History of the FranksGregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
History
History of the Franks
Gregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
France -- Church history -- To 987; France -- History -- To 987; Franks -- History -- To 768
2. Through intercourse with her companion the woman conceived and
bore two sons. But when God received the sacrifice of the one with
honor, the other was inflamed with envy; he rushed on his brother,
overcame and killed him, becoming the first parricide by shedding a
brother’s blood.
3. Then the whole race rushed into accursed crime, except the just
Enoch, who walked in the ways of God and was taken up from the midst
by the Lord himself on account of his uprightness, and freed from a
sinful people. For we read: “Enoch walked with the Lord, and he did
not appear for God took him.”
4. And so the Lord, being angered against the iniquities of the
people who did not walk in his ways, sent a flood, and by its waters
destroyed every living soul from the face of the earth; only Noah,
who was most faithful and especially belonged to him and bore the
stamp of his image, he saved in the ark, with his wife and those of
his three sons, that they might restore posterity. Here the heretics
upbraid us because the holy Scripture says that the Lord was angry.
Let them know therefore that our God is not angry like a man; for he
is aroused in order to inspire fear; he drives away to summon back;
he is angry in order to amend. Furthermore I have no doubt that
the ark typified the mother church. For passing amidst the waves
and rocks of this world it protects us in its motherly arms from
threatening ills, and guards us with its holy embrace and protection.
Now from Adam to Noah are ten generations, namely: Adam, Seth, Enos,
Cainan, Malalehel, Jareth, Enoch, Mattusalam, Lamech, Noah. In these
ten generations 2242 years are included. The book Joshua clearly
indicates that Adam was buried in the land of Enacim, which before
was called Hebron.
5. Noah had after the flood three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. From
Japheth issued nations, and likewise from Ham and from Shem. And, as
ancient history says, from these the human race was scattered under
the whole heaven. The first-born of Ham was Cush. He was the first
inventor of the whole art of magic and of idolatry, being instructed
by the devil. He was the first to set up an idol to be worshipped, at
the instigation of the devil, and by his false power he showed to men
stars and fire falling from heaven. He passed over to the Persians.
The Persians called him Zoroaster, that is, living star. They were
trained by him to worship fire, and they reverence as a god the man
who was himself consumed by the divine fire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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