No man can wel doubt nor wil denie, that the same Church continued al the second age which was in the first, considering that Noe liued aboue 50. yeares after the birth of Abraham, and Sem 150. more: and that these three, and some others of that time are renowmed in holie Scripture, for sincere profe&esset;ors of true Religion. ^note But for more manifestation of their faith, and that the Church was then very conspicuous, we shal repete certaine principal pointes of Religion profe&esset;ed and practised al that time, by a continual knowne visible companie vnited in one mystical bodie: though in the meane while, the wicked sprong and grew in number and worldlie force, much oppre&esset;ing et neuer suppre&esset;ing the good. ^note

First iust Noe coming forth of the arke with his familie, professed his religious mind to One God almightie, supreme Lord of al, by Offering external voluntarie, speedie, pure, solemne, and bountiful Sacrifice of Holocaustes, as a Priest vpon an Altar. ^note After which most gratful office, God making a couenant with him and his seede, neuer againe to destroy the world by water, confirmed the same by the signe of the rainbow, which represented the second Person of the B. Trinitie, the Sonne of God, Christ our Lord to be borne The S&obar;ne of man, & extended vpon the Crosse: in whom Noe beleeuing was instituted heyre of the iustice, which is by faith in our Redemer. ^note

VVe haue here againe Gods operatiue blessing, with the effect of increase and multiplication, the issue of Noe by his three sonnes, in short time making manie Nations. ^note By the way also we haue an example of Fathers solemne Blessing and Cursing their children. The effectes wherof succeded afterwardes accordingly. Likwise in this age was geuen a particular precept Not to eate bloud. ^note And Noe obserued distinction of Cleane beastes, offering Sacrifice in them only, as before the floud, he was commanded to take moe of them into the arke, then of the Vncleane. ^note

In that so ample mention is made of sinne and wickednes, there is no doubt, but Noe, the preacher of iustice, admonished and exhorted sinners to Repentance: yea he Punished Cham & Chanaan, by his curse in their posteritie. ^note And God him selfe Threatned to exacte the bloud of man vniustly shed. In the meane time Inflicted also some punishment vpon the builders of Babel, by confounding their tongues. ^note And that by the Ministerie of Angels.

Which punishment in part, and threates of more importe a General

Resurrection, and Iudgement, where al things shal be exactly discussed and Iudged. ^note And then wil folow Eternal life to the good: and Euerlasting paine to the damned. ^note

Al these points of Religion (and others mentioned in the former age, and no doubt taught by Noe & his sonnes) shew clerly a Visible Church, consisting of good and bad. ^{note note} Noe remaning the same man as before the floud; Sem and Iapheth are commended and ble&esset;ed for wel doing; Cham blamed, & cursed in his posteritie: yet neither he nor anie of his sonnes or daughters fel into heresie, or other infidelitie, for anie thing that appeareth in Scripture, or other authentical testimonie. Heber also and his familie are particularly commended by Moyses, as the right folowers, and the spiritual children of Sem (who had innumerable other carnal children) as those that were innocent touching the presumptuous building of others, who for the same fault lost their old tongue, which the familie of Heber kept. As S. Chrisostom and S. Augustin do proue. ^note Againe, diuers of this familie falling afterwards by litle and litle to other nations, the Familie of Thare, saith the same S. Augustin (li. 16. c. 12.) albeit not al, or not alwayes, yet euer some of them, and Abraham continually, with Sem, Heber, Phaleg, & manie others, not mentioned by Moyses in his briefe description (as S. Gregorie doubteth not to suppose) were iust, and kept the true faith, and vndefiled Religion.

But Nemrod Chams nephew, and sonne of Chus described for a valiant hunter, a violent giant, and tyrant, was an Archheretike, a deuiser and teacher of false doctrin, against God and true faith. ^note By sutletie and tyrannie he induced manie of liking or of feare to folow him, and so in schisme he maintained heresie, That men were not beholding to God, but to them selues, for temporal prosperitie. ^note

VVherof begane a new & cruel confederacie, against the Citie of God, & the second great Sect of Infidels. ^note For Barbarisme being the first, begun by Cain and ended by the floud: The second mother of al Sectes beginning after the floud (as S. Epiphanius writeth) was Scythisme: so called of the Scythians a most cruel people. who according to Nemrods heresie (not thincking themselues beholding to God for temporal happines, but to their owne forces) tyrannized ouer the weaker, and manie wicked banning together extremly oppre&esset;ed the more peacable, especially the Church and true seruants of God. ^note And this was one special cause of building Babylon, besides their ambicious desire of perpetual fame, and their bearing the simple in hand of a defence against a new floud, to make it in dede, a strong hold for tyrants to offend others, and to defend themselues. wherfore God (who before destroyed al Infidels by the floud) confounded these builders by diuiding their tongues, and so forced them to breake, and part into manie countries.

Thus mankind being diuided vpon the earth, opinions also were multiplied concerning Religion. ^note For shortly the perswation of mens trusting in themselues, and in other mortal men appeared absurde, euen the strongest feeling aduersities, or fayling sometimes of their purposes, saw there was neede of supernal helpe, and that earthlie things depended much vpon diuine wil and powre. But hauing forsaken God Almightie, the onlie maker and conseruer of al, they begane to imagine and serue false goddes, both famous dead men, which had prospered in this world, and diuers other things, by which they receiued commoditie, or feared damage.

Hence therfore rose the third principal Sect called Grecisme, beginning also in this second age, as the same S Epiphanius writeth. ^note For Ninus the first king of the A&esset;irian great Monarchie, brought to passe that his father Belus Iupiter was estemed and worshipped for the onlie great God by the A&esset;irians. ^note To him the Babylonians erected first Temples Altares and Statuas. Nemrod also by the name of Saturnus, as the progenitor of Belus, and first great King or Tyrant of Babylon, was accounted a god, and the father of goddes. ^note About this time likwise begane the Dinastæ among the Ægyptians, and not sowner, as they vainly brag to haue benne before the floud: yea much longer then in deede the world hath benne. Moreouer the Chaldees worshipped the fire. Others the sunne, the moone, and innumerable other feaned goddes. Against al which (and likwise against al heresies) are two special arguments. First that they were not from the beginning, as the true God, and al truthes are knowne and receiued by continual Tradition, but brought in afterwards by men, and comonly by il men. ^note Secondly they are not accepted and esteemed for goddes, or truthes, in al places, but with great diuersitie and di&esset;ention, one sort allowing that others despice, as holie Athanasius notably writeth in his oration against Idols in these wordes. Quot sunt gentes totidem deorum genera confinguntur &c. How manie nations (saith he) so manie kindes of goddes are feaned. Also the same countrie, the same citie dissenteth within it selfe in superstition of Idols. “The Phenicians certes acknowledge not the Egiptians goddes, neither doe the Egiptians adore the same Idols with the Phenicians: Nor the Scithians receiue the goddes of the Persians, nor the Persians of the Scithians: The Pelasgies refuse the Thrasian goddes, the Thrasians know not the Thebians. The Indians are against the Arabians, the Arabians against the Æthiophians: and in like sorte the Æthiopians differ in their religious affaires from the Arabians. The Syrians worship not the goddes of the Cilicians, and the nations of Capadocia besides al these haue goddes of other names. The Bithinians also feaned diuers goddes, the Armenians againe diuers from them what nede we manie wordes? Those that are in the continent honour other goddes from the Iland people. In briefe ech citie and eech village not knowing the goddes of their neighboures,

setteth forth their owne, & estemeth them only in place of goddes.” Thus farre S. Athanasius. Name we like countries, prouinces, cities, and townes in these partes of Europe, where Luthers scholars haue set their feete, consider the forme of Religion, and opinions which they hold, and we shal see as vnorderlie beginnings, and as horrible dissentions in heresies (which S. Hierom calleth the Idols of the New Testament) as the ancient fathers haue discryed in Paganisme. ^note For Lutherans or Protestants hauing no lawful generation, but proceding of bastards race, vpstartes of vnknowne progenie, are no le&esset;e at discordes among them selues, only al agreing against Catholiques, like syncretisantes against their c&obar;mon enimies, or Herod, Pilate, & the Iewes against Christ. And in England alone are diuers Sectes without po&esset;ible meanes to agree in one. ^note For albeit the ciuil state endeuoreth prudently and seriously to bring al to vniformitie, at least in publique shew, yet they are but like manie faces vnder one hood, euerie sorte keping their owne opinions; yea almost euerie preacher and meane scholar (to say nothing of artificers and common ministers) arrogating to be his owne Iudge, contemneth to stand to Luther or Caluin, to Geneua or Parlament, to Conuocation or Synod of their owne, but to his owne only vnderstanding, and interpretation of holie Scripture. ^note Nor yet to that alwayes; for when he is pressed with that he once said, he wil forgete it, or eate his owne word, if he haue not written it, or that you haue readie witnes against him, so hard it is to make a deceiued Protestant or Puritan confe&esset;e that he is conuinced, except by very pregnant meanes you can first cast out of him, or bind fast the spirite of presumption, di&esset;ention and contention: wheras the simpliest Catholique in the world hath the selfe same faith in al points, with the whole Church, in which he remaineth, and vpon whose iudgement he dependeth. ^note

To returne therfore, from whence we are not vnnece&esset;arily digre&esset;ed, we conclude with S. Augustin; VVhen Moyses had shewed the beginning and progresse of Nemrods earthlie citie, leauing it in Babylon, that is confusion, as needles to prosecute it futher, he returneth to declare the pertual succession of the Citie of God, the Church, as before the floud from Adam to Noe, by the line of Seth, so after the floud from the same Noe, by the line of Sem, Arphaxad, Sale, Heber, Phaleg, Reu, Sarug, Nachor, Thare, and Abraham. ^note The rest of Sems children, and al the progenies of Iapheth and Cham, as not pertaining to this purpose, omitted, so connecting those in order of generations, by whom the succe&esset;ion is directly brought to Abraham, Prince of the elected people, a most special Patriarch, to whom new and great promi&esset;es are made of multiplication of his seede, and po&esset;e&esset;ion of the land of Chanaan, but especially of Christ our Redemer, and the same manie waies confirmed, as wil appeare in the next age. ^note

Abram.

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