he consecrated Aaron and his sonnes for the Priesthood, and ordained Ioshua his minister and servant, to succeede him in the government, making no mention at all, nor commending his sonnes unto God for either place. Wherein hee well declared, that hee affected not the greatnesse of his owne house, but studied wholly for the welfare of the people of God. And herein Ioshuah followed his masters steps, who divided the land of Canaan among the tribes, and left nothing for himselfe, but that the people last of all cast him out a part, and that but a meane one in the barren mountaines:Hieron. epitaph. Paule. as Hierome noteth, writing of that Christian Matron Paula, how shee visited the sepulchre of Ioshuah: Satisque mirata est, quod distributer possessionem sibi montana & aspera delegasset: And marvelled very much, that the divider of the possessions chose the hilly and craggie places for himselfe: and he addeth further: Imo Iosua nihil sibi reliquit, sed portio ab Israelitis illi concessa: Ioshua left nothing for himselfe, but a portion was given him by the Israelites: as is evident Iosh. 19.49. Whence it cannot be inferred, that it is unlawfull for Governors to provide for their kindred and posterity: for Ioseph being in authority nourished his father and brethren: but hereby it appeareth, that the chiefest care of Magistrates, who are Fathers of the Common-wealth, should be for the publike weale, more than for their private wealth: As the Apostle saith, I seeke not yours but you, 2. Cor. 12.14.for the children ought not to lay up for the fathers, but the fathers for the children. And Bernard saith well: Praees, Bernard. de considerat▪ lib. 3.nunquid ut de subditis crescas? nequaquam; sed ut ipsi de te: Thou art set over others, not that thou shouldest increase by them, but that they be increased by thee.
As Moses was faithfull and sincere in his office, so his end was glorious: who ever had a more honourable end than Moses, whom the Lord is said to have buried?Deut. 34.5. Ambr. de Cain & Abel, lib. 1. cap. 2. whereof Ambrose thus writeth: Quis in terrenis ejus potuit deprehendere reliquias, quem secum esse Dei filius in Evangelio demonstravit? Who could thinke to finde his reliques (that is, his body) in the earth, whom the Sonne of God shewed in the Gospell to bee with him? Such an honourable end God will send to all Christian Magistrates that walke in Moses steppes: whose excellent vertues of humility, sincerity, piety, while your Honour setteth before your eyes, Moses reward of immortall glory shall assuredly follow, through the abundant mercies of God, and the infinite merits of Iesus Christ our blessed Saviour, to whom bee praise for ever.
Your Honours ready to be commanded in the Lord, ANDREW WILLET.
THE SECOND PART OF THIS BOOKE OF EXODVS, OF THE CONSTITUTION AND SETling of both the Ecclesiasticall and civill State of Israel, by most just and godly Lawes.
THe first part of this booke concerneth the deliverance and redemption of the people, both from the cruell bondage of the Egyptians, and from other dangers, which befell them in the desart. Now followeth the other generall part, of the constitution and setling of their State, by wholesome and good Lawes, both morall, judiciall, and ceremoniall, to chap. 30. with the execution and practice of the people, to the end of the booke.