Certaine plaine, briefe, and comfortable notes vpon euerie chapter of Genesis Gathered and laid downe for the good of them that are not able to vse better helpes, and yet carefull to read the worde, and right heartilie desirous to taste the sweete of it. By the Reuerend Father Geruase Babington, Bishop of Landaph.

The Preface to the Christian Reader, shewing a∣mongst other things the most necessarie vse of such easie commentaries, and the intendment of the Author.

ALthough (gentle Reader) God and man both may look for at our hands that al of vs should be able to prophecie (as Moses speaketh, and al of vs haue our wits so exercised in y^e word, that we could euen without a guide, wade in the deepe places thereof, nowe, I s••y, that the light of the Gospel hath bene set on a candlestick so long, and not onely Moses and the Prophets, but also the Apostles and Euangelists haue in euery citie almost, such as preach them vp∣on the Sabboths and festiuall dayes: yet for al that, to true it is▪ and with griefe of heart be it spoken, as well as to their shame that are faultie, the greatest part haue no knowledge in the scriptures, to account of, & the vision, I meane the doctrine of the olde & new testament, is a booke that is sealed, as the Pro∣phet speaketh. The causes whereof as they are common and not vnknowne: first our owne naturall corruption, whereby we loue darknes more then light, and ease more then paynes taking, next the malice of our ancient enemie, who because he could not hinder the winds from blowing, & the seede frō be∣ing sowne vpō the earth (which he principally aymed at) ther∣fore hee bestirreth himselfe so much the more egerly to take that which is sowne, out of mens hearts, and to make it vnpro∣fitable: so are the remedies as easie to be discerned, I pray God they may be at length as well thought vpon, & attained And what be they▪ The first and chiefest is the holy spirite of God, who being giuen to a man, searcheth all things euen the deepe things of God. 1. Cor. 2. But vntil he be giuen there remaineth a vaile ouer the heart vntaken away in the reading of Gods booke, and so that which should haue beene for our light, is made vnto vs an occasion of falling. What shall we say then? Is the letter dark, or doth it turne any out of the way? No, our minds are darke, euen darknes it selfe. Iohn 1.5. And though there appeare vnto vs a great light, as there did vnto Saul, at noone day, yet vntill by the finger of the holy ghost, as it were by the hands of Ananias, the scales of naturall ignorance bee

taken away frō our eies, wel we may suffer our selues to be led by others, but we shall not be able to see our way our selues. For this cause S Paul praied for the Ephesians, that the spirit of wisdome and reuelation might be giuen thē, & that the eies of their vnderstanding might be lightned, &c. And for this cause are we to pray with all maner of praier and supplication, and with al earnestnes, that this key of Dauid, of y^e true Dauid Iesus Christ might be giuen vs. For if the spirit once open no man shutteth, but if he shut, & so long as he shutteth no man can o∣open; nay as Austen saith, though god himself should appeare vnto vs in some likenes of man, and speak vnto vs, yet if he do not moue vs, & direct vs by his inward grace (the grace of his spirit) he should do vs no good at al with al his preaching. Ther∣fore I say (deare brother) begin here, make praier for Gods en∣lightning spirite the first staffe of thy ladder, and the first stone of thy building. Pray for the same early and late, and doubt not but it shalbe giuē the. For if we that be euil can giue good gifts vnto our children, how much more shall our heauenly father giue the holy Ghost to them that desire him? This promise is made by Christ himselfe, and by no worse person, and therfore as he that beleeueth it, hath sealed that God is true▪ Ioh. 3.33. so he that beleeueth it not, yea or doubteth of it, saying, who shall ascend into heauen and fetch me the spirit, the same man maketh Christ a liar, and so dishonoreth the sonne, and the fa∣ther to. This may suffice concerning the principal help for the vnderstanding of the Scriptures. Now besides this there are certaine inferior helps and means, which though they be not as effectual as the former, for God forbid we should make any comparison betweene the power of God and the weaknes of man, yet they be most necessarie and no way to be neglected. Nay this is true, that if we should do nothing but pray, as did the Messalians of old, or hold open our mouthes (as it were) & gape after extraordinary inspirations as certaine Enthusiasts do to this day, we should do no lesse then tempt God (like to them that will take no paines with their ground, and yet looke for a good crop) and so in stead of blessing, wee should reape a curse. Therfore though we must begin with praier, yet we may not be content with praier, but we must ioine to it, first a dili∣gent hearkning to our pastors & teachers, like as the Israelites

hearkened to the Leuites when they read Gods worde vnto them, and gaue the sence. Nehe. 8. Secondly a diligent reading of the scriptures b•• our selues like the men of Berea. Act. 17. and like Timothie. 2. Tim. 3. who knew them of a child: thirdly dili∣gent questioning and conferring with them that haue more skil then our selues, in which respect Marcella is highly cōmen∣ded by Hieronym, because as oft as she came in his sight, shee moued him some doubt or other out of the scripture: last∣ly, a diligent searching and perusing of the expositions of the learned set forth in writing, as Ambrosius, Paula, Eustochium and others in the primatiue Church (that I mention none of y^e lat∣ter times) haue beene so forward this way, that they procured the godly learned, (as Origen, Hieronym and others) to cōment & write vpon diuerse parts of the Scripture for their edifying, which they did not of any perswasion like to that of the Pa∣pists, that y^e scriptures for hardnes are like to the same cities of the Anakims. Num. 13. which were so strong & so walled that they made the children of Israel quake to thinke of them, and for dāger as perillous in a maner to be medled with as the tree of the knowledge of good and euill, which brought present death to thē that touched it: No, for then they would not haue turned & tossed the bible so as they did, but they would haue beene as soone wearie of it, as the men of Ekron were of the Arke of god. 1. Sam. 5. But partly in respect of their duty, wher∣by they were bound not onely not to despise, but euen to vse the gift that was in others; knowing that whether it were Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this minister, or that minister, or whoso∣euer, all were theirs, and that all might receiue profite: partlie also for their ease that they might be led forward vnto perfec∣tion, the next way by them that by all likelihood knew it bet∣ter then they, their vocation leading them especially to tra∣uers the ground. These and the like reasons moued them (to haue a respect to the direction of those writers, but not to cap∣tiuate their senses to it) which because they still do remaine, yea and will to the end of the world, therefore the commenta∣ries of the learned for the more easie vnderstanding of the scripture are alwayes necessarie. Now for them that vnder∣stand the tongues, there are so many extant alreadie (the lords

name be blessed) and so many come forth 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that a man may say of them as Moses sayd of those that offered for the fur∣nishing of the Tabernacle, Exod. 36. The people bring too much and more then inough for the vse of the worke that the Lord hath commanded to be made. Indeed vnneath a mans life will suffice to reade the bookes that are written alreadie vppon the scriptures in the three chiefe tongues, but yet for them that are ignorant of the tongues, there is not as yet (to borrow a fewe of Moses words) an helper found out meete for them. I grant the notes that we haue vpon our English bibles are most sound and profitable; but they want application for the most part, (howe could it be chosen? except the volume should haue beene made not portable) the commentaries also vpon diuerse parts of the Scripture translated into our mother tongue (for I haue not seene many of our mens making; others haue laboured for vs, and we haue entred into their labours) they are right worthie and most woorth the reading, but yet for the more learned and zealous sort of the common people, not for them that were lately weaned from the brest, and must be tolled on by a little at once, and by a small price also. Ther∣fore when I vnderstoode that God had put into the heart of this Reuerend & excellent builder (the Author of these notes) to employ his talent this way also, namely by writing vppon the Scripture to profite the common people, I reioyced great∣ly and was full of comfort, not onely because of his learning and sufficiencie (being knowne to bee a workeman that nee∣deth not to be ashamed) but also for his wise discretions sake, for that he knoweth howe to abound, and how to be sparing, and so to handle the matter, that they for whom it was proui∣ded might be most benefited. For this I say, I reioyced (like as the Israelites when they found the well Num. 21. they made a song in the praise of it) yea I confesse I exhorted him to goe forward with this intendment of his, though he should omitte many of his sermons & lectures. For I considered that though a mans liuely voice moueth more, yet a mans writing teacheth more: more throughly, because it giueth a man leaue to con∣sider of it, and doth not strike his eares onely, and then away, (for which cause wordes are saide by the wise Poet to haue

Winige••) more generally, because it reacheth not onely to them that are neere, but also to them that are farre off, not onely to them that are aliue, but also to them that are yet vn∣borne. In deede so it is, he that speaketh profiteth his owne congregation, but he that writeth profiteth all: he that spea∣keth profiteth for an houre; and he that writeth profiteth for euer. Therefore I say, I perswaded him to redeeme this power of dooing more good, whatsoeuer it shoulde cost him, or rather whatsoeuer it shoulde cost vs by wanting his reading. But nowe when I perceyued for all this talke, and the like, hee was alwayes the same man for assiduitie in preaching, euen as the children of Israel shronke not downe vnder their labour, howsoeuer it were increased, then I gaue glorie vnto God, saying, Surely the Lord hath done great things for him, yea the Lorde doth great things for the people ouer whom he placeth him. For who is able to speake oftner? who is able to doe more good? Of such as are pain∣full, being most readie, of such as are readie being most paine∣full, of such as are pithie being most familiar, of such as are fa∣miliar being most pithie: learned without ostentation, sweete without glosing, zealous without newfangling, beloued and louing againe, mouing and moued himselfe, comfortable and comforted himselfe. I do not giue him halfe his dew, as they know that know him, and yet happily more then euerie one that knoweth vs both doth thinke fit to proceede out of my mouth, I being so linked to him as I am. But truth is truth who soeuer is the speaker, and of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will vtter, & the pen will write howsoeuer it be taken. And yet when Christ himselfe refused not the testimonie of Iohn for all he was his kinsman, because though he had knowē Christ after the flesh, yet he knew him so no more, I trust the like respect neede not make me seeme absurde all the while I yeelde nothing to flesh and bloud, and do not stretch my selfe beyond his measure (as the Apostle speaketh.) Well, this Reue∣rend and Honourable man is now remooued from vs, being called to a greater charge of gouernment and ouersight, but so that first he left his owne teares behind him; which shewed how he loued vs, and from vs for the most part he caried away

our verie hearts, not onely our teares, so deare he was vnto vs. We pray therefore for him that God would blesse him, and his labours euerie way, as he did among vs, and that hee may be among his flocke with ioy, and not with griefe: also to him we are s••ters that he would not forget vs being absent, but seeke to doe vs good (among others) by publishing his godly labours. Truly (gentle Reader) though I cannot doe thee good by my selfe, yet whatsoeuer fauour or credit I may seeme to be in with him, the same I will gladly employ for thy sake vnto that end; namely I wil be to him (as Socrates sayth he was to the Athenians) a spurre or a stinger to pricke him forwarde, or rather (to speake as Isay speaketh) I will be his remembran∣cer, and giue him no rest vntill hee haue gone through the bookes of Moses, at the least. This, if God giue him life so long, and if in the meane time some come not in to his helpe, as Aaron and Hur helped Moses when hee was wearie with hol∣ding vp his handes, or as Peters partners helped him, Luke 6. when his net was torne. Farewell (good Reader) and doe thou also blesse and loue this man, who for thy sake doth thus de∣base himselfe (because he would not exceede thy capacitie be thou neuer so simple) whereas he could otherwise get him∣selfe a great name like the great men of the earth, by wri∣ting for the reach of the better learned: againe farewell. Hereford 1. April. 1592.

Thine in the Lord Iesus, Miles Smith.

Notes

• Heb. 5.
• Act. 15.21.
• Esay. 29.••1.
• 2▪ ••er. 3.
• Ephes. 1.
• August. 15. de 〈◊〉〈◊〉. dei. cap. 6.
• Luc. 11.13.
• Hieron in pro••m. epist. ad Galat.
• 1. Sam. 5.
• 1. Cor. 3.
• Exod. 36.
• Iohn 4.38.
• Num. 21.17.
• Exod. 1.
• Iohn. 1.
• 2. Cor. 5.