A Golden Chain

The name of the mother of Christ is added, to show that he came of the linage of David, and that therefore he was the true Messiah before spoken of. It may be objected, that both Matthew and Luke sets down the genealogy of Joseph, of whom Christ was not. Ans. Matthew sets down indeed in Christs genealogy, the natural descent of Joseph, the husband of Mary, having Jacob for his natural father: but Luke taking another course, propounds the natural descent of Mary the mother of Christ: and when he saith that Joseph was the son of Eli, he means of a legal son. For sons and daughters in law, are called sons and daughters to their fathers and mothers in law: Mary her self and not Joseph, being the natural daughter of Eli. And whereas Luke doth not plainly say, that Mary was the daughter of Eli, but puts Joseph the son in law in her room,¹ the reason hereof may be, because it was the manner of the Jews to account and continue their genealogies in the male and not in the female sex, the man being the head of the family, and not the woman. And though Ruth, and Rahab, and other women be mentioned by Matthew, yet that is only by the way: for they make no degrees herein. Again it may be further demanded, how Christ could come of David by Solomon, as Matthew saith, and by Nathan as Luke saith; they twain being two distinct sons of David. Ans. By virtue of the law, whereby the brother was bound to raise up seed to his brother: there was a double descent in use among the Jews, the one was natural, the other legal. Natural, when one man descended of another by generation,² as the child from the natural father, Legal, when a man not begotten of another, yet did succeed him in his inheritance; ⟨p. 294⟩and thus Salathiel is the natural son of Neri, and the legal son of Jeconiah.³ Now Saint Luke sets down the natural descent of Christ from David by Nathan, and Saint Matthew the other descent, which is legal, by Solomon; whom Christ succeeded in the right of the kingdom, being borne the King of the Jews: none that could possibly be named, having more right to it, then he.

The name of the mother of Christ is added, to shewe that he came of the linage of Dauid, and that therefore he was the true Messias before spoken of. It may be obiected, that both Mathew and Luke sets downe the genealogie of Ioseph, of whom Christ was not. Ans. Mathew sets downe indeede in Christs genealogie, the natural descent of Ioseph, the husband of Marie, hauing Iaacob for his naturall father: but Luke taking another course, propounds the natural descent of Marie the mother of Christ: and when he saith that Ioseph was the sonne of Eli, he meanes of a legall sonne. For sonnes and daughters in law, are called sonnes and daughters to their fathers and mothers in law: Mary her selfe and not Ioseph, being the naturall daughter of Eli. And whereas Luke doth not plainely say, that Marie was the daughter of Eli, but puts Ioseph the sonne in lawe in her roome,