Look from Adam and Behold the Protestants Faith Proved, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. That the holy Patriarks alſo were Chriſtians, and ſaved by Chriſt.
SUch faith in Chriſt Ieſus as we now have ſpoken of, did the holy father Adam (no doubt) teach his children: that they alſo might plant in their children the promiſe of God, his mercy and device concerning the Meſſias or Saviour, that was for to come. And truly Abel had ſuch a notable faith in God, that the holy Apoſtle Paul wrote of him after this manner:Heb. 11.4. Through faith did Abel offer a greater ſacrifice than did Cain, and thereby obtained he witneſſe that he was righteous. For God bare record to his gifts. In as much then as it cannot be denied, but that all they which are juſt and righteous, be made righteous through the bleſſed ſeed. And Abel was juſtified.Outward ſacrifice was a token of thankfulneſſe. It followeth that he was made righteous through faith in Ieſus Chriſt. In that he did ſacrifice, it is a token and fruit of a heart that was thankfull, and feared God. It was no ſuch enterpriſe, that he would clenſe and make himſelfe acceptable unto God through that outward ſacrifice. For certaine it is, that no outward oblation purifieth man within: But the grace of God granted unto us through Jeſus Chriſt, purifieth us aright. And the outward ſacrifices of the old fathers, beſide that they were tokens of thankfulneſſe, praiſe, and magnifying of God, (as it is ſaid afore) were figures of the only perpetuall ſacrifice of our Saviour Chriſt. And in this behalfe they were even as much as ſacraments of things to come. Thus alſo, and in like underſtanding have our firſt fathers done ſacrifice, as hereafter it ſhall follow more largely.
Now like as in Abel there is ſet forth unto us an example of Gods ſeed, and of a regenerate true faithfull Chriſtian man.Cain the father of wickedneſſe. So is Cain a ſeed of the Serpent, a childe of the Devill, which deſpiſed the inſpiration of God, and harkened to the deceitfull Serpent. And in theſe two brethren wee may ſee what God meaned, when he ſaid: I will put enmitie betweene the ſeed of the woman and thy ſeed. As though he would ſay: There ſhall be two manner of people, the one ſhall cleave unto Chriſt, the bleſſed ſeed, the other ſhall cleave unto the Devill. And theſe two generations ſhall in no wiſe agree, but be at variance in faith and religion. I will endue my ſeed, that they ſhall cleave only unto me, feare me, honour and worſhip mee, ſeeke all ſalvation in me through the bleſſed ſeed, live vertuouſly, honeſtly, and ſoberly. Then ſhall the Serpent tempt their ſeed with hypocriſie, not to love me nor ſerve mee aright, not to hold of mee as they ſhould, not to truſt in me, but to love the world, and to follow the luſts and temptations thereof: All this finde wee here in theſe two brethren, in whom beginneth the firſt difference of true and falſe beleevers.The firſt diviſion in rel…gion, when it began. For Abel was ſimple, godly, and of a conſtant faith in God. And in as much as he tooke God for his refuge, he brought him gifts of his beſt ſubſtance, no doubt becauſe he had firſt given over his ſoule and all his power unto God, at whom alone hee ſought all good without any hypocriſie. He was alſo innocent, vertuous and friendly, and followed not his owne tentations. And for this faiths ſake did his ſacrifice pleaſe God: but Cains pleaſed him not, for his heart was not right with God: he was a diſſembler, greedie and vnfaithfull perſon, which ſet his heart and minde upon earthly things, alway deſpiſing Gods word, and following his owne tentation. Which thing was evident in this, that he having no cauſe (only of a wilfull heart, and through the temptation of the ſerpent) murthered his owne brother: Whereby hee hath obtained to be the Arch-father of all murtherers, which perſecute and murther the ſeed of God (that is to ſay, the true beleevers) only for their faiths ſake. Thus became Abel the firſt martyr and inſtrument of God and of Chriſt in the holy Church.Abel the firſt Martyr. The world the citie of the Devill. For theſe two brethren have ſet forth before us, the whole battell and ſtrife, which the world, the citie of the devill, the children and citizens of the curſed citie (wherein the Serpent is head and maſter, and hath the dominion) ſhall make againſt the citie and citizens in whom Chriſt is the head, unto the end of the world. The freemen of the citie of God and of Chriſt, doe cleave only unto God,The difference of true and falſe faith. ſerve him with all their heart, build only upon Chriſt. The citizens of the Serpent deſpiſe God, and yet they boaſt of God, to whom alſo they offer and doe ſervice, but not as they ought to doe. Now when they perceive that their faith is not right, and that their hypocriſie is eſpied and miſliked, then fall they to murthering, to the which God is an enemie, and forbiddeth it with his word. For Cain alſo exhorted hee from his purpoſe, and ſaid, Thou needeſt not to arme thee becauſe of thy brother, for thou haſt none occaſion to be angrie with him. For if thou doeſt right, thou ſhalt finde it, and have joy thereof: but if thou doſt not right, then is thy misfortune, ſinne and treſpaſſe open, and thou ſhalt ſhame and deſtroy thy ſelfe. Thy brother goeth on without fault, he ſhall doe thee no hurt nor harme: he ſhall alſo not be Lord over thee, nor miniſh thy right: Yea he ſhall have reſpect unto thee, and thou ſhalt have dominion over him, and ſo keepe thy birth-right, and ſtill remaine the firſt borne, although his ſacrifice be acceptable unto mee and not thine. Ceaſe therefore from thy wicked purpoſe, and offend not againſt thy brother.
But Cain did as all ungodly doe: For he went forth, and ſlew his innocent brother. And afterward when the Lord would have brought him into the knowledge of his great ſinne, and pardon him, he deſpiſed the voice of the Lord with craking and facing.The firſt decay of the faith was by curſed Cain. For the which cauſe the Lord was wroth with him, and curſed him. Then deſpaired he firſt, and went forth and became yet more wicked, dealt altogether ungodly, ſet firſt his minde upon earthly things, thought to exalt his name upon earth, and builded the firſt citie, which he called Hanoch: hee begat ſonnes and daughters, but little feare of God was before their eyes, in ſo much that the Scripture ſaith,Geneſ. 4.25. Adam lay with his wife againe, and ſhee bare a ſonne, whom ſhee called Seth. For God (ſaid ſhee) hath given me another ſeed for Abel, whom Cain ſlew. Seth alſo had a ſonne, and he called him Enos. And then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. Out of the which words it is eaſie to underſtand, that as touching holy Adam, Adam was not of the faith of Cain.hee held no more of Cain, than as though he never had had childe. For Adam feared God: Cain with his progenie deſpiſed God, and became the Serpents generation. Wherefore when Adam had gotten another ſonne, he was of a good hope, that in Abels ſtead God had given him another ſonne, which ſhould doe right, and of whom the root of the bleſſed ſeed ſhould ſpread out afterward. For the which cauſe alſo he called him Seth, which by vsus is called a plant,Seth the fir… re…e… of the true faith. meaning, that God had ſet and planted him as a branch, out of which the Meſſias ſhould be borne. For as for Cain, hee doubted of him. And from the ſame Seth proceeded the generation of the righteous untill Noe, and from him to Abraham, and ſo unto David, and from thence forth unto Chriſt. This Seth repaired our holy faith, which received great hurt at the death of Abel. The reparation of our fa…th.This did Seth (I ſay) for as much as he being taught inwardly of God, and by mouth or outwardly of Adam, learned his children and their ſeed, to put their truſt in God, and to comfort themſelves in the bleſſed ſeed, and to cleave unto the ſame.Gen. 4.26. For it is written manifeſtly: And then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. Till this time was Adam with Heva his wife only a true friend and ſerver of God.Adams life. The generation of Cain was now well ſpread abroad, and come to two hundred and fiftie yeeres and aboue, but the more part lived without the feare of God, unrepentant and ungodly. Wherefore in as much as the generation of Seth now increaſed, and the feare of God and right beleefe was among them, the Scripture faith well:To call upon the name of God, what it is. And then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. And by this calling upon, doth the Scripture meane the true right beleefe and Gods ſervice, that he moſt alloweth. Of the progenie therefore of righteous Seth ſprang the ſervants of God, and preſidents of our Chriſtian faith. As for the curſed generation of Cain, and of the ungodly, it was deſtroyed and drowned with the Floud.
To the holy genealogie of the true beleevers, pertaineth the Patriarke Enoch, of whom it is written, that he walked before God, that is, he ordered his life and converſation altogether after the will of God, being conſtant and upright (no doubt) in all that, which God had ſpoken unto Adam. Therefore became he alſo an example of the immortalitie of the ſoule, and reſurrection of the bodie, and that all Gods ſervants ſhall be ſaved after this life. For thus ſaith the Scripture; And in as much as hee applied himſelfe to walke after God, God tooke him away, and he was no more ſeene. Hebr. 11.5.The holy Apoſtle Paul alſo in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrewes ſpeaketh very excellently of Enochs faith, ſo that no man may doubt, but that hee had reſpect to the bleſſed ſeed, and pleaſed God through Chriſt.
Moreover, the enmitie betweene the children of God and of man (that is, the iſſue of the Serpent) grew ever more and more: ſo that on the one ſide the multitude of God increaſed, and on the other ſide the multitude of the devill:The number of the wicked ever greateſt. Yet at the laſt the multitude of the wicked was greateſt. For when the children of God withheld not themſelves from the children of the world, but tooke wives and huſbands among them, they begat rough people, which had no faith at all, and lived only after their owne luſt and temptation, forgat God utterly, and regarded not the hundred and twentie yeeres which God gave them to amend. Therefore was God conſtrained, ſo to puniſh the unfaithful world once,The wrath of God upon the wicked. that all poſterities unto the end of the world might have a terrible example of the juſt wrath of God: whereby they might learne, how ungodlineſſe and unrighteouſneſſe diſpleaſeth God. Thus the Lord brought the floud upon all the earth,Noes Floud. overthrew all that ſtood up, and deſtroyed every thing that had life, when the world had ſtood now a thouſand ſix hundred and ſix and fiftie yeeres. For ſo many yeeres finde wee in the fifth and ſeventh of Geneſis, where it is written, that Noe was ſix hundred yeeres old, when the floud came upon the earth. Now if wee reckon the yeeres of the old Fathers in the fifth chapter untill Adam, wee ſhall finde the foreſaid ſumme. And thus the iſſue of the Serpent had an end, and all ungodly and unrighteous living was mightily ſuppreſt and deſtroyed of God.
And in this horrible deſtruction of the ungodly, was faithfull Noe ſaved (he being the eighth) and preſerved in the Arke through the grace and merciemercy of God.The firſt triumph of faith in Noe. Here our holy true Chriſtian faith had the victorie, and triumphed. For Noe was of our faith▪ even of the ſeed of God, and put his truſt in the bleſſed ſeed our Lord Jeſus. Yea, the Arke or ſhip of Noe was a figure of Chriſt, as we may eaſily underſtand by the words of S. 1 Pet. 3.21.Peter, 1 Pet. 3. Seeing then that Noe was preſerved through the Arke, it followeth that hee was ſaved by Ieſus Chriſt, therefore is it manifeſt, that hee firſt beleeved in Chriſt. Noe alſo was hee, with whom God firſt renued the covenant made with Adam. For it is but one covenant onelyonly even the foreſaid promiſe and end made by God unto Adam. Howbeit the ſame covenant was afterward at certaine times renued by reaſon of certaine occaſions. Here might Noe have thought that all the world, and all men, ſhould utterly have beene undone, for as much as the Lord ſaid, I am determined to deſtroy all fleſh. Therefore immediately he addeth moreover, and ſaith,Geneſ. 6.18. But with thee will I ſet up my covenant, that is to ſay, whatſoever pertaineth to my covenant, and what I have promiſed Adam alreadie, the ſame will I ſurely and conſtantly make good: and though I now deſtroy the world, yet will I performe my truth through thee. For I will preſerve thee alive, that the bleſſed ſeed promiſed afore, may hereafter be borne of thee in his generation. To this did Noe truſt,The ſacrifice of Noe. and was preſerved of God through Chriſt. Moreover, when he was come out of the Arke he did ſacrifice, and thereby declared the thankfulneſſe of his heart, and beleeved, how that he knew that he had all good of God, which ſhould alſo give him a ſeed, that with ſacrificing of himſelfe ſhould reconcile and pacific God. For thus ſaith the Scripture,Geneſ. 8.20. Noe builded an Altar unto the Lord, and tooke of all manner of cleane beaſts and fowles, and offered burnt ſacrifice unto the Lord: and the Lord ſmelled the ſweet ſavour, and ſaid in his heart, I will no more curſe the earth for mans ſake, &c. So ſaith Paul in the fifth to the Epheſians,Epheſ. 5.2. Walke yee in love, like as Chriſt hath loved us, and gaue himſelfe for us an offering ſacrifice of a ſweet ſavour unto God. Whereby every man may learne and ſee, that the ſweet ſmell of the outward ſacrifice of Noe did not chiefly pacifie God,Outward ſacrifice the figure of Chriſts oblation. and was pleaſant; but rather that through the bodily ſacrifice, was figured the ſacrifice of Chriſt, and for his ſake he was mercifull unto the world. For over Chriſt he ſaid at Iordan when Chriſt was baptiſed:Matth 3.17. This is my deare beloved Sonne in whom I am pacified or reconciled.
The Commandements given unto Noe.Beſides this, the Lord gave unto Noe certaine lawes, but none other than even ſuch as he had given to his fore-fathers, and written in their hearts. The firſt pertaineth to mariage and bringing up of children, in the which is comprehended all that is written concerning nurture, cleanlineſſe and temperance, of care and bringing up of children in the feare of God, vertue, obedience and learning. The ſecond forbiddeth violence and deceit, namely, that no man ſhall eat bloud. For it is a figurative precept commanding, that no man get his living by murther, by oppreſſing the poore, by uſurie, by extortion, by falſhood and deceit. Moreover, all things living were ſubdued unto him, and all meats were permitted him. In concluſion, whatſoever concerned the love of God and their neighbour, the ſame is here renued unto Noe and his children, and required of them.
Through Noe was the world repleniſhed.Of Noe came afterward all people, yea among his three ſonnes Iaphet, Sem and Cham, he had both the ſeed of God and of the froward ſerpent, that is, ſuch as had reſpect unto God, and them alſo that regarded the devill.Cham the firſt Idolater after the Floud. Of Cham came the Aegyptians, Aſſyrians, Babylonians, by and from whom ſprang idolatry, offering to images, and from whom falſe religion came up firſt, and was brought in among other nations by the helpe of the old ſerpent, as among the Greekes, Romanes, and other people.
By this it is good to underſtand, that our holy Chriſtian faith is elder than any other. For here may we ſee clearely, that after a thouſand and certaine hundred yeeres (almoſt in the eight hundreth or nine hundreth yeere) came up the firſt beginning of the Heathens beleefe and offering to Images,The fa…th …f Heathen …s idolatry … Gen. 10.…. and yet came it of wicked curſed men. For curſed Cham was the beginning of the Egyptians, and Nimroth the ungodly extortioner and tyrant was the firſt founder of the kingdom of Babylon, which kingdome with the building of a mighty tower, ſet forth his pride. Nevertheleſſe the hand of God declared it ſelfe immediatly,Gen. 11 … ▪ as it is read in the eleventh chapter of Geneſis. Finally, in the generation of Cham had the ſerpent great power: howbeit in the poſteritie of Iaphet alſo (of whom the Almaines come) and in the poſteritie of Sem, he had his iſſue likewiſe.
Of the progenie of Sem were borne Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, Gen. 11. And as it is ſaid afore,Gen▪ 11.10.27. Faith d…kned after the floud. the ſincere faith was ſomewhat darkned in Chaldea: therefore did God call Abraham out from the idolatrie, and renued with him the old true Chriſtian faith begun with Adam, and ſaid, Gen. 12.Gen. 12.1. Get thee out of thy country and from thy kinred, and from thy fathers houſe unto the land that I will ſhew thee, and I will bleſſe thee, and make a great nation of thee. And in thee ſhall all the nations of the earth be bleſſed. Item in the 22. chapter ſpeaketh God yet more clearely,Geneſ. 22.18. and ſaith, In thy ſeed ſhall all the nations of the earth be bleſſed. This doth Paul declare in the third to the Galathians, and ſaith, In thy ſeed which is Chriſt. Galath. 3.8.Therefore was the ſame now another renewing of the promiſe of Chriſt the bleſſed ſeed.The promiſe renewed to Abraham. For firſt was he promiſed unto Adam, afterward was the promiſe renewed with Noe, and now with Abraham. And all this now is but one promiſe,Abrahams faith. one Saviour, and one faith. Abraham alſo beleeved in Ieſus Chriſt, and was ſaved by faith. For Ieſus Chriſt ſaith himſelfe in the eighth chapter of Iohn, Iohn 8.56.Abraham ſaw my day, and rejoyced. What is now the day of Chriſt but the clearneſſe of the holy Goſpell? This light had he not bodily, but ſaw it with the eyes of faith, and the ſame made him joyfull and ſaved him. For Chriſt is the true joy of troubled conſciences. Thus became Abraham the Father of all faithfull beleevers,Rom. 4.16. Rom. 4. And if we beleeve and doe as Abraham did, then are we Abrahams children, and ſhall reſt with him in his boſome, even in the kingdome of God, Luke 13.28.16.22.19. Mat. 8.11. Paul alſo to the Galathians in the third chapter ſaith,Galath. 3.29. If ye be Chriſts, then are ye Abrahams ſeed and heires according to the promiſe. Out of this faith in Chriſt,Abrahams Chriſtian workes. did Abraham Chriſtian workes; for with a good will left he his owne native country, all Idols and all Images: all misfortune, hunger and miſerie tooke he patiently: he was not hard againſt Loth his nephew, but did jeopard his body and life for the oppreſſed: he was liberall, mercifull, and harborous: he praied fervently unto God for the poore ſinners: he ſuffred oppreſſion, violence and wrong, and for Gods ſake alſo he thought to ſacrifice and offer up his owne moſt dearely beloved ſonne Iſaac. Finally, there is no reaſonable good chriſtian worke, but thou ſeeſt it in the life of Abraham. Therefore to us alſo for an example of our faith and converſation, he is ſet forth of the Lord himſelfe & his Apoſtles throughout the New Teſtament.
Here alſo is it manifeſt,The f…i… of the Iewe… that our holy faith is elder than the Iewiſh faith. For the Iewes doe boaſt themſelves of the Circumciſion, and becauſe they are called Iewes and Iſrael, and that the Law, the Prieſthood and Gods ſervice was given unto them: And yet, Gen. 15.6. and 17.1. and Rom. 4.18. it is evident, that Abraham was Gods friend and juſtified or made righteous, or ever he was circumciſed. For when he was circumciſed, he was 99. yeere old, Gen. 17.Gen. 17▪24. Now was the promiſe made unto him many yeeres afore. The Scripture alſo ſaith plainly: Abraham beleeved God, Gen. 15.6.and the ſame was counted unto him for righteouſneſſe, Gen. 15. So was it many yeeres after, or ever Iſrael and Iuda was borne, of whom they have taken their name. The Law alſo was given 430. yeeres after the promiſe, as Paul made the reckoning, Gal. 3. It followeth therefore that our Chriſtian faith is 2048.Gal. 3.17. H… wold the Chriſtian faith i…. yeeres elder than the Circumciſion, and 2449. yeeres elder than the Law, the Prieſthood and ceremonies of the Iewes. For from Adam unto the Floud, were 1656. yeeres. And from the Floud untill the departing of Abraham out of Caldea duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page 363. yeeres. From that time are reckoned 430. yeeres untill the departing of Iſrael out of Aegypt. And on the 50. day after the departing, was the Law given unto Iſrael upon Mount Sin…,Exod. 19.20. Exod. 19.20. And after certaine daies was the Prieſthood and ceremonies appointed them. Whereas God then made a covenant with Abraham, when he ordained the Circumciſion, it ſerveth more to the confirmation of our holy Chriſtian faith, than to the maintenance of the Iewiſh ceremonies.
Iſaac and Iacob were Abrahams children, not only after the fleſh, but alſo after the ſpirit. For they had the ſaith of their father and grandfather Abraham, put their truſt only in God through Ieſus Chriſt, and lived a ſober and vertuous life. Of this doth the Scripture beare them record thorowout: Yea Iacob, Gen. 32.28. O… Iſrael came the Iſrae…s.whom the Lord alſo called otherwiſe Iſrael, (of whom afterward all the people of God received the name Iſrael) had many viſions of the Lord Chriſt,Gen. 28. as with the ladder that ſtood upon the earth, the top reaching to heaven, on the which the Angels of God went up and downe.Iacob ſaw that Chriſt onelyonly is the way to heaven. For herewith was repreſented unto him the Lord Ieſus, which is the way unto heaven, the truth and life, without whom no man commeth unto the Father. Upon the viſion of Iacob, ſaith he alſo himſelfe, Iohn 1. Verily I ſay unto you, Iohn 1.51.henceforth ſhall yee ſee the heaven open, and the Angels of God going up and downe upon the ſonne of man. And ſo conſtant was Iacob in remembring the ſame, that afterward at the commandement of the Lord, he ſet up in the ſame place an Altar, no doubt (as it is ſaid before) for a figure of the croſſe and ſacrifice of Chriſt, and there honoured he and worſhipped the Lord:Gen. 35.2. he commanded all his people alſo, that they ſhould forſake ſtrange gods, and give him the Idols that they had brought with them out of Meſopotamia, and he buried them under an Oke that ſtood beſide Sichem, Gen. 35. And when he would now die, he propheſied very clearely of the Lord Chriſt, how he ſhould be borne out of the kinred of Iuda, and that hee ſhould be borne the ſame time that the kingdome ſhould be taken from Iuda. Which thing alſo came to paſſe in Herods time. For in the 32. yeere of the reigne of Herod, was CHRIST borne at Bethleem in Iewry. Whereof the words of Iacob are theſe:Gen. 49.10. The ſcepter ſhall not be taken away from Iuda, nor a Ruler from his fe…t, till Schilo come (that is to ſay, the Saviour, and he in whom all nations ſhall be bleſſed) and the people ſhall fall unto him. This ſtedfaſt faith of Iacob did Ioſeph follow alſo,The faith of Ioſeph. which mortified his owne fleſh, declared patience in adverſitie and priſon, and exerciſed great juſtice and equitie in his governance.Ioſeph a figure of Ieſus. He was a figure of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, who alſo being ſold of his owne unto the Heathen,The continuance of faith before the Law. preſerved his brethren alive. So that from the beginning of the world untill the death of Ioſeph, the right Chriſtian faith endured 2300. yeeres. And thus all holy Patriarks before the Law, were ſawed, not through the Law, nor by their owne ſtrength and deſerving, but through the bleſſed ſeed our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.