Chapter 6 of 50

6:2Sons of God. The progeny of Seth, professing true faith and Religion, were called the sons of God: and those of Cain's issue and congregation, following erroneous and wicked opinions, were called the sons of men. Which were then the distinctive terms of true and false Religion, as afterwards were the terms of Jews and Gentiles: after Christ, Christians and Pagans: and lastly true and false Christians are distinguished, by the names of Catholics and Heretics. As St. Augustine teacheth, in his questions upon Genesis, and other places. Which is confirmed by the like judgement of St. Cyril of Alexandria li. 9. advers. Julianum. St. Ambrose li. de Noe & arca. c. 4. St. Pacianus epist. ad Symphorianum. Theodoret. and many others upon this place.

6:3An hundred and twenty years. Man's life was not here shortened to an hundred and twenty years, as some have misunderstood this place. For after this divers lived much longer, as appeareth in the genealogy of Sem to Abram in the 11. chapter of Genesis. And Abraham lived 175 years (c. 25.) Isaac 180 (c. 35.) Jacob 147 (c. 47.) and Joiadas born 1500 years after, lived 130 years (2 Par. 24.) But 120 years were granted before the flood for that generation to repent in, as the Chaldee Edition expresseth more plainly: Terminus dabitur ei centum viginti annorum si forte convertatur. The term of an hundred and twenty years shall be given them, if perhaps they may convert. And so St. Chrysostom, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine expound this Scripture. Yet whether God cut off 10 of these years, and brought the flood after a 100 (for Noe had his sons when he was 500 years old; and the flood came in the 600th year of his age) or that this warning was given twenty years before any of his sons were born, is not so easily decided by the holy Doctors. How easy soever Protestants say all Scriptures are. Though under correction of better judgement, it seemeth more probable, that Moyses by anticipation joineth the birth of Noe's sons (when he was 500 years old) to the rest of the genealogy of the first Patriarchs, in the former chapter, and then telleth of this admonition, given 20 years before their birth. And so God expected the people's repentance the whole time of 120 years prescribed.

6:4Giants were upon the earth. Some have thought that these giants were not men, nor begotten by men, but that either devils, which fell from heaven, or other Angels allured with concupiscence, begat them of the daughters of Cain. Philo the Jew in his book de Gigantibus, writeth that those whom Moyses here called Angels, the Philosophers called Genios. Qui sunt animalia aërea, which are living creatures with airy bodies. Josephus (li. 1. Antiq.) saith that Angels begat these giants. Tertullian also (li. de habitu muliebri) holdeth the same error, and divers more otherwise good authors. But St. Cyril of Alexandria (li. 9. advers. Julian.) St. Chrysostom (homil. 22. in Gen.) St. Ambrose (de Noe & arca. c. 4.) St. Augustine (li. 15. c. 23. de civit.) St. Jerome (Tradit. Hebraic.) and other most principal Doctors teach it to be untrue, yea impossible, that these giants should have been begotten by any other creatures than by men. For that Angels and devils are mere spirits without natural bodies. And if they had airy bodies (as they have not) yet they could not have such generation. For the power or force to engender belongeth to the vegetative soul, whose proper operations are to turn nutriment into the substance of the subject wherein it is, and to engender new issue or spring from the same, as Aristotle showeth (li. 2. de anima, textu. 24.) And in what bodies soever there is vegetative soul, it must needs be, that the same was engendered, and must sometimes decay and die, and so devils should be mortal. Moreover if they could have generation together with mankind, then such issue should be a distinct species both from man and devil, as a mule differeth both from horse and ass. Again, if spirits had abused women in assumpted bodies, and shape of men, yet they did not take them to wives, as the Scripture saith they did, who begat these giants. Finally the holy Scripture here expressly calleth the giants men. These be the mighty ones, famous men. The modesty of Scripture terming them famous, whom our common phrase would call infamous being more monstrous in wickedness of mind, than in hugeness of body. For they were most insolent, lascivious, covetous, cruel, and in all kind of vices most impious.

6:5All the cogitation bent to evil. Luther (in his 21. article condemned by Leo the tenth) would prove by these words, and the like following, All flesh had corrupted his way upon earth, that all works of men are sins. For (saith he) seeing the hearts of all men are bent always to evil, and all human actions proceed from the heart, it must needs be that the heart as the fountain being corrupt, the streams also issuing from the same must be corrupted. Again all flesh having corrupted his way upon earth, there is not any just man (saith he) nor any man without sin: and with Protestants all sins are mortal. But Heretics' arguments are like to that the Poets feign of Sisyphus labouring to carry a great stone to the top of an high hill, which when he hath brought almost to the height, it still falleth from him, and tumbleth again to the bottom. So their arguments that make greatest show of proving their opinions, are nothing but vain travailing, when they come to be tried by the true sense of holy Scripture. In this place Moyses describeth the enormity of sin that reigned in the world before the flood, for which God sent that destruction. It was heinous indeed, and that especially in four respects. First the malice of wickedness was general, which is signified by those words, all flesh hath corrupted his way upon earth. Secondly it was great malice, signified by the words much, and all the cogitations of their heart is bent to evil. For they committed all manner of wickedness in hautiness of pride, in all lasciviousness of the flesh, in all manner of robbing, sacking, and murdering, in all impiety, against God and man. Thirdly, it was of long continuance, and daily iterated. For Cain once fallen into damnable sin never repented, and all his progeny was exceeding wicked, and after that Adam and Seth were dead, and Henoch translated, many of the faithful fell to the wicked sort, and became worse and worse omni tempore, always or every day. Fourthly they were obstinate and obdurate, not repenting when Noe built the ark, and preached justice (as St. Peter testifieth) and therefore God saved him and his family, bringing in the deluge upon the world of the impious. Which maketh nothing at all for Luther. For although the malice of man, and corruption of flesh was then very general, great, of long continuance, and obstinate, yet was it not so universal, but that God himself excepted Noe, saying to him, I have found thee just in my sight in this generation, whereby it is clear that these general terms, all cogitation and all flesh, have exceptions. As likewise divers other as general propositions in this same chapter, concerning the punishment that is threatened, comprehend not absolutely all, and every one, but almost all, very few excepted. I will clean take away, or destroy man whom I have created, from the face of the earth. The end of all flesh is come before me. again, that I may destroy all flesh wherein is breath of life under heaven. These are very general speeches, that all should be destroyed, and yet eight persons of mankind, that had the same natural flesh, and amongst other living creatures, that had breath, divers pairs were saved alive. So that this place (nor any other in holy Scripture) will not prove that Protestants' paradox, that all men's actions are mortal sins, or that no man in this life is or can be just: but many scriptures tell us plainly that some men were just, as Noe, Job, Daniel, Zacharias, Elisabeth, Simeon and others. Of Noe see more in the next annotation.

6:9Noe was a just and perfect man. Here Noe is not only called just, but also perfect. The Hebrew word tamim of the verb tamam (which signifieth to finish or accomplish) showeth that Noe was a perfect or complete man doing all things that he was commanded, and performing the offices of all virtues that pertained to him; and that not in a vulgar and mean sort, but in a high degree, and in heroical manner, as sundry ancient Fathers have gathered upon this place. We shall cite some few of their sayings for example. St. Jerome (Tradit. Hebraic. in Gen.) distinguishing between consummate justice (of the next life) and the justice of this generation (or transitory life) saith: Noe the just man was perfect in his generations: Noe did walk with God: that is, did follow his steps. St. Augustine (li. 15. civit. c. 26.) saith the like, that Noe was called just in his generation, to wit, not as the citizens of God's city are to be perfected in that immortality, in which they shall be equal to Angels, but as they may be perfect in this pilgrimage. And in his book de perfectione contra Cælestium, he describeth him to be a perfect man, that runneth without blame towards perfection, void of damnable sins, and is not negligent to cleanse venial sins, by alms, prayers, and other good works. St. Ambrose also testifieth, (li. de Noe & arca c. 4.) that albeit the world was very wicked, yet some were just, saying: By the grace (or favour) which Noe found, it showed that other men's offence doth not obscure the just man, who prayed, not by the nobility of his birth, but by the merit of his justice and perfection. St. Chrysostom most largely (ho. 23. in Gen.) setteth forth the justice and perfection of Noe. Where after he hath showed that Noe deserved indeed the name of a man, because he by flying vices, and following virtues conserved the image of man, when others like beasts were led away and ruled by their wicked lusts, proceedeth thus in his commendation: Behold (saith he) another kind of praise: Noe is called just, which denomination comprehendeth all virtue. For this name just we use to pronounce of them, that exercise all manner of virtue. And that you may learn, how he arrived to the very top which was then also required of our nature, the Scripture saith, he was just, being perfect in his generation. He performed what things soever it behoveth one to do that embraceth virtue, for such a one is perfect, he intermitted nothing, he halted in nothing, he did not well in this thing, and sinned in that thing, but was perfect in every virtue, which was requisite for him to have. Moreover to make also this just man more conspicuous to us in regard of the time, and by comparing him with others, the Scripture saith, he was perfect in his generation: in that time, in that perverse generation, which declined to evil, which would not so much as pretend any resemblance of virtue. In that generation therefore, in those times, that just man not only pretended, but arrived to that height of virtue, that he became perfect, and in all things absolute. And that which I said before, to do well amongst the enemies of virtue, amongst them that forbid virtue, doth always testify a greater poise of virtue, so by this occasion the just man got greater praises. Neither doth divine Scripture here make an end of praising him, but further showeth the excellency of his virtue, and that he was approved by God's own censure, for besides saying: He was perfect in his generation, it addeth, that Noe pleased God. So great was the renown of his virtue, that he deserved to be praised of God. For Noe pleased God saith the Scripture, that you may know that he was approved of God. He pleased that eye that cannot be deceived, by his good works. Thus far St. Chrysostom, and much more to the same effect. St. Gregory the great in his fifth book of Morals, and 36. chapter upon the third chapter of Job, recounting certain principal Patriarchs among the rest saith: Noe for that he pleased God's examination, was saved alive in the unclean world. and after a large catalogue of other just men in confirmation of this doctrine, that some were just in the law of nature, he concludeth thus: Neither is it so to be believed (saith he) that only so many were just before the law was received, as Moyses contracteth in his most brief description.

6:15Three hundred cubits. Apelles an old heretic, scholar of Marcion, but after leaving him, and amongst other new-coined heresies, rejecting the Law and the Prophets, would by this place impugn Moyses, saying it was impossible that in so small room, as was the ark by this description, the designed pairs of all kinds of beasts, fowl, and serpents, should be contained, with the eight persons, and all their provision of meat for a whole year. Whereupon concludeth that this narration (which he calleth a fable) hath no probability, nor possibility to be true. To whom and all such calumniators it may be answered, that Moyses even in an heretic's own conceit, if malice obscured not his sense, must needs be thought wise enough, if he had been disposed to feign fables, to frame them probable, or possible, especially when he pretended not to signify a miracle, in the smallness of the room to receive so much, as he reporteth. Origen to answer him supposeth a cubit here mentioned, to have contained six ordinary cubits: and so doubtless the ark might easily contain all things that are here spoken of, for so it were like to a great city. But this opinion neither hath good warrant, that ever the Egyptians (of whom he supposeth Moyses might have learned it) or any other nation used such long cubits, neither can this measure of a cubit, be agreeable to Moyses' meaning, who no doubt speaketh of the like cubits here, as he doth in other places. And in Exodus he describeth an Altar to be made five cubits long, five broad, and three in height. Which would be by Origen's measure (every cubit containing six ordinary cubits, that is nine foot at least) in length, and in breadth forty five foot, and twenty seven foot in height. Again (Deut. 3.) Moyses telleth of an iron bed of Og King of Basan, that was nine cubits long, and four broad. Which make according to Origen's measure of a cubit, fourscore and one foot in length, and in breadth 36 foot: which indeed have no probability. And therefore St. Augustine and other Doctors, supposing that Moyses in all his books, written for instruction of the same people, whom he brought out of Egypt, speaketh of one sort of cubits, do likewise judge that he meaneth ordinary and known cubits, which contain a foot and a half every cubit, (as Vitruvius, Agricola, and others prove) or a foot and three quarters of a foot, which is the greatest cubit, that seemeth to be mentioned in holy Scripture, called a man's cubit, or cubit of a man's hand. And so the Ark was at least in length 450 foot, in breadth 75, in height 45, or at most in length 525 foot, in breadth 87 and a half: in height 52 and a half. And either of these capacities was sufficient to receive all the things here mentioned, considering the lofts and partitions, that were in the whole ark.