An Exposition of Genesis, To the reader
To the READER.
IT was the judgment of the great Hottinger, Thesaur. Philolog. foreign. ad Lector.that, if two things in this age were obtained, there remained nothing, in order to the perfecting of Theology, for the Admirers or Promoters of Oriental learning further to desire. These were. 1. A Scriptural vocabulary Alphabetically so disposed that the primitive and proper signification of each word might be first register'd, and examples of its use thoroughout the whole context of Scripture subjoyned, which the figurative and improper significations of it with its instances should second and succeed. A work which required a due proportion of judgement, reading and leasure. 2. The other was a Judicious comparing of the different versions, especially Oriental, and principaly of those which were most depending on and genuinely issuing from the Hebrew, being followed with a collection of such Practical instructive truths as did naturaly flow from them. And instancing in this Book of Genesis, he wisheth the expositor thereof would. 1. Succinctly give in the argument of each Chapter, in the entrance of it. 2. Follow it with the logical Analysis of its respective parts. And that 3. With a Critical disquisition of the import of the more difficult words comparing them with their different versions, Calde. Syri. Arab. Samar. Greek 4. Then setling of that interpretation which was most congruous to the context, to paralell Scriptures and to the Analogy of faith. Lastly. Inferring and deducing from the Emphasis of each word, either as to its self or context in due order what instruction was lodged in it. How agreable the thoughts of our Author were with those of this learned weighty and useful man will in the perusal of this Book seem strangely surprising to them who knew him utterly unacquainted either with his person or works. His Master had blessed him with judgement and reading enough to have furnished the Church with the first help, yet his ministerial imployment was so great as to allow him only the liberty of an essay in it. The other being of present use he did most industriously promote, both in the advice he frequently gave to others, and in his own exercising it, being not disheartned by the contempt and neglect that this age cast on it from concluding, the best Textuary to be the best Divine, reducing not onelyonly his own knowledge but his practice too, to the law & Testimony. Had the necessary work of his office dispenced with him, he would have been well contented that this Tallant should have ingrost his time, and all might have been spent in the improoving of it, but that his Lord had intrusted him with others. The fruit which yet abide's below discover's his imployment of them, nor doubt I his accounts being as well past above, as theirs may who so much envy the sweet savour of it here, whilst they lay up their own Tallant in a Napkin and worklesse. This is too evident in their frequent snarling at many truths he taught while he lived, and at some he bequeathed to the world when he died, which he delivered and hath left recorded (what-ever they publish) with lesse passion then argument; nor hath their reason as yet, of which they are so great masters, done themselves or the Church that right to convince it of the contrary. This Orphan can promise itself from such no better a treat than his former had, for so they threaten; to indeavor to satisfy whom as to what they may object against it, would be a vain attempt, they being before resolved not to receive any. But for the sober and unprejudiced Reader we shall desire to answer him as to some things he may on the perusal of the work suggest, and so prevent them. It is true the style as far as the matter would bear is quick and sententious. The omission of some little particles of speech may render it to the rhetorical peruser rugged, but to the plain not at all cryptical or obscure. It was his misfortune when he entred on the work to be unfurnished of some helps which afterwards he did obtain. VponUpon that account it is that for 46 Chap. in Genesis he pleasured not the critical reader with the Arab. Syr. Samar. Versions and some Targums, which afterwards as any significant word did occurre in them he did subjoyne. He had not then the happines of injoying the so much applauded Parissian Heptaglott, and that which was useful to him in it was only the Spanish Bible. By that time he had reached the 46 Ch. that laborious work of our own Polyglott Bible was published to the no little pleasure and profitt of the learned world. He had his share in it, and the Church its part in the remaining Chap. of Genesis, and as many of Exodus as God gave him liberty to finish & are now extant When therefore he adde's the epithite of Onkelos to the Chald. it is not that he had not made use of that version before, but to distinguish it from the Hierusalem Targum, and that of Ben-uzziel which he did consult and compare with it after. In the use of all which any person that peruseth his work will find that he studied how to profitt and benefitt his people, and as to any ostentation of it to conceal himself; on this account was it that he interlarded not his discourse with those learned languages, but only the genuine sense of them; and the reflections he makes on the Rabbinical fables, is not to disparage the usefulnes of these Authors in other things, but to warn his Reader duely to judge of and to improove them. It is the publishers affliction that he could not attend the presse, & though there be lesse faults committed then he expected, yet there are more then he was willing the work should suffer by, could he have possibly prevented it. He is not mistrustful of the Readers charity, for the misplacing of some Hebrew words in the margent, which are not many, and the general printing the English (Y) for the Hebrew letter (ע) in most proper names and words, with the miscarriage of some comma's, sollicit's it, and he hopes it will ingage him rather to excuse such slips then quarrel with them. Other Errata's are subjoyned to the close of each Book to which the reader is referred for the remooving. (If he think fitt before he begins his perusall) these Tilemmas he may meet with in it. If it fall into the hands of a supercilious Philosopher he may think it strange, and possibly be angry too that the author should passe over the 3 first Chap. and not produce his Cabbala, and vent some new Hypothesis to the world, or side with & plead for some already started in it, determining which of them had most right to rule it, whether the Prolomeick Copernican or that of Tytho; as likewise what body of Physicks should by a divine right take place and be entertained, either the elementary, Globular, or the newly revived Corpuscularian. And that great Phainomenon be resolved whether Moses were not altogether Cartesian; It is certain he did beleeve, and would frequently in his discourse inculcate it, that the Philosophy which had so much puffed up the gentiles had lighted its Torch at the holy Lamp; and he was glad to see our own and forreign champions had put it beyond any further attachment, that that wherewith they made their flourish they borrowed of the Church, and least it should be found to be so, did by their mixtures debase and corrupt it, and that even the worthy's of this last age were not discouraged from rescuing it, and returning the Honor and Crown where 't was due. But in the mean time he never imagined that either these Chap. or the books of Job, the Psalms and proverbs, &c. were designed by the Spirit to furnish the world with a body of Physicks. He was convinced that they were capable of making those who would dare to converse with them, more wise and good, if not, to take the word vulgarly, more Philosophical, then they were; and was ready to submit his thoughts in this matter to those of the great rescuer and promoter of useful learning, who had before proclaimed it, that to seek philosophy here was to seek the dead among the living. Our author therefore medleth not with the threefold Cabbala to make the word more prolificall of mysteries then either the Spirit or Moses intended it, but hath as plainly & beneficially opened it for the use & edification of that part of the Church wherein he was concerned, as Moses had recorded it for the whole. The atheists and Antiscripturists may complain, that he hath denyed them their due in forbearing to answear their Sophisms, and to discourse of the Ark mathematically. That he was not positive and dogmatical in clearing what that Gopher wood was of which it was made, as likewise of what form and fashion it was, and what was the cubit by which Noah wrought in the rearing of it, that a vessel of 300 Cubits (not of many 1000 as some prate) in length, 50 in breadth and 30 in hight should be capacious enough to entertain a world of animals and inhabitants with their years provision in it. The truth is he thought such a lecture altogether improper for his auditory, and though it might have pleasured the curiosity of some shipwrights, it would have been as the speaking in an unknown tongue to the rest that heard him. And therefore as he was satisfied by what both critticks and mathematicians had demonstrated about it, especialy Buteo, (whose notion hath been since happily improved, perfected and published by the Rev. and learned Bishop of Chester, to the utter silencing of all their exceptions) he wholy waved it, having that special use of this as of all Scripture in his eye, that it was not designed to make men perfect in all natural or mathematical knowledge, but in that which might make them wise for salvation, and perfect and thoroughly furnished to every good work And how much he hath followed this direction of the Spirit in it, I humbly leave to unprejudiced persons to determine. For others that may carp at pretended defects in the Scriptural chronology and geography as handled by him, we shall leave to them, if they can, to manage what he hath done with more reason and mend it. In summe next to the glory of God, his designe in penning and delivering this, was to help mens understandings in this part of Scripture and better their hearts by it. To shew them that if they think that Religion to be the best which can plead the greatest antiquity in the world, it is but as their interest and duty so their judgement to entertain the Christian. That that is the eldest what ever either Heathen, Jew or Mahumatan can pretend. That there is but one way and tenour of salvation in the world since Adam by his fall made both himself and his posterity to need it. That the Gospel did not first shew itself in the reign of Augustus, but was as Old as Noah, and beyond him, for t'was preached by God himself to Adam. That this one way to save souls had various degrees of manifestation. That Religion was not a State-invention to decoy persons into subjection and to keep them in it, but an institution of God to save them. That the regulation of it thorough all ages hath been directed by God himself. That man hath presumed to alter nothing in it, either by adding or diminishing, which if God himself did not injoyne him, he did reject. That he hath given the Christian Church as plain, fair, and ful a rule by Christ whereby to manage all, as it can desire. That it is best to be as much wise and Religious as God would have us and not above or beside it. This was his designe in composing this work, and whatever any may suggest to the contrary, I assure thee was the weighty and onelyonly one of publishing it.