shortly after his conuersion, when he could not find as he desired a good and probable sense agreable to the wordes, in their proper signification, expounded them mystically, but afterwards in his other bookes de Genesi ad literam, he gratfully acknowledgeth that God had geuen him further sight therin, and that now he supposed he could interprete al according to the proper signification of the wordes yet so that he durst not nor would not addict him selfe to one sense, but that he was readie to imbrace an other, lest by sticking to his owne iudgement he might faile. So likewise S. Basil, S. Chrisostom, S. Ambrose, S. Ierome, S. Bede, and other greatest Doctors found & confessed great difficulties in these first chapters, which they with much studie endeuored to explicate. And therfore it is a wonder to see our Protestants & Puritans hold this Paradox, that Scriptures are easie to be vnderstood. Wheras both by testimonie of those that haue in deede studied & laboured in them, and by a litle due consideration, the contrarie is most euident. For whosoeuer wil looke into the holie Scriptures, shal find that some times in shew one place semeth contrarie to an other; some times the letter & phrase are obscure & ambiguous; some times the sentences vnperfect. Againe manie speaches are prophetical, manie parabolical, metaphorical, and vttered vnder other tropes and figures, and that in the literal sense. Moreouer there are three spiritual senses besides the literal, very frequent in holie Scripture. Allegorical pertayning to Christ and the Church; Moral pertayning to maners; and Anagogical pertayning to the next life. As this word Ierusalem literally signifieth the head citie of Iewrie: Morally the soule of man: Allegorically the Church militant: and Anagogically the Church triumphant. And sometimes this (and the like of others) metaphorically in the literal sense signifieth the Church militant, and not the citie of Iewrie, as in the 12. chapter to the Hebrewes: and some times the Church triumphant, as in the 21. of the Apocalips.
2. The Spirite of God.] In the Hebrew it is signified, that the Spirite of God was on the waters to make them fertile, for that fishes and birdes were to be procreated therof; the word is merahepheth, incubabat, sate vpon, to produce fruict (saith S. Ierom) from the waters, as a henne by her heate, produceth life in the egges. And the same S. Ierom, and before him Tertullian teach, that this was a figure of Baptisme, which consisteth of water and the Holie Ghost. For as water in the beginning of the world receiued a certain vital vertue of the Holie Ghost to produce liuing creatures: so also Baptisme receiueth vertue of the same Holie Ghost to procreate new men. Wherupon Tertullian calleth Christians fishes, because they are gotten from the waters, and thence haue their first spiritual life. Let it not therfore seme strange (saith he) that in Baptisme Waters geue life.
16. Two great lights, and starres.] Here occurreth an other example of the hardnes of holie Scripture. For if the two great lights (towit the Sunne & the Moone) and also the starres, were made the fourth day, and not before, as it may seme by the wordes in this place, then what was that light, and in what subiect was it, that was made the first day? S. Basil, S. Gregorie Nazianzen, Theodoret, and some others, writing vpon this place do thinke that the light, which was made the first day, remayned though an accident without his subiect til the fourth day. And albeit most other Doctors rather think that the substance of the Sunne & Moone, & of other planets and starres were created the first day, and the fourth day set in that order and course which now they kepe, with more distinction for signes and seasons, and dayes and yeares: yet it is clere that the foresaid ancient Doctors iudged it possible, that accidents may
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