Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, To the reader
To the READER.
Good Reader,
IT is not unfitly ſaid by †Id verum quodeun que primum et adulterum quodcun que poſterius eſt. Tertull. ad Praxeam.Tertullian, That is trueſt which is moſt Ancient; for though in the courſe of Nature the Night be before the Day, yet in matters of a Moral Concernment the method is quite otherwiſe: Innocency is before Sin, and Truth before a Lie, for a lye is the corruption of truth; now among the blind Gentile World there is no true piece of Antiquity to be found: *Pat. apud Plat. in Timaeo.One of their own ſaid, that The Greeks were alwaies Children, as being utterly ignorant of the ſtate of the truly Ancient World, and darkning all things with fables of their own deviſing.
Certainly a Clear Light into the Old World is a great ſatisfaction to the underſtanding, but it is no where to be had but in the Writings of Moſes, who had this knowledge not by Tradition onelyonly, but Divine Inſpiration; the Originals of Nature and Nations are every where elſe very obſcure. Plutarch. Sympoſ. lib. 2. quaeſt. 3.Plutarch a wiſe Heathen hath a Diſpute which is firſt, the Hen or the Egge; Or, the Egge or the Hen: which as to their light was indeterminable, but in the Church by Divine Revelation all is clear and open; and a Boy out of a Catechiſme can give a better Solution to that Queſtion, †Heb. 11.3.How the World was made, than the great Doctours of the Gentiles by their profound Reſearches and Study of Nature; for ſurely in this Caſe it is moſt true. That Philoſophy ſeeketh after Truth, but Divinity only findeth it.
The moſt Ancient Mon…ment and Record of our Religion are the Books of Moſes, which if they were more Studied and Conſidered by us, Atheiſme would not be ſo rife and common; for thereby we may not onelyonly diſcern the Sweet Harmony of this part of Scripture with all the reſt, but come to underſtand how the ſtate of that Religion which we do profeſſe was at firſt laid, and what Acceſsions and growth it received by a clearer manifeſtation in every Age.
But chiefly the Three firſt Chapters of the Book called Geneſis deſerve to be conſidered by us, as delivering that fundamental doctrine concerning the Creation of the World, the Fall of Man, and the Promiſed Seed who ſhould be our Reſtorer, upon which all the reſt of Scripture is built.
In Opening theſe Chapters many have laboured Worthily, and among the reſt this Our Authour hath his Peculiar Excellency; for whiles ſome deſerve eſteem for clearing the letter and phraſe, for vindicating the doctrine therein contained in a Controverſal Way; Others by other wayes of Illuſtration and giving Light to the Text; That praiſe which was reſerved for our Authour, was, beſides a ſolid Expoſition of the Text, The deducing of Apt and pertinent Obſervations, together with fit and proper Reaſons to each Point, which with what Judgment and Acuteneſſe it is performed, I leave to the Reader to judge.
To ſpeak of the Worth of the Authour is needleſſe, his praiſe being already in all the Churches: onelyonly I muſt profeſſe my ſorrow, that, he being a Perſon of ſo much Eminency and Note, none hath as yet Collected the Memorable paſſages of his Life: If his *Mr. Ben of Dorcheſter.Reverend Colleagve that was ſo intimately acquainted with him, would do ſomething in this kind, it could not but be very acceptable to the godly of this Nation. For ſurely the Long and Various Experiences of ſuch a Captain in the Lords Hoaſts, ſuch a Veterane in Chriſts Service, muſt needs yield much matter of Comfort and Profit, when we ſhall come to the notice of them.
If this Book had proceeded from a meaner and more obſcure hand, its own Worth would have ſufficiently pleaded for its eſteem, and the Obſervations with their Proſecutions being every where ſo Solid and Judicious, could not but be very Savoury to a gracious appetite; but coming from ſuch an Hand, and, as the product of ſome years Serious Meditations, certainly it will find much acceptance with Chriſtians abroad: As much of it as my leiſure would permit me to peruſe, gave me ſuch refreſhing, as I could not but heartily deſire the publication of it; and doubt not but it will be judged as uſefull a Tractate as hath been ſet forth in theſe laſt years. This being ſignified, I ſubſcribe my ſelf,
Thine in the Lords Work, Tho: Manton.