Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

This Kahad is the grandfather of Moses, the father of Amram, ¹from whom Moses did perfectly draw that full and certain tradition by hand, as concerning the will, commandments and judgements of God, even as Amram his father, had learned them of his father Kahad, Kahad of Jacob, Jacob of Shem, Shem of Methusalem and of Adam the first father of us all: so now that Moses is from Adam the seventh witness in the world. And from the beginning of the world to the birth of Moses, are fully complete 2368. years of the world. And who so ever shall diligently reckon the years, not in vain set down by Moses in Genesis and Exodus, he shall find this account to be true and right.

This Kahad is the grandfather of Moses, the father of Amram, ¹from whom Moses did perfectly draw that ful and certain tradition by hand, as concerning the will, commaundements and iudgements of God, euen as Amram his father, had learned thē of his father Kahad, Kahad of Iaacob, Iaacob of Sem, Sem of Methusalem and of Adam the first father of vs all: so nowe that Moses is from Adam the seuenth witnesse in the worlde. And from the beginning of the worlde to the byrth of Moses, are fully complete 2368. yeares of the worlde. And who so euer shall diligently reckon the yeres, not in vaine set downe by Moses in Genesis and Erodus, he shall find this account to be true and right.

1. 1Kahad. Amram. Moses.

Now also, it behoveth us to know those chief principles of that lively ⟨p. 5⟩tradition, delivered by the holy fathers at the appointment of God, as ¹it were from hand to hand to all the posterity. The fathers taught their children, that God of his natural goodness, wishing well to mankind, would have all men to come to the knowledge of the trueth, and to be like in nature to God him self, holy, happy, and absolutely blessed. And therefore that God in the beginning, did create man to his own similitude and likeness, to the intent that he should be good, holy, immortal, blessed, and partaker of all the good gifts of God: but that man continued not in that dignity and happy estate, but by the means of the devil, and his own proper fault, fell into sin, misery, and death, changing his likeness to God, into the similitude of the devil. Moreover, that God here again, as it were of fresh, began the work of salvation, whereby mankind being restored and set free from all evil, might once again be made like unto God: and that he meant to bring this mighty, and divine work to pass, by a certain middle mean, that is, by the word incarnate. For as by this taking of flesh, he joined man to God, so by dying in the flesh, with sacrifice he cleansed, sanctified, and delivered mankind, and by giving him his holy spirit, he made him like again in nature to God, that is immortal, and absolutely blessed. And last of all, he worketh in us a willing endeavour, aptly to resemble the property, and conditions of him, to whose likeness we are created, so that we may be holy both body and soul. They added moreover, that the word should be incarnate in his due time, and appointed age. And also, that there did remain a great day for judgement, wherein though all men were gathered together, yet the righteous only should receive that reward of heavenly immortality. So then, this is the brief sum of the holy fathers tradition, which it is best to untwist more largely, and to speak of it more diligently, as it were by parts.