Euangeliste the welbeloued disciple of the Lord wrote .iij. Epistles Thre Epistles of Iohn In the first he speaketh moche of charitie and purenesse of liuyng the fruites of true faieth In the seconde and the thirde he setteth out the same charitie and trueth biddyng vs to beware of Heretiques The laste booke written of the same Apostle hath a Greke name Apocalyps It is called Apocalyps or Reuelation In this boke he prophecieth and setteth out as the Lorde had opened vnto him what thinges shoulde happen to the churche of GOD euen to the worldes ende Thou shalt find in it many thinges borowed of Ezechiel Daniel zacharie and other prophetes And thus it hath pleased the goodnesse of God to warne his people in good season of the mischiefes that were to come that thei maie the more wiselie prouide for thē selues and praie to God the more hartelie Canonical bookes Moe bookes are not in the Canon of the new testamēt Neither is it great lie to be cared for that some haue doubted of the Epistle to the Hebrues of the former Epistle of Peter Iude Iames and the Apocalyps For what is it to vs that a fewe corrupted with their owne affections haue doubted of thinges certaine Nota. It is to be beleued these bookes of bothe the Testamentes whiche we haue reconed vp to come of the spirite of God to be written left to the churche by the prophetes and Apostles of the Lord in them to be taught all trueth with thē to be mingled none errour nor lie Of the olde fathers this was called Canonical Scripture because it was geuen to vs of God for a rule of liuyng and a trueth by whiche we ought to trie all thinges and therafter to liue The Hebrues cal their lawe Thora whiche name thei geue generallie to the woorde of God and in dede to all the whole Scripture Thora signifieth a directorie to lead vs foorthe of the whiche the Grecians also dooe seme to haue borowed that woorde of theirs Canon whiche you maie call a lawe or rule There remaineth to speake somewhat of the Ecclesiasticall Bookes Ecclesiasticall bookes of some called Apocrypha the woorde peraduenture not al agreyng to the thing Sainct Hierome in Prologo Galeato after he hadde reconed vp .xxij. Canonicall bookes saieth thus Whatsoeuer is besides these must be put emong Apocrypha Therefore the boke of wisedome whiche commonlie is intituled to Solomon the booke of Iesu the Soonne of Sirach Iudith and Tobie are not in the Canon I haue founde the firste of the Machabees in Hebrue The second is in Greke and that maie be proued euen by the very phrase c. Furthermore Saincte Augustine in the xviij booke De ciuitate dei the .xxxvj. chapter saieth that the bookes of the Machabees be taken of the churche for Canonical And yet he him self estemeth thē not so much as he doeth thē which doubtles be canonical As you maie see in the seconde Booke xxxij Chapter Contra Epistolas Gaudentii and againe in his seconde booke xviij Chapter De doctrina christiana Howbeit sainct Hierome in the Prologue Super Prouerbia Solomonis The churche in dede saieth he readeth the bookes of the Machabees but yet dooeth not receiue them emong the canonical Scriptures And speakyng of Baruch the Prophete and the Epistle of Hieremie that is ioigned vnto it he sheweth that thei are not conteined in the Hebrue Canon but onely in the common edition and in the Prologue that is before Daniel he saieth that neither the historie of Susāna the himne of the .iij. children nor the tales of Bel and the Dragon be founde emong the Hebrues But of the historie of Susanna Origene demed farre otherwise gaue great credite vnto it albeit he denieth not that in the Hebrue it is not founde Hitherto haue I rehearsed what other menne haue thought of the Ecclesiastical bokes Verely I suppose sauyng yet all other mennes iudgementes that thei may right wel be called Hagiographa that yet thei ought not to be takē as good as the canonical bokes nor to be of equal aucthoritie Difference betwixt Apocrypha and Ecclesiasticall bookes And I thinke plainelie that there ought a diuersitie to be made betwixt the bookes Apocrypha and Ecclesiastical This Greke woorde Apocrypto signifieth to hide So then Apocrypha Apocrypto Bookes Apocrypha be hidden or priuie bookes whiche at home in dede or priuatelie to reade it maie be lawful for euery man at his pleasure but in cōmon assembles and speciallie in the holie temples thei ought not to be read openlie nor any man to be charged by aucthoritie of them Of this sort is the Gospel of Nichodemus Thomas and Bartholomew and many other moe of this marke and of them is made rehearsal in the Canonicall decrees the fiftenth distinction Ecclesiastical bookes seme to be called those Bookes Ecclesiastical which although thei be not in the Hebrue Canon yet because thei teache good thinges and are not contrarie to the bookes Canonical the churche dooeth receiue reade in the cōgregatiō of saintes And I am not the first that so thinketh Thesame before me taught Ciprian or Rufine in the Exposition of the Crede whose woordes if any man will haue be these We muste knowe that there be other bookes after the Canonicall whiche be called of our elders not Canonical but Ecclesiastical as is Sapientia Solomonis and an other Sapientia whiche is counted to be of Iesu the soonne of Sirach and is called emong the Latines by this generall name Ecclesiasticus wherby not the aucthoure of the boke is signified but the qualitie of the writyng Of the same sute is the booke of Tobie and Iudith and the bookes of the Machabees al whiche thei woulde in dede haue to be readde in the churches but the aucthoritie of our faieth not by them to be confirmed Other Scriptures thei called Apocrypha and woulde not haue them redde in the churches Thus moche saieth Ciprian Furthermore of the Ecclesiastical bookes some teache histories and some prophecies we will nowe as we goe touche briefelie the matiers that thei treate of Tobie Emong the histories in a great sorte of exāplers the boke of Tobie stādeth first whiche in my minde teacheth to ordre an housholde moche better then zenophō and Aristotle to For he sheweth all thinges bothe by good preceptes liuelie examples The elder Tobie master of the housholde hath experience bothe of good fortune and badde as wel in his bodie as in his goodes and yet in that chaunge of the worlde dooeth nothing vnmete for a good housekeper to dooe In his greatest pouertie trouble he kepeth still the true worshippyng of God his innocent life and goodnesse he chaūgeth not in no pointe sekyng helpe by fraude and crafte to releue his pouertie yea him selfe being in very great nede yet doeth good to other doing his dutie al that he can helpyng to burie the deade by moste holie
be the decrees of GOD and for euer to abide in theim and for theim if the matier so require gladlie to leaue their liues Hitherto be the woordes of Iosephus And I moche allowe this Iudgemente of his touching the bookes of Diuinitie Whiche Ciprianus or Ruffinus for so thinketh Cassianus in the Seuenthe booke of the onely begotten wel nighe folowing in thexposicion of the Crede maketh soche an order of the holie bookes as hath semed alwaies vnto me best and plainest He setteth together al the Historicall bookes then the writinges of the prophetes almoste in this wise The order of Ciprian or Ruffinus Firste he putteth the fiue bookes of Moses next the Prophetes called of some the former Prophetes that is the booke of Iosue of Iudges of Ruth twoo of Samuel and two of Kinges To these streightwaies he ioigneth the other bookes of Histories two of Paralipomenon Hester and twoo of Esdras After these he setteth the Prophetes whiche we call the greater Esaie Ieremie Ezechiel and Daniel To thē he ioigneth the Bookes of the twelue lesser whose names are rehearsed afore Last of al he setteth the other excellent Bookes replenished with all kinde of heauenlie doctrine The booke of Iob the Psalmes and thre bookes of Solomon within this nūbre both certein plaine he includeth al the Canonicall Bookes of the olde Testament Neither didde the Bishoppe of the moste auncient Churche of Sardis nor that excellent learned man Origenes doctour of the Apostolicall Schole at Alexandria reken vp any moe vnto Melitus Of that one Eusebius maketh mencion in the fowerth booke and fiue and twentie chapiter Ecclesiasticae Historiae and of that other in the sixth boke eightenth Chapitre Yet in placing them thei vse not all one order as after the diuersitie of examplers and wil of the Scriueners you maie finde I doubte not these holy Bookes otherwise ordred also one setting that before whiche an other placeth behinde moued not somoche by reason as by wil and pleasure But a wise reader will not passe greatly hereupon knowing that wee ought principally to regarde not the order but the matier Neither woulde I my selfe haue stande so long herein hadde I not wiste some menne so earnestly to require and loke for soche an exacte and curious handeling of this matier The newe Testamente is finished in seuen and twentie bookes For the Euangelicalle Historie is sette foorth bothe in fower Bookes Numbre and order of the bookes of the newe Testament and by fower Writers The Actes of the Apostles are conteined in one Booke The Epistles of Saincte Paule bee coumpted fowertene To the Romaines one To the Corinthians twoo To the Galathianes Ephesianes Phillipianes and Collossians one a piece To the Thessaloniās twoo As many to Timothie one to Tite one to Philemon and one to the Hebrues After these folowe seuen Epistles Canonicall One of Iames twoo of Peter three of Ihon the Apostle and one of Iudas Laste is the Apocalyps made and published by Ihō the Apostle By these bookes the Canon of the newe Testamente to bee fully perfeicte all the auncient Writers and the holiest Doctours with one consent dooe testifie and agree Saincte Hierome in those his prefaces Augustine in his seconde Booke and eighte Chapitre De Doctrina christiana Ciprian also in thexposicion of the Crede Origene varieth nothing from theim saue that hee sheweth certeine Bookes to bee in this Canon of whiche some menne haue somewhat doubted As for the Epistle of Paule to the Hebrues I saie saieth he As it hath been taught mee of mine Elders that it is Paules vndoubtedlie and that all our forefathers haue so taken it Thus saieth Eusebius in the sixte boke the eighteenthe Chapitre De Ecclesiastica Historia And he also folowing Origene writeth thus To assigne and marke out all the Canon of the newe Testamente first lette vs ioigne together the fowersquare heauenly Chariotte of all the Gospelles Eusebeus touching the bookes of the new Testament Couple to theim the Actes of the Apostles and after the Epistles of Paule whiche be plainly knowen to be fowertene had in aucthoritie Yet am I not ignoraunte the Latines to bee in doubte touchīg the Epistle to the Hebrewes Then set the first epistle of Ihō the first of Peter also Of these neuer was there any doubte at all There hath been of the Apocalyps of the Epistle of Iames of Iude of the seconde of Peter of the seconde and thirde of Ihon whether thei were his that was the Euangeliste or els some others of that name These be the woordes of Eusebius in his thirde booke the thirde and fiue and twentie Chapiters But I haue proued elswhere that the aucthoritie of holie scripture is not appaired by the doubting of some seing it is not confirmed ratified and established by Depositions and opiniones of Menne but approoued to bee infalliblie true by the moste sure Sentence and approbation of almightie and euerlastyng GOD. In the librarie of the churche of Tigurie there is in the vpper part of the college a verie olde and true exampler of the Bible written by hande which placeth firste the .vij. Epistles Canonical euen in the same ordre that thei stande with vs. The epistle of Iames stādeth first Peter next Iohn after thē Iude and the .xiiij. Epistles of Paule last of whiche that to the Hebrues standeth hindemoste In that exampler the Euangelistes are set first the Actes folowe nexte last after al the Epistles is sette the Apocalyps And thus moche haue we spoken touchyng the numbre ordre and distinction of the bokes of the moste sacred Bible Now come we to the argumentes and briefe expositions of eche booke seuerallie of either Testament Moses Moses as a golden cōduit and firste father by whom the heauenlie doctrine is translated from Godde to man comprehending all vertue and true wisedome in fiue bookes hath taught thesame and whatsoeuer he hath described from the creacion of the worlde vntill his owne time with soche diligence trueth and vprightnesse that he semeth none otherwise to haue set it out then he had receiued from aboue and by the secrete inspiration of the holie ghost As for the lawe it selfe as it was deliuered him from god so did he publishe send it abroade Wherunto he ioigned the actes of .xl. yeres whiche space Israel wādred in desert him self being a great part of those thinges that there were dooen and seen These bookes conteine the historie of two thousande fiue hundred and seuentie yeares wherof the Genesis hath .ij. M. .iij.c .xc. For frō Adam to the fludde are M. vi.c.lvi yeres From the fludde vnto Abrahams going out of Chaldee ccc.lxiij From thence vnto the death of Ioseph .cc.xc. In Exodus be the rest of their afflictiōs and the actes of their going out in the first yere The other .iii. bokes make vp the space of xl yeres in whiche thei wandred in desert and al this put together maketh ij M.
folowe it He cōcludeth his worke with praiers to God Baruch The prophet Baruch is moche alleged of the doctoures He wrote a litle boke being in captiuitie at Babilon He confesseth God to be iust and worthely to haue punished the Iues he knowlegeth their faultes blameth the stubburne inobediēce of his naciō He desireth perdō for their offēces that God hauing pitie vpō his people at the last wolde bring thē again into their countreie Further to stirre vp faith in their hartes he telleth that Israel shal be sent home again The Epistle of Ieremie Thepistle of Ieremie put vnto Baruch warneth the captiues that thei tourne not frō the true god reuerēce the gods of Babylon And therfore he greuously rebuketh idolatrie coūsailing thē to worship the very God serue him onely I thought good to adde hereunto that whiche Theodorus Bibliander hathe written to oure greatte profite of the bookes Ecclesiastical in his woorke De optimo genere interpretādi hebraica in whiche he briefly toucheth bothe the effecte of the bokes The times of the bookes Ecclesiastical and the times when thei were writtē which we haue not set out his woordes be these The Ecclesiastical bookes also thei call Hagiographa And although thei haue no fitte aucthoritie to strengthen and confirme thinges that come into contencion as haue the Canonicall writinges ye at are thei not reiected as APOCRYPHA soche as is the Prophecie of ELDAD and MED AD. Apocrypha Thasscention of Moses the Apocalyps of Helyas and many other like deuises of the Deuilles Spirite But the Ecclesiasticall bookes bee admitted bothe to bee taughte and learned of faithfull people of many so reuerenced that some menne putte Iudith in the order of Canonicall Scripture The times of thecclesiastical Bookes We will rehearse theim keping the due order of times whē thei were written Parte of theim conteine Histories from the time of Ezechias vnto the birthe of Pompeie whiche firste tooke from the Iewes their kingdome Tobias translated hy Saincte Hierome out of the Chaldee into Latine as was Iudith also mencioneth those thinges that wer doen emong the Assirians after the tenne Tribes were ledde into captiuitie teaching by notable example what loue ought to bee in parentes children and maried folkes Iudith shewing the nature of faithfulnesse and constaunce declareth that Bethulia was besieged of Nabuchodonozors Lieutenaunte Iudith father to the great Nabuchodonozor whiche tooke prisoners Ioachim Ieconiam and Zedechiam howe it was deliuered by the meanes of the righte holie woman Iudith And I am in doubte whether it was in that battaile in which Manasses also king of Iuda was caried awaie into Assiria shortlie after sente home againe For while he ruled emong the Medes Dioces called also Arphaxat builded the Citie Echatana in the Countrie of Medea But I knowe that Iosephus referreth these thinges to the time of Cambyses Damel hath the remenaunt of Susanna and the Dragon of Bel. In Hester bee certeine thinges added vnto it Susanna Bel. Hester The thirde of Esdras The thirde of Esdras repeateth somewhat of the passouer of Iosias written in the bookes of Kinges and of those thinges whiche be in Esra and Nehemias after their retourne out of Babylon minglyng ther with a goodly contentione of witte and wisedome in whiche zorobabel hadde the victorie The bokes of the Machabees declare the affliction of Israel by Antiochus Epiphanes and the Macedones in whom is the euident figure of Antichriste Parte of the Ecclesiastical bookes treate of vertue and good liuyng Baruch Baruch gatheryng together the sentences of Esaie and Ieremie whiche make to the reprofe of Idoles rebuketh Idolatrie verie sore Fourth of Esra The fourth booke of Esra hath diuers prophecies and is verie moche in visions as is also Ezechiel zacharias and Daniel Iesus the soonne of Sirach about the .cxxxviii. Olympiade put foorth his boke Ecclesiasticus whiche is called also Sapientia and Hierome founde it in Hebrue intitled by the name of Parables Ecclesiasticus It teacheth Philosophie in sentences whiche is a verie olde vsage and in it be many thinges spoken of before in the Preacher and in the Prouerbes of Solomon Sapientia The booke of wisedome whiche is ascribed to Philo the moste eloquent of all the Iewes and as cunnyng menne dooe saie in maner an other Plato doth more largely and in Grekishe eloquence declare soche thinges as in the beginnyng of the Prouerbes dooe perteine to the praise of true wisedome The praier of Manasses whiche is not in the Greke examplers sauoureth plainely of the Hebrue phrase Manasses Praier Thus moche saieth our Theodorus Now will I retourne to my purpose Thou hast O reader as farre forth as we can shewe and comprehende in briefe expositions The darknes and errours of the Philosophers the riches and ample learnyng of our heauenlie Philosophie Saie on now you our aduersaries what maie be thought that we lacke or what you thinke we ought to begge of that your Philosophie Verely if you will confesse the trueth you must say that we be destitute in no part of true learnyng wisedome I graunt in dede that in the bible nothing is taught of that part of Philosophie whiche is called Sermocinal neither of thinges natural or artes Mathematical For these be as it were handmaides to leade vs to the quene of all sciences teache vs that we maie be able to speake with her and learne true knowledge of thinges perteinyng to God man speciallie the actes sermonicall Moderate studie of the sciēces doeth helpe to wisedome We dooe not condemne the sobre moderate studies herein but confesse theim necessarie and moche helping to atteine wisedome Philosophie learned in measure profiteth moche Yet this we saie that to knowe God leade our liues vertuouslie not onely is taught in our Bibles but also more plainelie and perfectlye then in all your writynges For your Philosophers haue written hereof darkelie yea and falselie to in many poinctes Aristotle whiche in this part is with you a King Aristotle and in maner worshipped for a GOD hath for the nones darkened those thinges whiche he wrote of Moral Philosophie yea of naturall to He vsed also doubtfull sentences that might be bowed to whiche side you liste and as he checked all writers before him so fearyng to be taunted againe his saiynges corrected of thē that came after he made sure prouision in case he were caught by one shifte or other to winde him selfe out He wrote also vnto king Alexander that none shoulde vnderstād his commentaries excepte he hadde hearde them redde of his owne mouthe at home in his house He studied for a kinde of enditynge more briefe and cutted then euer was any that sometime he semed rather to pointe to the matier then speake it out plainelie whiche thing Lodouicus viues a man of a sharpe witte iudgment right wel perceiued In his
olde and newe testament For that teachyng wherby our religiō was taught our forefathers in types and figures is called the olde testament but that which without figures describeth and sheweth vnto vs Christe the perfectiō of the lawe is called the newe testament not therfore newe because the olde fathers knewe not Christe but by conferryng settyng it together with the olde and because a new people euē the cōgregation of gentiles is receiued into this league through Christ preachyng of the gospel And hereby now you maie the better perceiue howe the bible is called the olde new testamēt For the selfe written bookes of the bibles are no more the newe testament it selfe then the tables writinges testamentarie or of leagues are the testamēt or league it selfe and yet of all men be thei called the testamēt league Thus of the thing that thei doo describe thei take this name Because then that in the former bokes of the Bibles be declared preceptes promises factes rites traditions and diuers waies wherby God hath instructed ledde mankinde in his testament in his league true religiō therfore Olde testamēt saie I thei called it the old testament And because the latter bookes declare vnto vs how in Christ al thinges are fulfilled made new in dede restored again how also a newe people gathered together of the Iewes gentils is ioigned into one bodie in faith charitie worship God in Christ New testamēt therfore were these bookes called the newe testamēt Touchyng the title purpose of our heuēlie philosophie thus moche haue we spokē in general After wil we brieflie expoune what matier is cōteined in ech boke seuerallie But first wil I speake somewhat of placyng the bokes of the olde and new testament and how thei stande in ordre S. Hierome in the preface to the bokes of kinges Daniel The numbre and ordre of the bookes of the olde Testament sheweth that the olde testamēt is diuided by the Hebrues into the lawe the prophetes holie bookes writtē by holie men called in greke Hagiographa So he nūbreth of the lawe .v. bokes Genesis Exod. Leuiti Numeri The first ordre Deutero this he maketh the first ordre In the seconde whiche he calleth of prophetes The seconde ordre he putteth .viij. bookes Iosue Iudges wherunto he ioigneth the little boke of Ruth Samuel Malachim Esaie Ieremie with his lamētations Ezechiel and the .xij. prophetes He also hath noted that these .xii. prophetes be not nūbred of the Hebrues and the .lxx. interpretours in al one ordre and the interpretours to reken thus Oseas Amos Micheas Ioel Abdias Ionas Nahū Abacuk Sophonias Haggeus zacharias Malachias The Hebrues to folow this ordre Oseas Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas Micheas Nahum Abacuk Sophonias Haggeus zacharias Malachias The bookes called Hagiographa he rehearseth .ix. Hagiographa Iob the Psalmes whiche is comprehēded in .v. particions and one volume the Parables of Solomon his Ecclesiastes the Canticles the booke of Daniel the Chronicles Esdras to whiche is ioigned Nehemias and the boke of Ester Al these put together he thinketh of tholde law to be gathered xxii bokes He warneth vs yet that there be some which count the booke of Ruth and the Lamentations of Ieremie emong Hagiographa and set theim in this ordre First the boke of Paralipomenon whiche with vs is diuided into two bokes then the Psalmes the Prouerbes of Solomon nexte after theim Iob. Ruth foloweth him Ecclesiastes hath the sixte place the Lamētacions of Hieremie the seuenth the Canticles the eight Esther the ninthe Daniel the tenthe Esdras and his cōpaniō Nehemias the last The holie writinges whiche be next in aucthority to the bokes of the first seconde order those by likelihod thei called Hagiographae as first writtē made by holie men the other ascribe thei to God himself affirming him and not man to be the maker of theim Bullingers minde touching these bookes To speake freely as I thinke I doe not see why by as good reason God maie not bee accoumpted to be the maker of these bookes aswel as of thother and why thei of the firste and seconde order maie not in likewise be called Hagiographa Saincte Peter speaking of all the Prophetes aswell of Dauid Daniel and Solomom as of other No prophecie in the Scripture saieth he hath any priuate interpretacion ii Peter i For the holie Scripture came neuer by the wil of man but holie men of GOD spake as thei were moued by the holie Ghoste Verely that these bee of equall auctoritie with the other it is proued partly by many Argumentes and especially by this that the LORDE Iesus and the Apostles in teaching and confirming true and sounde Religione vsed aswell the Testymonies of the Psalmes of Daniel and other bookes emong those called Hagiographa As of Moses Esaie and other There bee some whiche of the matiers that the bookes treate of In other diuision diuide all the Olde Testamente into fower partes Into the Lawe Histories Preceptes of Wisedome and Prophetes Of the Lawe thei recken fiue Bookes whiche bee well knowen to all menne Thirtene of Histories Iosue Iudicum Ruth fower of the Kinges two of Paralipomenon Esdras Nehemias Hesther and Iob. Of wisedome the count those three moste excellente of Solomon the wiseste of all mortall Menne Into the Prophetes thei putte the Psalmes the fower greate Prophetes and the twelue lesser I wil not kepe from you the Iudgemente of Iosephus touching the bokes of the Olde Testamente The iudgemente of Iosephus touching these bookes disputing against Appion There bee not with vs saieth he innumerable volumes discording one with an other emong theimselues But there be onely twoo and twentte bookes whiche conteine the iuste order of al times whiche also are rightlie beleued to bee written throughe the inspiration of GODDE Of them fiue bee called the Bookes of MOYSES conteinyng Lawes of liuyng the firste Creacione of Manne and his ofspringe vntill the death of Moyses himselfe And from that time vnto Artaxerxes whiche emong the Persians reigned after Xerxes the Prophetes and soche as liued at those daies haue writtē in thirtene bokes the actes that were dooen The other fower teache Hymnes praises to god wardes preceptes rules of liuyng From Artaxerxes vntill our time all thinges bee written whiche yeat neither are woorthie so greate credite nor so to bee estemed as are the firste matiers Euen for this verelie that the Prophetes folowed not still in one course one after other nor throughly be knowen what thei were To these woordes streight waies he addeth whiche greately setteth foorth the aucthoritie of the Scriptures Hereby therefore it is plaine saieth he how reuerently we vse our scriptures For in so many hundred yeres comming and going neuer durst any man put to take awaie nor chaunge anything but into all men of our nation is this faieth in maner graffed To beleue all these to
times all those woulde the most holie God shewe to the worlde at ones in this boke The psalmes conteine the praises of god and godlinesse many exaumples also of calling vpon him of praiyng complaining thankes geuing and earneste repenting Other bokes there be written of dedes and saiynges bothe good and badde and of sondry duties that men should dooe But in this you maie learne all facions of all kindes of life and how the seruauntes of God ought to behaue them selues whatsoeuer chaūceth vnto thē This woord Psalme signifieth a song and this title The booke of Psalmes is to saie The bokes of songes Touchyng Solomon Solomon thou readest in the thirde booke of kinges fourth chapter Solomon spake .iii. M. Prouerbes and his songes were M.v. But all those we haue not He hadde in his court to his familiars holie and learned menne whiche through the prouidence of God gathered of al thinges the beste and asmoche as was mete for vs haue written the same in .iij. bookes The first is called Prouerbes Prouerbes or sētences short in dede but wittie swete seruyng generallie to many thinges and many men In these he sheweth good and euil trueth fashode what is to be desired and what to be eschued addyng here and there diuerse godlie exhortatiōs Some emong the Grecians haue defined a Prouerbe to be a briefe darke saiyng profitable to mans life or worthie to be marked for some propre noueltie therin as saieth Erasmus Ecclesiastes The seconde boke is called Ecclesiastes Ecclesia is a Greke woorde and signifieth people called out to heare matiers of the common wealth Ecclesiastes is he that speaketh or reasoneth openly before them So in this booke is imagined a great multitude of people to stande together contendyng emong thē selues of the Highest good thing and Solomon the preacher to come forthe and condemne all their sentences saiyng Vanitie of vanities and all thinges vanitie For in the firste part of the Booke he entreateth that famous questiō Summum bonum Vvhat is that highest good thing whiche in dede is to be ioigned with God and to haue the fruition of him for euer Wherfore he replieth against them whiche saie it is in knowledge of many thinges in pleasure in glorie in excellencie or richesse Where also he sheweth how these thinges may be well vsed In the later chapiters he teacheth how we may iudge of good euil of thinges to be desired and eschued that by soche sentences as he had before in the Prouerbes The thirde is the booke of Canticles Canticles whiche is altogether allegorical For in figuratiue speache it teacheth what how good a thing it is to becoupled with God the highest good thing god is imagined to be the husband and the faiethfull soulle the spouse Moche rehearsal is of loue embracing kissyng wel fauorednesse and beaultie Wherby is drawen out the nature pleasure and strength of loue and ioignyng together with God For it pleased his goodnesse thus pretely to talke and attemper him selfe to our affection seing to man nothing is more swete nor of greater strēgth then Loue. Let no man therfore conceiue with him selfe any foule wanton or filthie thing All that is here is holie chaste and honest It is called The song of songes and as you woulde saie the moste excellente Songe for that is the signification and strengthe of the Hebrues doublyng So thei saie The holie of Holiest that is the holiest of all Prophetes Now folowe the bokes oracions sermons Homelies or declarations of the Prophetes These were diuine Poets and oratours holie preachers priestes chosen men masters of liuyng and vertuous maners euē soche as in holinesse of life in feruentnesse of spirite in constaunce of minde finally in most Godlie and effectuous eloquēce were aboue all other moste excellent and marueilous And in that time or middle age many to haue florished it is plaine emong whom were Samuel Helias Nathan Heliseus Micheas the sonne of Iemla whose sermons we haue not wholie but so farre foorth as their saiynges and doinges are described in the holie historie yet as moche as is necessarie and enoughe for vs we haue receiued as it were by hande from one to another that is .xvi. orations of those that were moste excellent All thei direct all their saiynges and dooynges to the cōmon marke of the Bible Partlie thei write histories partlie oratiōs Entēte of the Prophetes In histories thei shewe examples of liuing faith and vertue of the might of God his trueth and goodnesse In their orations thei teache what is the nature disposition of God what his will is what thinges he is pleased withal how we shoulde serue him in faieth veritie iustice holinesse and charitie Thei exhort dehorte and coumfort Thei greuously rebuke sinne especiallie breaking of leagues idolatrie falshode murther periurie guile deceipt vsurie oppression iniurie fornication riot adulterie and soche other enormities Thei call vs by all meanes to repentaunce Thei set before vs the promises and benefites of God thei threaten his anger greuous punishmēt Again of Christ the sede of Abraham verie God and man of his blessynges redemptiō iustification kingdome and all the misterie therof of the callyng also of the Gentiles puttyng awaie of the Iewes holinesse and glorie of the Churche thei talke and commune so plainlie that a man woulde thinke thei wrote an Euangelical historie of thinges that were past and not of thinges to come And this is the common entent of all these holie prophetes of whose bookes seuerallie I will now speake a little Esaie Esaie one brought vp in the liberall sciences did prophecie at the least .lxx. yeres For he florished vnder Osea Iothan Achas Ezechia and Manasses Howbeit though we take nothyng of the kingdome of Osea and Manasses the Empire of the other kinges lasted lxi yeres In the .v. first chapters he blameth the corrupt state of his time calling them to repentaunce Then telleth he a Vision that was shewed vnto him in the time of Iothā After that he setteth the Orations whiche he made in the time of Achas He sheweth also to other forein nacions what should happen to them Moreouer he diligentlie describeth the notable battail of the Assyrians a very great battail wonderfull in dede and what sermons he made before the king and the people or euer this battaile beganne And from the .xl. Chapter he prophecieth deliueraunce by king Cyrus from the captiuitie of Babilon comfortyng the people of God in their affliction defending alwaies true religion and improuyng false At the last from the .xlix. chapter vnto the ende of the booke he prophecieth of Christ and the church so plainelie that Hierome thought him rather to be called an Euangelist then a Prophet For saieth he so euidentlie dothe he set out all the misteries of Christe and the churche that a mā woulde thinke him to prophecie not of thinges to come but to write an historie of thinges