A TABLE,

EXPOUNDING CERTAIN WORDS IN THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES CALLED GENESIS.

A BRECH. Tender father; or, as some will, bow the

knee.

Ark. A ship made flat, as it were a chest, or a coffer. Bisse. Fine white, whether it be silk or linen.

Bless. God's blessings are his gifts: as in the first chapter he blessed them, saying, "Grow and multiply, and have dominion," &c. And in the ninth chapter he blessed Noah and his sons, and gave them dominion over all beasts, and authority to eat them. And God. blessed Abraham with cattle, and other riches. And Jacob desired Esau to receive the blessing which he brought him, that is the present and gift. God blessed the seventh day; that is, gave it a pre-eminence, that men should rest therein from bodily labour, and learn to know the will of God and his laws, and how to work their works godly all the week after. God also blesseth all nations in Abraham's seed; that is, he turneth his love and favour unto them, and giveth them his Spirit and knowledge of the true way, and lust and power to walk therein, and all for Christ's sake, Abraham's son.

Cain. So is it written in Hebrew. Notwithstanding, whether we call him Cain, or Caim, it maketh no matter, so we understand the meaning. Every land hath his manner that we call John, the Welshmen call Euan, the Dutch Haunce. Such difference is between the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; and that maketh them that

translate out of the Hebrew vary in names from them that translate out of Latin or Greek.

Curse. God's curse is the taking away of his benefits. As God cursed the earth and made it barren. So now hunger, dearth, war, pestilence, and such like, are yet right curses and signs of the wrath of God unto the unbelievers; but unto them that know Christ they are very blessings, and that wholesome cross, and true purgatory of our flesh, through which all must go that will live godly and be saved: as thou readest Matt. v. "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness' sake," &c. And Heb. xi. "The Lord chastiseth whom he loveth; and scourgeth all the children that he receiveth." Eden. Pleasure.

Firmament. The sky.

Which faith jusmother of all his For faith is the

FAITH, is the believing of God's promises, and a sure trust in the goodness and truth of God. tified Abraham, (Gen xv.) and was the good works which he afterwards did. goodness of all works in the sight of God. Good works are things of God's commandment wrought in faith. And to sew a shoe at the commandment of God, to do thy neighbour service withal, with faith to be saved by Christ, (as God promiseth us) is much better than to build an abbey of thine own imagination, trusting to be saved by the feigned works of hypocrites. Jacob robbed Laban his uncle; Moses robbed the Egyptians; and Abraham is about to slay and burn his own son; and all are holy works, because they are wrought in faith at God's commandment. To steal, rob, and murder, are no holy works before worldly people, but unto them that have their trust in God: they are holy when God commandeth them. What God commandeth not, getteth no reward with God. Holy works of men's imaginations receive their reward here, as Christ testifieth, Matt. vi. Howbeit, of faith and works I have spoken abundantly in Mammon. Let him that desireth more, seek there.

GRACE. Favour: as Noah found grace; that is to

say, found favour and love.

Ham and Cam all one.

Jehovah, is God's name; neither is any creature so called; and it is as much to say, as one that is of himself, and dependeth of nothing. Moreover, as oft as thou seest LORD in great letters, (except there be any error in the printing) it is in Hebrew Jehovah, thou that art, or he that is. Marshal. In Hebrew he is called Sartabaim: as thou wouldest say, Lord of the slaughtermen. And though that Tabaim be taken for cooks in many places, (for the cooks did slay the beasts themselves 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, inasmuch as he had the oversight of the king's prison, and the king's prisoners were they never so great men were under his custody and therefore I call him chief Marshal; an officer, as is the lieutenant of the Tower, or master of the Marshalsea.

Slime was their mortar, xith chapter: and slime-pits, xivth chapter. That slime was a fatness that oosed out of the earth, like unto tar; and thou mayest call it cement if thou wilt.

Siloh. After some, is as much to say as sent; and after some, happy; and after some, it signifieth Messias ; that is to say, anointed, and that we call Christ after the Greek word. And it is a prophecy of Christ; for after all the other tribes were in captivity, and their kingdom destroyed, yet the tribe of Judah had a ruler of the same blood, even unto the coming of Christ: and about the coming of Christ the Romans conquered them, and the emperor gave the kingdom of [the] tribe Judah unto Herod, which was a stranger, even an Edomite, of the generation of Esau.

Testament here, is an appointment made between God and man, and God's promises. And Sacrament is a sign representing such appointment and promises; as the

rainbow representeth the promise made to Noah, that God will no more drown the world. And circumcision representeth the promises of God to Abraham, on the one side, and that Abraham and his seed should circumcise, and cut off the lusts of their flesh, on the other side, to walk in the ways of the Lord. As baptism, which is come in the room thereof, now signifieth on the one side, how that all that repent and believe are washed in Christ's blood; and, on the other side, how that the same must quench and drown the lusts of the flesh, to follow the steps of Christ,

There were Tyrants in the earth in those days, for the sons of God saw the daughters of men, &c. The sons of God were the prophet's children, which, though they succeeded their father, fell yet from the right way; and, through falsehood of hypocrisy, subdued the world under them, and became tyrants, as the successors of the apostles have played with us.

Vapour. A dewy mist, as the smoke of a seething pot. To walk with God, is to live godly, and to walk in his commandments.

Enos walked with God, and was no more seen; he lived godly, and died. God took him away; that is, God hid his body as he did Moses and Aaron's, lest haply they should have made an idol of him, for he was a great preacher, and a holy man.

Zaphnath Paenea. Words of Egypt are they (as I suppose); and as much to say, as a man to whom secret things be opened; or an expounder of secret things, as some interpret it.

That Joseph brought the Egyptians into such a subjection, would seem unto some a very cruel deed: howbeit, it was a very equal way; for they paid but the fifth part of that that grew on the ground, and therewith were they quit of all duties, both of rent, custom, tribute, and toll: and the king therewith found them lords, and all ministers, and defended them. We now pay half so much unto the

priests only, beside their other crafty exactions. Then pay we rent yearly, though there grow never so little on the ground; and yet when the king calleth, pay we never the less. So that if we look indifferently, their condition was easier than ours; and but even a very indifferent way, both for the common people, and the king also.

See, therefore, that thou look not on the ensamples of the Scripture with worldly eyes, lest thou prefer Cain before Abel, Ismael before Isaac, Esau before Jacob, Ruben before Judah, Sarah before Phares, Manasses before Ephraim, and even the worst before the best, as the manner of the world is.

A PROLOGUE

INTO THE SECOND BOOK OF MOSES CALLED EXODUS.

Learn here

how to read

and understand the Scripture.

OF

F the preface upon Genesis mayest thou understand how to behave thyself in this book also, and in all other books of the Scripture. Cleave unto the text and plain story, and endeavour thyself to search out the meaning of all that is described therein, and the true sense of all manner of speakings of the Scripture; of proverbs, similitudes, and borrowed speech, whereof I entreated in the end of the obedience, and beware of subtle allegories. And note every thing earnestly, as things pertaining unto thine own heart and soul.

For as God used himself unto them of the Old Testament, even so shall he unto the world's end use himself unto us which have received his holy Scripture, and the testimony of his son Jesus. As God doth all things here