The history of the world

§. VI. [unspec 30] Of the Patriarchs deliuering their knowledge by Tradition: and that ENOCH writ before the Floud.

A Fourth scruple hath beene made, How the certaine knowledge of the Creation came to Moses, seeing there was no Storie thereof written, and if any such had beene, yet it is conceiued, that all memorie of Antiqui∣tie perished in the Vniuersall Floud.

But if we consider the curiositie and policie of elder ages, we shall find, that know∣ledge was the greatest treasure that men sought for, and which they also couered [unspec 40] and hid from the vulgar sort, as Iewels of inestimable price, fearing the irreuerent construction of the ignorant and irreligious: so as whatsoeuer was attained vnto con∣cerning God, and his working in nature, the same was not left to publike dispute, but deliuered ouer by heart and tradition from wise men to a posteritie equally zealous; Ex animo in animum sine 〈◊〉〈◊〉, medio intercedente verbo: From minde to minde without* 1.1 Letters, by way of tradition or word of mouth. And it was thought by Esdras Origen, and Hilaerius, (as Mirandula conceiueth) that Moses did not onely vpon the Mount* 1.2 receiue the Law from God, but withall, secretiorem & veram leg is enarrationem; a more secret and true explanation of the Law; which (saith he, out of the same Authours,) hee deliuered by mouth to Iosuah, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the Elders: For to teach these mysteries, [unspec 50] which hee called secretiora, to the rude multitude, were no other quàm dare sanctum canibus, & inter Porcos spargere Margaritas, then to giue holy things to Dogges, and to cast Pearles before Swine. In succeeding times this vnderstanding and wisedome began to bee written in 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and Characters, and Letters bearing the forme of beasts,

birds, and other creatures; and to be taught onely to such as serued in their Tem∣ples, and to their Kings and Priests. Of the first the Cabala of the Iewes was an imi∣tation: the inuention of the other is ascribed to Zoroaster, Mercurius, Cadmus, and others; but falsely.

This 〈◊〉〈◊〉 importeth a Law, receiued by tradition and vnwritten. Cabala in He∣brew* 1.3 is receptio in Latine, and a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in English. And this custome was also held by the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & Bards of our ancient Brittaines, and of later times by the Irish Chroni∣clers called Rymers. If then such as would seeme wisest in the vse of reason, will not* 1.4 acknowledge, that the storie of the Creation or beginning of all things was written by inspiration, the holy Ghost guiding the hand of Moses; yet it is manifest, that the [unspec 10] knowledge thereof might by tradition (then vsed) be deliuered vnto him by a more certayne presumption, then any or all the testimonies which prophane antiquitie had preserued and left to their successors: which their wise men (as they terme them) did lay vp and defend from the iniurie of the time and other hazzards. For, leauing to remember that Adam instructed Seth, and Seth his children and succes∣sors, which cannot be doubted of, it is manifest, that Methusalem liued together with Adam himselfe two hundred 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and three yeeres, and Noah with Methusa∣lem no lesse then fiue hundred yeeres: and before Noah dyed, Abraham was fiftie and eight yeeres old; from whence this knowledge by an easie and ordinarie way might come to Israel, and so to Moses. [unspec 20]

But besides this tradition, it is questionlesse, that the vse of letters was found out in the very infancie of the world, proued by those prophecies written on pillars of stone and bricke by Enoch: of which Iosephus affirmeth, that one of them remayned* 1.5 euen in his time (meaning belike some ruine or foundation thereof) which pillars by others are ascribed to Seth. But of these prophecies of Enoch Saint Iude testifi∣eth;* 1.6 and some part of his Bookes (which contayned the course of the Starres, their names and motions) were afterward found in Arabia foelix, in the Dominion of the Queene of Saba (saith Origen) of which Tertullian affirmeth that he had seene* 1.7 and read some whole pages. It is not therefore strange, that Moses came to the know∣ledge of the Creation, and storie of the first Age, seeing he might receiue it both by [unspec 30] tradition and letters, had not the spirit of God instructed and inspired him as it did: which also his many and strange miracles (performed before he wrote the Scrip∣tures) make more manifest.

Now for the Bookes of Enoch, howsoeuer some men make question of them, sure I am that Tertullian, Origen, Augustine, Beda, Procopius, Gazeus, (with others) cite* 1.8 them in their writings: although Medina, for an argument to proue them vnwrit∣ten traditions, alleageth that Pope Gelasius among other the Apocryphall Scriptures (which he reiecteth) named not these of Enoch; but that whatsoeuer was remem∣bred* 1.9 out of them, the same was deliuered by Tradition from the Iewes. But I ra∣ther thinke with Pererius, that such a Booke there was, and that the same was cor∣rupted [unspec 40] after the death of the Apostles, and many things added thereunto by He∣retikes, who tooke occasion vpon the antiquitie thereof, and out of that place of Michael contending with the Deuill about the body of Moses, to frame and adde thereunto many inuentions of their owne. One of the greatest arguments against these Bookes, is, that neither Philo, nor Iosephus (the most diligent searchers of An∣tiquitie) make mention thereof. But against it I will set this opinion of Saint AV∣GVSTINE, Scripsisse quidem nonnulla diuina ENOCH illum septimum ab ADAM nega∣re non possumus: That ENOCH the seuenth from ADAM did write diuers diuine things we cannot denie. Now his writings which came afterwards to light, were suspected be∣cause of the antiquitie, and of fables of Giants, supposed to be begotten of Angels, [unspec 50] and others; and by so much the more, because no such Booke was found amongst those Canonicall Scriptures, kept by the diligence of the Hebrew Priests in Armario Iu∣daico (saith Tertullian) who yet affirmeth that this Booke might be preserued by* 1.10 Noah. Surely, that Enoch wrote the prophecies remembred by Iude, no man can

denie; how they were deliuered to posteritie I know not, whether by the Iewes Cae-balae, or by what other meanes, the same is but mans coniecture. And (certainely) by the knowledge ascribed to Noah of the motions of the Heauens, and of the Natures and coniunctions of the Starres; and afterwards to some of his sonnes, to Zoroaster,* 1.11 and then to Abraham, it is very probable that Noah had seene and might preserue this booke. For it is not likely, that so exquisite knowledge therein (as these men had) was suddenly inuented and found out, but left by Seth to Enoch, and by Enoch to Noah, as hath beene said before. And therefore if letters and arts were knowne from the time of Seth to Enoch, and that Noah liued with Methusalem, who liued with Adam, and Abraham liued with Noah, it is not strange (I say) to conceiue how Moses [unspec 10] came to the knowledge of the first Age, be it by letters, or by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Tradition, had the vndoubted word of God neede of any other proofe then selfe-authoritie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dion. Arcop.
• * 1.2

  Fol. 18.
• * 1.3

  Cabala est stien∣tia Theologiae non 〈◊〉〈◊〉, P. M. 82.
• * 1.4

  Mirand. 110. fol
• * 1.5

  Ios l. 1.
• * 1.6

  Iud. Ep. v. 14.
• * 1.7

  Origen. Homil. 1 in Num.
• * 1.8

  Orig. Homil. 2 & in Num. & Comment. in Euang, 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.9

  Gelas. dist. 15.
• * 1.10

  Tertul. de 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.11

  Hebr. 11. 5.