five miles, and omit those of three hundred. For such a journey in going and coming would have ministered some variety of matter or accident worthy the inserting and adding to Abraham's story.

SECT. IV.

The answer to another of the objections proposed, shewing that it was not unlikely that Terah should beget Abraham in his 130th year.

NOW touching the objection, where it is said, that it was very unlikely that Terah should beget Abraham in his 130th year, seeing Abraham himself thought it a wonder to have a son at an hundred; this is hardly worth the answering. This wonder is indeed miscast and mistaken, Abraham having respect only to Sarah his wife, when he spake of their many years. For when the angel said unto Abraham in his tent door at Mamre, Lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son, it followeth in the next verse, Now Abraham and Sarah were old and stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women; therefore Sarah laughed, &c.

So then, in that it is said, it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women, it appeareth that the wonder was wrought on her, and not on Abraham. For Abraham, by his second wife Keturah, had many sons after Sarah's death, as Zimron, Jockshan, Medan, Midian, Ishback, and Shuah; and the eldest of these was born thirty-seven years after Isaac, and the youngest forty years after. What strangeness then, that Terah, being 130 years old, should beget Abraham, will they say, may be gathered from this supposed despair of Abraham at 100 years? for Sarah died in the year of the world 2145, and Isaac was born in the year 2109, and Abraham did not marry n Keturah till Sarah was buried. So if we deduct the number of 2109 out of 2145, there remaineth thirty-six; and therefore if Abraham begat five sons thirty-six years after this supposed

n Origen. Homil. 11. in Gen. Aug. de Civit. Dei, l. 16. c. 34. Cajetan. et Perer. in Gen.

wonder, and when Abraham was 137 years old, it is not strange that his father Terah should beget Abraham at 130. And if Boaz, Obed, and Jesse, who lived so many years and ages after Abraham, begat sons at 100 years, or near it, it cannot be marvelled at, that Terah begat Abraham at 130, and Abraham others at the same age, and seven years after.

SECT. V.

The answer to two more of the objections; shewing that we may have certainty of Abraham's age from the scripture, though we make not Abraham the eldest son; and that there was great cause, why in the story of Abraham his two brethren should be respected.

IT followeth now to speak something to the objection, which brings Abraham's age altogether in doubt, except we allow him to be the eldest son of Terah, and born when Terah was seventy years old. For Abraham's age being made uncertain, all succeeding times are thereby without any perfect rule or knowledge.

But this proposition, That we cannot be certain of Abraham's age, unless we make him the eldest son, is false. For it is plain in the scriptures, that when Terah was 205, which was the year of his death, then was Abraham seventy-five. And if you ask, how I can judge of times, either preceding or succeeding, by knowing that Abraham departed Haran at that age; I answer, that St. Stephen hath told us, that Abraham's departure followed the death of his father Terah: and Terah died at 205; so as the seventyfifth year of Abraham was the 205th year of Terah; which known, there can be no error in the account of times succeeding. Now to come to the objection, where it is said, That Moses had no respect unto Nachor and Haran, because they were out of the church, but to Abraham only, with whom God established the covenant, and of whom Christ descended according to the flesh, &c. I answer, that Moses, for many great and necessary causes, had respect of Nachor and Haran. For the succession of God's church is not witnessed by Abraham alone, but by the issues of Nahor and Haran, were they idolaters or other

wise. For Nahor was the father of Bethuel, and Bethuel of Rebecca, the mother of Israel; and Haran was the parent of Lot, Sarah, and Milcah; and Sarah was mother to Isaac, and grandmother to Jacob; Milcah also the wife of Nahor, and mother of Bethuel, was Jacob's great grandmother; and the age of Sarah, the daughter of Haran, is especially noted, in that it pleased God to give her a son at ninety years, and when by nature she could not have conceived. And therefore, though it were not in regard of themselves, yet because both Nahor and Abraham married the daughters of their brother Haran; and because Isaac married Rebecca the grandchild of Nahor; and Jacob, Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Laban, the grandchild also of Nahor; it was not superfluous in Moses to give light of these men's times and ages. And though sometimes they worshipped strange gods, as it is Joshua xxiv. 2. yet I see no cause to think that they still continued idolaters. For they believed and obeyed the calling of Abraham, leaving their natural country and city of Ur in Chaldea, as Abraham did, and removed thence all, except Haran, who died before his father Terah, ere they left Chaldea; but Lot, his son, followed Abraham in Canaan; and Sarah, the sister of Lot, Abraham married. Nahor also, who remained at Charran, gave his sons' daughters to Isaac and Jacob, his own kinsmen; he himself having also married in his own family, not thinking it pleasing unto God to mix themselves with strangers and idolaters. And that these men at length believed in the God of Abraham, it can no way be doubted. For when Laban had seen the servant of Abraham standing at the well beside Charran, he invited him to his father's house in this manner; Come in, thou blessed of Jehovah, &c. And when this servant of Abraham's demanded an answer as touching Rebecca, then answered Laban and Bethuel, and said, P This thing is proceeded of Jehovah; meaning that it was the will of the true God it should be so; wherein he acknowledged God's providence. Likewise in the following verse it is written, P Gen. xxiv. 50.

Gen. xxiv. 31.

Take, go, that she may be thy master's son's wife, even as Jehovah hath said. This their often using of the name of Jehovah, which is the proper name of the true God, is a sign that they had the knowledge of him.

Now although it be the opinion of St. Chrysostom, and some later writers, as Cajetan, Oleaster, Musculus, Calvin, Mercer, and others, that Laban was an idolater, because he retained certain idols or household gods, which Rachel stole from him; yet that he believed in the true God, it cannot be denied. For he acknowledgeth the God of Abraham and of Nahor, and he called Abraham's servant, blessed of Jehovah, as aforesaid. So as for myself, I dare not avow that these men were out of the church, who sure I am were not out of the faith.

SECT. VI.

That the naming of Abraham first of the three brethren, Gen. xi. 26. doth not prove that he was the eldest; together with divers reasons proving that Abraham was not the eldest son of Terah.

TO the main objection, which I answer last, because it seemeth of most strength, by which those that strive to shorten the times, endeavour to prove, that Abraham was the eldest son of Terah, and born in the seventieth year of Terah's life; grounding themselves first and chiefly on this place of the scripture, 9 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abraham, Nahor, and Haran; to this I say, that although Abraham in this verse be first named, yet the same is no proof at all that he was the eldest and first-born son of Terah. For it is no necessary consequence, that the first named in scriptures was therefore eldest in blood and birth, neither doth it appear that it pleased God to make especial choice of the first sons in nature and time; for Seth was not the first-born of Adam, nor Isaac of Abraham, nor Jacob of Isaac, nor Judah and Joseph of Jacob, nor David the eldest son of Jesse, nor Solomon of David, as is formerly remembered.

But it is written of Noah, Noah was five hundred years

a Gen. xi. 26.

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old, and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japhet; shewing that at the 500th year of his age he began to get the first of those three sons. For according to St. Augustine, speaking generally: Nec attendendus est in his ordo nativitatis, sed significatio futuræ dignitatis: in qua excelluit Abraham; "The order of nativity is not here "to be respected, but the signification of the future dignity; in which Abraham was preferred." And therefore as in the order of the sons of Noah, so is it here; where it is said, That Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abraham, Nahor, and Haran; for it was late ere Terah began to beget sons, himself being begotten by his father Nachor at twenty-nine, as others his ancestors were at thirty. The like also happened to Noah; for whereas Adam begat Seth at 130, Enosh Kenan at ninety, Kenan Mahalaleel at seventy, Mahalaleel Jared at sixty, Noah was yet 500 years old when he began to beget the first of his three sons, as aforesaid. And St. Augustine, in the place before cited, rather inclineth to the opinion that Abraham was the youngest of Terah's sons, than otherwise; though for his excellency he was worthily named first. His own words are these: Fieri enim potuit ut posterior sit generatus Abraham; sed merito excellentiæ, qua in scripturis valde commendatur, prior fuerit nominatus; "It might be," saith he, "that Abraham was begotten later; but was first "named in regard of his excellency, for which in scripture "he is much commended." So as the naming first or last proveth nothing who was first or last born, either in those issues of Noah, or in these of Terah; neither hath God any respect of the eldest in nature, as touching his election or spiritual blessing; for Moses nameth first the children of the promise, and the eldest and first in God's favour: Pietas ergo vel ipsa potius electio divina, quæ comitem secum trahit pietatem, et Dei timorem, primas partes dat Semo in liberis Noa, et Abrahamo in liberis Thare; "Piety," saith he, 66 or rather divine election, which doth evermore draw "with it or after it piety and the fear of God, gave place Aug. quæst. super Gen. xxv.