21. Ad••red the toppe of his rod.] The learned may see here that the Apostle doth not tie him self to the Hebrue in the place of Genesis vvhence it is alleaged, but folovveth the Septuaginta, though it differ from the Hebrue, as also the other Apostles and Euangelists and our Sauiour him self did: neither vvere they curious (as men novv a daies) to examine all by the Hebrue only, because they vvriting and speaking by the holy Ghost, knevve very vvell that this translation is the sense of the holy Ghost also, and as true, and as directly intended as the other: and therfore also that transla∣tion continued alvvaies authentical in the Greeke Church, notvvithstanding the diuersitie thereof from the Hebrue. Euen so vve that be Catholikes, folovv vvith al the Latin fathers the authentical Latin translation, though it be not alvvaies agreable to the Hebrue or Greeke that novv is. But Caluin is not onely very saucie, but very ignorant, vvhen he saith that the Septuaginta vvere decei∣ued, and yet that the Apostle vvithout curiosity vvas content to folovv them: because it is euident, that the Hebrue being thē vvithout pointes, might be trāslated the one vvay as vvel as the other. Vvhich they vnderstood so vvel (and therfore vvere not deceiued) that vvithin three lines after▪ in the beginning of the next chapter, they translate the same vvord, as he vvould haue it in this place.
Againe obserue in those vvordes, He adored the toppe of his rod, that adoration (as the Scripture vseth this vvord) may be done to creatures, or to God at and before a creatures as at or before the Arke of the Testament in old time, novv at or before the crucifixe, relikes, images: and in the Psalmes 93. 131. Adore ye his footesto••le. Adore ye tovvard his holy mount. We vvil adore tovvard the place vvhere his feete stoode: or (vvhich by the Hebrue phrase is al one) Adore ye his holy mount. We vvill adore the place vvhere his feete stood. as also the Greeke fathers, S Damascene li. 1 de imaginibus, and Leontius cited of him, yea S. Chrysostom also do handel these places, and namely that of the Apostle vvhich vve novv speake of, interpreting the Greeke as our Latin hath, and as vve do, He adored the rod or the toppe of his rod, that is, the scepter of Ioseph novv Prince of Aegypt, so fulfilling Iosephs dreames vvhich foretold the same Gen. 37: and vvithal signifying as it vvere by this propheticall fact, the kingdom of Israel or of the ten tribes that vvas to come of Ioseph by Ephraim his yonger sonne in the first king Ieroboam. thus the Greeke fathers. Vvhere vnto may be added, that al this vvas done in type and figure of Christes scepter and kingdom, vvhom he adored by and in his Crosse, as he did Ioseph by or in his rod and scepter: and therfore the Apostle saith, he did it by faith, as hauing respect tovvard things to come. By al vvhich it is euident, that it is false vvhich the Calu••nists teach, that vve may not adore image, cru••ifixe, or any visible creature, that is, vve may not adore God at or by such creatures, nor kneele before them: and therfore their corrupt translation of this place for the same purpose is intolerable, saying thus, (LEANING) vpon his staffe he adored (GOD)▪ adding no lesse then tvvo vvordes more then is in the Greeke, which though it might be the sense of the place, and S. Augustine so expoundeth it, yet they should not make his exposition the text of holy Scripture, specially vvhereas he only of al the auncient fathers (as Beza confesseth) so expoundeth it.
33. Wrought iustice.] Men are not iust by beleefe onely, as the Protestants affirme, but by vvorking iustice. And vve may note that in all this long commendation of faith in the fathers and holy persons, their good vvorkes are also specially recounted, as Rahabs harbouring the spies, Abrahams offering his sonne (vvhich their vvorkes S. Iames doth inculcate:) No••s making the Arke Gen. 6. Abels better oblation then Cains Gen. 4. & Hebr. 11. v. 4. and so forth. therfore S. Clement Alexandrinus saith, that the said persons and others vvere lust by saith and obedience, by faith and hospitality, by faith and patience, by faith and humility.
The Apostles purpose then is nothing els, but to proue to the Hebrues (vvho made so great account of their Patriarches and forefathers and their famous actes) that all these glorious perso∣nages and their vvorkes vvere commendable and acceptable onely through the faith they had of Christ, vvithout vvhich faith none of all their liues and vvorkes should haue profited them any vvhit: the Gentiles doing many noble actes (as Heretikes may also doe) vvhich are of no estimatiō before God, because they lacke faith. And that is the scope of S. Paules Epistle to the Romanes, and of al other passages vvhere he commendeth faith: further prouing specially in this Epistle to the Hebrues, that all their sacrifices vvere nothing els but figures and attestations of the Christian faith in Christ and his death. Al vvhich high resolution & conclusion against the Ievves and Gen∣tiles, that the Christian faith is the true faith & religion, the Heretikes of our time ignorantly and brutishly abuse against Christian vvorkes, sacrifice, and Sacraments, vvhich the Apostle meant spe∣cially to commend and establish by his high commendation of the faith in Christ.
40. Without vs should not.] The fathers before Christ could not be accomplished; that is, not admitted to the heauenly ioyes, vision, and fruition of God, till the Apostles and other of the nevv lavv vvere associate to them, and the vvay to euerlasting glorie opened by our Lordes death and Ascension. Neither shal either they or vve be fully perfected in glorie both of body and soul, till the general resurrection: Gods prouidence being so, that vve should not one be consummated vvithout an other, all being of one faith, and redeemed by one Lord Christ.