And as to our adversaries, who reproach the doctrine of our Church, all such are refuted in this very book of Genesis by those sure witnesses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Since, therefore, we have such eminent men as these, as witnesses on our side; nay, as our teachers, too; let us not be moved by the calumnies and reproaches of the wicked. Reader, farewell. To God I commend you. Christmas, 1544. DEDICATION OF BASIL FABER. _To the Worthy, Honorable and Illustrious Christopher von Steinberg, my Gracious Lord:_ How one should read the books of Moses and what one should chiefly learn from them are fully set forth by our beloved and highly honored father, Doctor Luther, in many places of his writings; namely, one should first of all and above all concentrate his attention upon the very loving and comforting promises concerning our Lord and Saviour, some of which are very clear and plain in the sacred writings of Moses, as Gen. 3:15, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Also, Gen. 22:18, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Likewise Deut. 18:15, "Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him shall ye hearken." In the second place attention should be given to the glorious and beautiful examples of faith, of love, of suffering, of patience, of prayer and other spiritual characteristics and traits in the saints, as in Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others. How God was disposed toward them, governed, protected and heard them. And thirdly, study the examples of unbelief among the ungodly and of the divine wrath and judgment, in Cain, Ishmael, Esau, in the Flood and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. For all these are nowhere described more truly and fully than in the writings of Moses; and such examples illustrate, if they are rightly studied, how the entire Old Testament is to be used with profit; namely, that we learn to trust and believe in God from the examples of the saints set before us, how God received them, ruled and led them and wonderfully protected them. But from the examples of the wrath and judgment of God learn to fear him. Such passages are not only here and there in all the books of Moses, but in his first book he treats also the following important themes: Whence all creatures, especially man, have their origin; also what sin and death are and how man may be delivered from them and become truly pious, which every man seeks and desires; for these are the most important subjects of all the sacred Scriptures. Likewise, how the Church originated and grew, often came in need and danger, and was wonderfully preserved by God.