Hexapla in Genesin & Exodum: that is, a sixfold commentary upon the two first bookes of Moses, being Genesis and Exodus Wherein these translations are compared together: 1. The Chalde. 2. The Septuagint. 3. The vulgar Latine. 4. Pagnine. 5. Montanus. 6. Iunius. 7. Vatablus. 8. The great English Bible. 9. The Geneva edition. And 10. The Hebrew originall. Together with a sixfold vse of every chapter, shewing 1. The method or argument: 2. The divers readings: 3. The explanation of difficult questions and doubtfull places: 4. The places of doctrine: 5. Places of confutation: 6. Morall observations. In which worke, about three thousand theologicall questions are discussed: above forty authors old and new abridged: and together comprised whatsoever worthy of note, either Mercerus out of the Rabbines, Pererius out of the fathers, or Marloran out of the new writers, have in their learned commentaries collected. By Andrew Willet, minister of the gospell of Iesus Christ.
Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621., Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621. Hexapla in Genesin. aut, Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621. Hexapla in Exodum. aut
QVEST. 1. Whether it were a true serpent that talked with Eva.

vers. 1. NOw the serpent was mre subtill, &c.] 1. we neither thinke with Iosephus, that it was in the beginning naturall to the serpents, as to other beasts,* to have the use of speech and under∣standing: which was the conceit also of Plato, that under Saturne men used to speake & conferre by lan∣guage with beasts. Euseb. lib. 12. de prepar. Evang. c. 9. for if it had beene naturall to beasts to speake, they should no more after the fall have beene deprived of their naturall faculties, than the Angels or 〈◊〉, that fell: and beside, this opinion is contrarie to the Scripture, which saith, that man onely was created according to Gods image: that is, with reason and understanding, which guideth the speech.

2. We refuse also the opinion which Barcephas ascribeth to Ephrem. lib. de paradis. c. 27. that the use of speech was given unto the serpent onely for this time, as it was to Balaams asse: that the Devill spake in the serpent, as the Angell did in the Asse we grant: but the serpent could not speake of himselfe, wanting the instruments and organs of the voice which man hath.

3. Neither is Cyrillus opinion to be received, that it was not a true serpent, but a shew onely and ap∣parition. For then it should not have beene said, that the serpent was wiser, than all the beasts of the field: and afterward God layeth a curse upon the serpent, that he should goe upon his bellie and eate the dust of the earth: it was a true serpent then, not a shadow onely.

4 Cajetanus conceit also is to be rejected, who by a continued allegorie, by the serpent, would have the Devill understood: that there was neither serpent in truth nor in shew that appeared to Eva, but this tentation was altogether internall and spirituall: for by this meanes, the whole storie of the creation may as well be allegorized, and so the truth of the narration called in question, and beside, whereas the Devill internally tempteth onely two wayes, either by alluring the sense by some object, or else by moving and working the phantasie, our parents before their fall could not be so tempted, having no inordinate motion.

5 Some thinke that the woman did understand the speech of the serpent, such as beasts use, to expresse their minde, and not otherwise: but it is evident, that the serpent did verily speake.

6 Aben Ezra is of opinion, that it was the serpent, and nothing else: but the curse afterward pro∣nounced upon the serpent, and that prophesie, that the seed of the woman should breake the serpents head, sheweth, that the Devill spake in the serpent, who is principally accursed.

7 Our opinion then is, that it was a true serpent which talked with Eva, as may appeare by the punishment inflicted upon this kind: and that the Devill used the serpent, a subtill beast, as his instru∣ment, and spake out of him. This our Saviour confirmeth in the Gospell, that it was Satan, which was a murtherer from the beginning, and caused the death and fall of our parents, Iohn 18.44. And Saint Paul affirmeth, that the serpent beguiled Eva through his subtiltie: but the woman was not deceived by the serpent, but by the craft of the Devill, speaking and working by the serpent. Of this judgement are most of the auncient fathers, Basil, Chrysostome, Augustine, Damascene, &c.