Whole Works, Biblical prologues · Old Testament · Genesis
A prologue by Williā Tyndall, ſhewyng the vſe of the Scripture, which he wrote before the fiue bookes of Moſes.
THough a man had a precious iuell & a rich, yet if hee wiſte not the value therof, nor wherfore it ſerued, he were neither the better nor richer of a ſtraw. Euē ſo though we read the Scripture, and bable of it neuer ſo much, yet if we know not the vſe of it, and wherfore it was geuen, and what is therein to be ſought, it profiteth vsus nothyng at all. It is not enough therfore to read and talke of it onelyonly, but we muſt alſo deſire Not the toung but the life proueth a true Goſpeller.God day and night inſtantly to open our eyes, and to make vsus vnderſtand and feele, wherefore the Scripture was geuen, that we may applye the medicine of the Scripture, eueryevery man to his own ſores, vnleſſe then we entend to be idle diſputers, and braulers about vaine wordes, euer gnawyng vppon the bitter barcke without, and neuer attaynyng vntounto the ſweete pith within, and perſecuting one an other in defendyng of lewde imaginations, and phantaſies of our owne inuentions.
Paule in thyrd of the ſecond Epiſtle The trueſt toucheſtone or Religion is Chriſtes Goſpell.to Timothe ſayth, That the Scripture is good to teache (for that ought men to teach, and not dreames of their owne makyng, as the Pope doth) and alſo to improue, for the Scripture is the touch ſtone that tryeth all doctrines, and by that we know the falſe from the true. And in the vj. to the Epheſians he calleth it the ſword of the ſpirite, by cauſe it killeth hypocrites, and vttereth and and improueth their falſe inuentions. And in the xv. to yt Romains he ſaith. All that are written, are written for our learnyng, that we thorow patience and The ſcripture of god is y• ſworde of the Spirite.comforte of the Scripture, might hauehave hope. That is, the examples that are in the Scripture, comfort vsus in all our tribulations, and make vsus to put our truſt in GOD, and patiently to abide hys leyſure. And in the x. of the firſte to the Corinthians, hee bringeth in examples of the Scripture, to feare vsus, and to bridle the fleſhe, that wee caſt not the yoke of the lawe of God from of our neckes, and fall to luſtyng and doyng of euill.
So nowe the Scripture is a lyght, & ſheweth as the true way, both what to do, & what to hope for. And a defēce from all errour, and a comforte in aduerſitie that we diſpaire not, and feareth vsus in proſperitie, that we ſynne not. Séeke therefore in the Scripture as thou readeſt it, firſt the law, what God commaundeth vsus to do. And ſecondarely the promiſes, whiche God promiſeth vsus agayn, namely in Chriſt Ieſu our Lord. Then ſeeke examples, firſt of comfort, how God purgeth all Tribulatiō is the gifte of God.them that ſubmit themſelues to walke in his wayes, in the Purgatory of tribulation, deliueryng them yet at the latter end, and neuer ſufferyng any of them to periſhe, that cleaue faſt to hys promiſes. And finally, note the examples which are writtē to feare the fleſh that we ſinne not. That is, how God ſuffereth the vngodly and wicked ſinners What we ought to ſeeke in the Scriptures.that reſiſt God, and refuſe to folow him, to continue in their wickedneſſe, euer waxyng worſe and worſe, vntill their ſinne be ſo ſore encreaſed, and ſo abhominable, that if they ſhuld lōger endure, they would corrupt the very elect. But for ye electes ſake God ſendeth them preachers. Neuertheleſſe they harden their hartes agaynſte the truth, and God deſtroyeth them vtterly, and beginneth the world a new.
This comfort ſhalt thou euermore finde in the playne texte, and litterall ſenſe. Neither is there any ſtorye ſo homely, ſo rude, yea or ſo vyle (as it ſemeth outward) wherein is not excedyng great comforte. And when ſome which ſeme to thē ſelues great clarkes ſay: they wott not what more profite is in many geſtes of the Scripture, if they be read without an allegory, then in a tale of Robenhode: ſay thou, that A goodly comfort agaynſt deſperation.they were written for our conſolation and comforte, that we diſpayre not, if ſuch like happen vntounto vsus. We be not holyer then Noe, though he were once dronke. Neither better beloued then Iacob, though his owne ſonne defyled his bead. We be not holyer then Lot, thoughe his daughters thorow ignoraunce deceaued hym, nor peraduenture holier then thoſe daughters. Neither are we holyer then Dauid, though he brake wedlocke, and vponupon the ſame committed abhominable murther. All thoſe men hauehave witneſſe of the Scripture that they pleaſed God, and were good mē, both before that thoſe things chaunced, and alſo after. Neuerleſſe ſuch thynges happened them for our example: not that we ſhould counterfeite their euill, but if whyle wee fight with our ſelues, enforſyng to walke in the law of God (as they dyd) we yet fall likewiſe, that we deſpayre not, but come agayne to the lawes of God, and take better hold.
We read ſence the tyme of Chriſtes Enſāples. of their euils not to bolden vsus, but to feare vsus frō ſinne and deſperation.death, of virgins yt hauehave bene brought vntounto the common ſtues, and there defiled, and of Martyrs that hauehave bene bound, and whores hauehave abuſed theyr bodyes. Why? The iudgementes of God are bottomleſſe. Such thynges chaunced partly for examples, partely God thorow ſinne healeth ſinne. Pride can neither be healed, nor yet appeare, but thorow ſuch horrible deades. Peraduenture they were of the popes ſect, and reioyſed fleſhly, thinking that heauen came by dedes, and not by Chriſt, and that the outward dede iuſtifyed them, and made thē holy, and not the inward ſpirite receaued by fayth, & the conſent of hart vntounto the law of God.
As thou readeſt therfore thinke that Howe we ought to prepare our ſelues, to the reading of the ſcriptures.eueryevery ſillable pertayneth to thine own ſelfe, & ſucke out the pithe of the Scripture, and arme thy ſelfe agaynſt all aſſaultes. Firſt note with ſtrong fayth the power of God, in creatyng all of nought. Then marke the greuous fall of Adam, and of vsus all in him, thorow the light regardyng of the cōmaundemēt of God. In the iiij. Chapter God turneth hym vntounto Abell, and thē to his offeryng, but not to Cain and hys offeryng. Where thou ſeeſt that thoughe the dedes of the euil, appeare outwardly as glorious, as the dedes of yt good: yet in the ſight of God, which looketh on the hart, the deede is good becauſe of the man, and not the man good becauſe of his deede. In the vj. God ſendeth Noe to preach to the wicked, and geueth them ſpace to repent: they wax hard harted, God bringeth them to nought. And yet ſaueth Noe: euen by yt ſame water by whiche he deſtroyed them. Marke alſo what folowed the pride of the buildyng of the Tower of Babell.
Conſider how God ſendeth foorth Abraham out of his owne countey into a ſtraunge land, full of wicked people, Fayth our ſureſt ſhield in all aſſaultes.and gaue him but a bare promiſſe with him that would bleſſe, him & defende him. Abraham beleued: and that worde ſaued, and deliuered him in all perilles: ſo that we ſee, how that mās life is not maintayned …y bread onelyonly, (as Chriſte ſayth) but much rather by beleuyng the promiſes of God. Behold how ſoberly, & how circumſpectly both Abrahā, and alſo Iſaac behaued them ſelues among the infidels. Abraham byeth that which might hauehave ben geuen him for nought, to cut of occaſions. Iſaac when his welles whiche he had digged were taken from him, geueth rowme and reſiſteth not. Moreouer they eare, and ſowe, and fede their cattell, and make confederations, and and take perpetuall truce, and doe all outward thinges: Euen as they doe whiche hauehave no fayth, for God hath not made vsus to be idle in this world. EueryEvery man muſt worke godly & truly We may not truſt in our work… but in the word and promiſe of God.to yt vttermoſt of the power, that God hath geuen him: and yet not truſt therin: but in Gods word or promiſe: and God will worke with vsus, and bryng that we do to good effect. And thē whē our power will extende no further, Gods promiſes will worke all alone.
How many thynges alſo reſiſted the promiſes of God to Iacob? And yet God burdened with hys promiſe.Iacob coniureth God, with hys owne promiſes ſaying: O GOD of my father Abraham: and GOD of my father Iſaac, O Lord which ſaydeſt vntounto me, returne vntounto thine owne countrey, and vntounto the place were thou waſte borne, and I wil do thee good: I am not worthy of the leſt of thoſe mercyes, nor of that trouth, whiche thou haſt done to thy ſeruaunt, I went out with a ſtaffe, and come home with two droues, deliuer me out of the handes of my brother Eſau, for I feare him greatly. &c. And God deliuered him, and will likewiſe all that call vntounto his promiſes, with a repentyng hart, were they neuer ſo great ſinnes. Marke alſo the weake infirmities of the man. He loueth one wife more then an other, one ſonne more then an other. And ſee how God purgeth hym. Eſau threateneth hym: Laban begyleth him. The beloued wife is long baren: his daughter is rauiſhed: his wife is defiled, and that of his owne ſonne. Rahell dyeth, Ioſeph is taken away, yea & (as he ſuppoſed) rent of wild beaſtes. And yet how glorious was his ende? Note the weakeneſſe of his children, yea and the ſinne of them, and how God thorow their owne wickednes ſaued them. Theſe examples teache vsus, that a man is not at once perfect the firſt day he begynneth to liue well. They that be ſtrong, therefore muſt ſuffer with the weake, & The holy ghoſt breateth where and when it pleaſeth hym.helpe thē in vnity, and peace, one with an other vntill they be ſtronger.
Note what the brethren ſayd when they were tached in Egypt, we hauehave verely ſinned (ſayd they) agaynſt our brother, in that we ſaw the anguiſh of his ſoule when hee beſought vsus, and would not heare him: and therfore is this tribulation come vppon vsus. By Conſcience of euill doynges fyndeth out … … men.which example thou ſeeſt, how that cō ſcience of euill doynges findeth men out at laſt. But namely in tribulation and aduerſitie: there temptatiō and alſo deſperatiō, yea and the very paynes of hell finde vsus out: there there yt ſoule feeleth the fierce wrath of GOD, and wiſheth moūtaines to fall on her, and to hyde her (if it were poſſible) from the angry face of God.
Marke alſo how great euils folow of howe litle an occaſion Dina goeth but forth alone to ſee the daughters of the countrey, and how great miſchief and trouble foloweth? Iacob loued but one ſonne more then an other, and howe greuous murther folowed in their hartes? Theſe are examples for Of ſmall occaſions do riſe gret euils.our learnyng, to teache vsus to walke warely, and circumſpectly in yt world of weake people, that we geue no man occaſions of euill.
Finally, ſee what GOD promiſed Ioſeph in his dreames. Theſe promiſes accompanyed him, alwayes, and went downe with hym euen into the depe dongeon. And brought hym vp agayne. And neuer forſoke hym till all yt was promiſed was fulfilled. Theſe Enſāples for our …earn…ng.are examples writtē for our learnyng (as Paule ſaith) to teach vsus to truſt in God in the ſtrōg fire of tribulation, & purgatory of our fleſhe. And that they whiche ſubmitte them ſelues to folow GOD, ſhould note and marke ſuch thynges, for learnyng and comfort, is the frute of the ſcripture, & cauſe why it was written: And with ſuch a purpoſe to read it, is the way to euerlaſting life, and to thoſe ioyſul bleſſings that are promiſed vntounto all nations in the ſeede of Abraham, whiche ſeede is Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, to whom be honour and prayſe for euer, and vntounto God our father thorow him. Amen.
A Table expoundyng certayne wordes in the firſt booke of Moſes called Geneſis.
ABrech, tender father, or (as ſome will) how the knee.
Arke, a ſhyppe made flat, as it were a cheſt, or cofer.
Biſſe, fine white, whether it be ſilke or lynen.
Bleſſe, Gods bleſſings are his gifts: as in the firſt Chapter he bleſſed them, ſaying, grow and multiply, and hauehave dominion. &c. And in the ix. Chapter, he bleſſed Noe, and his ſonnes, and gaue them dominion ouer all beaſtes, and authoritie to eat them. And God bleſſed Abraham with cattell, and other riches. And Iacob deſired Eſau to receaue the bleſſing, whiche he brought hym, that is the preſent and gift.
God bleſſed yt vij. day, that is, gaue it a preheminēce that men ſhould reſt therin, from bodily labour, and learne to know the wil of God, & his lawes, and how to worke their workes godly all the weeke after. God alſo bleſſeth all nations in Abrahams ſede, that is, he turneth hys louelove, & fauour vntounto them, and geueth them his ſpirite, and knowledge of the true way, and luſt and power to walke therin, and all for Chriſtes ſake Abrahams ſonne.
Cain, ſo is it writtē in Hebrue. Notwithſtandyng whether we call hym Cain or Caim, it maketh no matter, ſo we vnderſtand the meanyng: EueryEvery land hath his maner, that we cal Iohn, the Welſhmen call Euan, the Dutch Haunce. Such difference is betwene yt Ebrue, Greke, and Latine: and that maketh them that tranſlate out of the Ebrue varie in names from them, that tranſlate out of Latine, or Greke.
Curſe, Gods curſe is the takyng away of his benefites: as God curſed yt earth, and made it barren: So now hunger, dearth, warre, peſtilence, and ſuch like, are yet right curſes, & ſignes of the wrath of God vntounto the vnbeleuers: but vntounto thē that know Chriſt, they are very bleſſings, and that wholſome croſſe, and true purgatory of our fleſh, through which, all muſt goe that will liue godly, and be ſaued: as thou readeſt Math. 5. Bleſſed are they that ſuffer perſecution for righteouſnes ſake, &c And Hebr. 11. The lord chaſtiſeth whom he loueth, and ſcourgeth all the children that he receaueth.
Eden, pleaſure.
Firmament, the ſky.
Fayth, is the beleuyng of Gods promiſes, and a ſure truſt in the goodnes and truth of God, which fayth iuſtified Abrah. Gen. 15. and was the mother of all his good workes whiche he afterafterward did, for faith is the goodnes of all works in the ſight of god. Good workes are things of gods commaundement wrought in fayth. And to ſow a ſhoe at the commaundemēt of God, to doe thy neighboure ſeruice withall, with fayth to be ſaued by Chriſte (as God promiſeth vsus) is much better thē to build an abbey of thine owne imagination, truſting to bee ſaued by the fained workes of hipocrites. Iacob robbed Laban hys vncle: Moſes robbed the Egiptians. And Abraham is aboute to ſlay and burne his own ſonne: and all are holye workes, becauſe they are wrought in fayth at Gods commaundement. To ſteale, robbe, and murder, are no holye workes before worldly people, but vntounto them that hauehave their truſt in God, they are holy when God commaundeth them. What God commaundeth not, getteth no rewarde with god. Holy workes of mens imaginations receaue their rewarde here, as Chriſt teſtiſieth: Math. 6. Howbeit of fayth and workes I hauehave ſpoken aboundantly in Mammon. Let him that deſireth more, ſeeke there.
Grace, fauour, as Noe founde grace, that is to ſay, found fauour and louelove. Ham and Cam all one.
Iehouah, is gods name, neither is any creature ſo called, and it is as much to ſay, as one that is of himſelfe, and dependeth of nothing: Moreouer as ofte as thou ſeeſt LORDE in greate letters (except there be any error in the printing) it is in Hebrue Iehouah, thou that art, or he that is.
Marſhall in Hebrue, he is called Sartabaim, as thou wouldeſt ſay, Lorde of the ſlaughter men. And thoughe that Tabaim, be taken for cookes in manye places, (for the cookes did ſlaye the beaſtes themſelues in thoſe days,) yet it may be taken for them that put men to execution alſo: and that I thought it ſhould here beſt ſignify, in as muche as he had the ouerſight of the kynges priſon, and the kyngs priſoners: were they neuer ſo greate men, were vnderunder his cuſtodie: & therfore I cal him chief Marſhal, an officer as it were, yt Lieuetenaunt of the tower, or maiſter of the Marſhalſey.
Slyme was their morter, chap. 11. and ſlyme pittes chap. 4. that ſlyme was a fatneſſe that iſſued out of the earth, like vntounto carre: and thou mayſt call it cement, if thou wilte.
Siloh after ſome, is as muche to ſay as ſent, and after ſome happy: and after ſome it ſignifieth Meſſias, that is to ſay, annoynted, & that we call Chriſt after the Greke worde: and it is a propheſie of Chriſt: for after all the other tribes were in captiuitie, & their kingdome deſtroyed, yet the tribe of Iuda had a ruler of the ſame bloud, euen vntounto the commyng of Chriſt: and about the commyng of Chriſt, the Romaines conquered them, & the emperour gaue the kyngdome of the tribe Iuda, vntounto Herode, which was a ſtraunger, euen an Edomite, of the generation of Eſau.
Teſtament, that is an appoymente made betwene God and man, & gods promiſes: And ſacramēt is a ſigne repreſentyng ſuch appointment, and promiſes: as the raynebowe repreſenteth the promiſe made to Noe, that God wyll no more drowne the world: And circumciſion repreſenteth the promiſes of God to Abraham, on the one ſide, & that Abraham and his ſeede ſhould circumciſe, and cutte of the luſtes of their fleſh, on the other ſide, to walke in the wayes of the lord. As baptiſme which is come in the roome therof, now ſignifieth on the one ſide, howe that all that repent and beleue, are waſhed in Chriſtes bloud: and on the other ſyde, how that the ſame muſte quenche, and drown the luſtes of the fleſh, to follow the ſteppes of Chriſt.
There were tirantes in the earth in thoſe dayes, for the ſonnes of god ſaw the daughters of men &c. The ſonnes of God were the Prophetes children, which (though they ſucceded their father) fell yet from the right way, and through falſhode of hipocriſie, ſubdued the world vnderunder them, and became tirantes, as the ſucceſſors of the Apoſtles hauehave played with vsus.
Vapour, a dewie miſte, as the ſmoke of a ſeething pot.
To walke with God, is to liue godly, and to walke in hys commaundedementes.
Enos walked with God, and was no more ſene, he lyued godly and died: God toke him away, that is, God hid hys body, as he did Moſes and Aarons, leſt happly they ſhould hauehave made an Idole of hym, for he was a great preacher, and an holy man.
Zaphnath Paenea wordes of Egipt are they (as I ſuppoſe) and as muche to ſay, as a man to whome ſecret thinges be opened, or an expounder of ſecrete thinges, as ſome interprete it.
That Ioſeph broughte the Egiptians into ſuch a ſubiection, would ſeme vntounto ſome a very cruell deede: howe be it, it was a very equall way: for they payd but yt fifth part of that, that grew on the grounde, and therewith were they quit of all dueties, both of rente, cuſtome, tribute, and tolle: & the kyng therwith found them Lordes, and all miniſters, and defended them, we now pay half ſo much vntounto the prieſts only: beſide their other craftye exactions. Then pay we rente yearely, thoughe there grow neuer ſo litle on yt ground, and yet when the kyng calleth, pay we neuer the leſſe. So that if we looke indifferently, their condition was eaſier then oures, and but euen a very indifferent way, both for the common people, and the kyng alſo.
See therfore that thou looke not on the enſamples of the Scripture wyth worldly eyes, leaſt thou preferre Cain before Abell: Iſmaell before Iſaac: Eſau before Iacob: Ruben before Iuda: Sarah before Phares: Manaſſes before Ephraim, and euen the worſt before the beſt, as the maner of the world is.