P R E F A C E .

held. And truly, it is not without reason that one should consider the former time of our first ForefathersDutch: "Ouderen." Refers here to the first humans or biblical patriarchs., who, having been created by God and placed in that lovely Paradise, were snatched away from there through an apparent goodDutch: "schyn goet." This refers to the temptation in Eden, where the forbidden fruit appeared desirable but led to the Fall of Man. and cast into the sorrow of this world, where the generations became worse and worse during the times of Adam, as can be seen orderly here in this Collation, which can serve us as a great lesson. Likewise, Noah also lived 950 years, namely until the 57th year of Abraham. And who does not know that the Holy Scripture only briefly passes over the time of his life, in which many wonderful and almost infinite circumstances are left silent, which we, for the completion of the Histories, so