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
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.
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
is made easie what ioined not wel is wel knit together what was out of course is set in good order brought to good Latine that base was before Now if the Hebruish maners of speaking and endicting do so greatly displease you why doe you not prepare for vs Latine Bibles surely euen because the writinges of Paganes do please you better What a thing is this To encrease our Substaunce wee sende our children into Fraūce into Italie into the farthest partes of Spaine to learne perfectlie the languages of those nacions that thei may the better the more readilie traffique with the Frēchemen Italians spaniardes Here we spare for no labour we spare for no cost all is counted sweete profitable Only to learne the holie tong to accustome our selues to her maners of speaking whiche bee somewhat straunge vnto vs is thought painfull vnprofitable and a thing in no wise mete for gentle wittes Lo thus in dede doeth our malice shewe it self Verely if to learne holie thinges we did bestowe yea but half the time diligence whiche it greueth vs not to wast vpō matiers nothing worth holie scripture shold of vs be lesse despised more should be liked her faciōs of speaking though seldome in vse yeat very cunning cleckelie Now touching the lerning in holi scripture I se not what other thing true learning is then very Wisedome neither what wisedome is other then very philosophie For Cicero himself in his seconde boke De off saieth Thei that desire wisedome are called Philosophers neither is Philosophie anie thing els by interpretation thē the loue of wisedome And wisedome as it is defined of the Philosophers is a science of Gods matiers and of mens and of the causes wherin those thinges be conteined After which fashion Plato also in the booke that he wrote De Philosophia sheweth that the office of a Philosopher is to know heauenlie thinges and to gouerne worldelie matiers comprehendyng in that one Philosophie contemplatiue and in the other Philosophie actiue For the Platonistes deuide all Philosophie into Speculatiue actiue and Sermocinal Diuision of Philosophie after the Platonistes Vnto Speculatiue thei haue appointed Metaphysike natural Philosophie the Mathematicalles vnto actiue Ethical Political and Economical vnto Sermocinal Grammar Logique and Rhetorique And by Sermocinal thei thought an entraunce to be made into Philosophie actiue and cōtemplatiue in which stādeth the exercise strēgth of true wisedome Of these thinges Cicero also maketh mēciō in his first boke De Academicis questionibus Further if holie writte lacke learnyng then lacketh it wisedome also that is science of godlie and worldlie matiers Againe if the holie bookes teache the knowlege of thinges perteinyng to god and man then teache thei wisedome so consequently true Philosophie But let vs se what thinges be entreated of and taught in the Bibles or this heauenlie Philosophie that therwith also briefelie and as it were by a shewe it maie appere vnto the reader what thing he should loke for by knowyng the Bibles how in thē the goodnesse of god hath set out to the worlde most aboundaūtlie the great riches of his high knowlege wisdome Biblia in the plural nūbre onely Biblia are called volumes or bokes For in Greke Biblos or Bibliō is a volume or boke So this name is borowed of the Grecians and geuen to the holie scripture is as moche to saie as holie bookes or the booke of holie thinges This selfe same holie booke is called a testament and in dede a testamēt both olde and new Sometime in holie writte Testament Testament is taken for the last wille and ordinaunce of him that is diyng And after this speakyng we saie he made his testament that is he testified the meanyng of his minde shewed how he woulde haue all thinges disposed and ordered and by a trope called Metalepsis Testament is taken for the thing it selfe that is bequethed Metalepsis so forgeuenes of sinnes is in holie scripture called a testament This woorde Testamēt is vsed also for a league or couenāt For God hath bound him selfe vnto vs by a league shewyng the cōditions therof bothe what we shoulde looke for of him also what we our selues ought to dooe The cōdicions be God wil be a true god that is a father in al sufficiencie plētifulnes to al men And ther be bound to reuerēce and worship this God for their God in faith innocencie charitie And hitherto dooe belong al the promises I am thy God the god of thy seede after the. The sede of the woman shal breake the head of the serpent In thy sede all the tribes of the earth shal be blessed Again hitherto pertein al the preceptes of liuyng inespeciallie the .x. commaundemētes Thou shalt haue no straūg god before my face Be ye holie for I also am holie Loue thy neighboure as thy selfe And this testament and league this ordinacion of God is vnchaungeable is one and euerlasting For there was neuer at any time any moe then one onely churche neuer but one onely true faieth and religion of saintes Question How thē haue we the names of old new testamēt Verely of the maner of shewyng Solution teachyng deliueryng it vnto vs. As touching the very substaunce it is but one onely For whosoeuer wel considereth what thinges were taughte oure forefathers he shal perceiue that thapostles of Christe haue taught vs none other Entent of the Bible To them it was shewed that there was one God that he onely was to be worshipped that in spirite innocencie and faieth Also that there is one only iustice and redēption of the world onely one priest and true sacrifice euen Iesus Christe the sonne of God man Immortalitie also of soules risyng again of the bodies to be hoped for of God And what other thinges haue the Apostles of the Lorde taught vs So then touchyng the substaūce of faieth and of the Testament al one and the very selfe same thing is taught to vs bothe Now for the maner howe all one and the selfe same thing was taught vnto vs and them Paule writeth and saieth Vnto our forefathers all thinges did chaunce in a figure and to vs be those thinges come without a figure For God hath geuen Christ vnto vs whiche is the perfection of the lawe that now we shoulde worship as present and past that is complete and fulfilled that whiche our forefathers had in a shadowe as yet to be fulfilled or rather to be loked for And thus is sene the diuersitie in the fashiō of teaching Thei had figures we haue the thing it self Thei reioised in outward thinges and ceremoniales we without figures enioie spiritual thinges that were signified And hitherto perteineth the priest hode of Aaron and the diuers bloudie kindes of sacrifices the figures of the priesthode and sacrifice of Christe And by this diuersitie in teachyng rise these wordes
their sinnes and calleth them to repentāce He inueieth against false prophetes He prophecieth of redemption by Christ of his kingdome and of the calling of the Gentiles He teacheth euidently that Saluation cometh through Christ to theim that beleue and that the right worshipping of God is true vertue Nahum Nahum also flourished vnder Ezechias and taught after Ionas He preached againste the Kingdome of the Assirians and against Niniue their chief Citie He maketh as though letters of defiance had been written by God sent vnto the Assirians wherein Warre is proclaimed that it is shewed who how mightie a God thenemy of the Niniuites is for what causes he purposed to destroie that great citie most auncient kingdom he setteth out the maner and facion how he would destroie it By whiche thinges he sheweth a merueilous but a fearfull example vnto al ancient mightie bloudie kingdomes and again a great coumfort vnto those whiche are oppressed by tyrannie It is likely that Abacuk was in the time of Manasses Abacuck after Niniue was takē about the beginning of the monarchie of Babylon But vnder this ciuill and vngracious King all true religion was quite gone mischief and supersticion bare the bragge Many were slain innocent bloud was shead all goodnesse was banished Some thoughte that god was faste in slepe wherefore good men were not pleased but spake somewhat sharply Thē came foorth this prophete to comforte the sorie discourage the tyraunt and lift vp the weake declaring that God would come shortly to reuēge good mennes quereles by power of the Chaldees whiche waxing proude beyonde measure should be also destroied and the Iewes sent home againe And that then in deede should be perfourmed whiche was spoken touching the comming of Messias vnder whom shoulde be the golden worlde Sophonias prophecied vnder Iosias Sophonias he and Ieremie together After the king by due reformation had set vp true religiō againe there were not a few emong the heddes and the people which deliting rather in supersticion loked and longed for a newe daie and to se religion ouerthrowen and cleane put awaie Wherfore he blameth their wickednes moueth theim to repentaunce shewing aforehande that thei should be punished by the Babiloniās and that yet he neither had so great cause to be proude seing at length there shoulde come moche sorow and mischief to him also In the ende he saieth that Sion should be made vp againe and prophecieth the comming of Christ Hagge Haggeus vnder Darius Histaspis blameth the vnthankefulnesse of the people sent home again their sluggishnes in building vp the temple He biddeth thē hast forwardes the worke not to leaue of for feare of any enemies In th ēde he prophecieth plainly of Christ and the Churche Zacharie flourished with Hagge entreated of all one matier Zacharie exhorting the people and specially the rulers to builde vp the temple This man sawe the peculiar destenies of the people of Israel and writeth many thinges as Daniel dooeth He biddeth theim liue verteouslie writing many plaine Prophecies of Christe and his Churche wherein he is marueilous gospellike He speaketh also of the times whiche folowed after Christes ascention Malachie last of all Malachie whether he be the same zacharias or Esdras as Hierome thinketh or any other excellent writer chideth the priestes bitterlie rebukyng their vnsaciable couetousnesse slougthfull lecherie and filthinesse He blameth also the people and certaine light persōs which murmured against God Last of all he speaketh somewhat of Christes time and the daie of iudgement in whiche euerie man shall be rewarded after his studies and woorkes This Prophete also semeth to haue taught vnder Darius Howbeit from the .xxxii. A supputatiō of times vntil the commyng of Christe yere of Darius whiche fil in the thirde yere of the lxxii Olympiade we haue nothing of auncient and Canonicall Scripture vntil Christes time saue those thinges whiche the Prophete Daniel with zacharie haue darkelie spoken of how the Empire should be translated from the Persiās vnto the Macedons againe from theim vnto that foule beast Rome Rome the destroier of many kingdomes and to the Princes of the same vnder whō shoulde be borne the Lorde Christe to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the worlde to bring euerlastyng righteousnesse and ioignyng the Gentiles vnto him would forsake the Nacion of the Iewes their temple and citie vtterlie destroied by the Romaines And the Prophet makyng an accompt of these wonderfull thinges to come Daniel .ix. saieth Numbre from after the buildyng vp again of the citie or the .xxxii. yere of Darius .lxix. seuens whiche make cccc.lxxxiii yeres For .lxix. multiplied by the numbre of seuen amounteth to so many and thou shalt haue the time of Christes incarnacion With this accompt agree also the Olympiades of the Gentiles One Olympias maketh .iiij. yeares So the xxxij yeare of Darius fell in the thirde yere of the .lxxij. Olympias And the xlij yeare of Octauius Augustus in the whiche Christe was borne was in the thirde yeare of the .cxciiii. Olympias Now if ye take awaie from .cxciiij thother .lxxij. yeres there shal remaine rxxij Olympiades whiche if you will multiplie by the nūbre of .iiij. you shall haue cccclxxxviij yeres which is the time of .lxix. seuēs only .v. yeres ouer For I saied .lxix. seuens did make cccc.lxxxiij yeres But this little nūbre of .v. dooeth not darkē so great light Thus we haue in our Bibles a sure cōtinual historie frō the beginnyng of the worlde vnto Christ Nota. And doubtlesse the wisedome of God would haue geuē vnto his church moe writers had not these fewe notes of Daniel been thought sufficient And what auayled to rehearse the Actes of those times being in dede bothe troublous nought Those thinges whiche Iosephus in his bookes De Antiquitatibus hath added to the Bible doe profit the readers nothing at al. For the most part be of the deceites lies falshode murthers shamefull dedes saiynges of the Iewyshe bishops of Herode which in al kinde of mischiefe bare the bel Wherfore by the very prouisiō of god thactes of that most corrupt abominable time seme not to haue ben throughly writtē but onely touched briefely of Daniel zacharie For so was it necessarie profitable to vs Thus moch haue we spokē touchyng the Canonicall Bookes of the olde testament peraduenture somewhat largelie but not without profite We will to these ioigne the matiers of the bookes of the newe testament Euangel Emong the writers therof the Euangelistes be first those be that write the historie of the Gospel Euangel is a newe woorde of this signification geuē to a new thing For the olde writers called Euangelies rewardes that were geuen to menne that brought good tidynges Cicero writyng to his frende Atticus saieth O swete letters for the whiche I confesse my selfe bounde to geue an Euangel But we vse it not for the
rewarde but for the gladde tidynges it selfe euen that from the father of heauen is geueÌ„ vnto vs a soonne and with him all ioie and gladnesse For the Aungell of the lord in Luke crieth out vnto the shepeherdes Feare not for loe I shewe vnto you great ioie whiche shall come vnto all the people because now is borne vnto you a Sauiour whiche is Christe Iesus Thus the Euangel sheweth vnto vs ioie and quietnesse of mind whiche cometh by this that God hath sent his Soonne a redemption of the worlde Wherfore Paule defined the Gospel The power of God Rom. i. for saluation to all beleuers through his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. So thei that set out this matier of iustification that Christe hath taught faieth repentaunce and redemed the worlde from the deuil and al iniquitie be called Euangelistes Euangelistes of whiche we haue but foure yet the name it self may be extended to many Of them the two first Mathew Mathew and Iohn be witnesses of that whiche thei sawe and heard For those thinges that thei sawe thei shewe and were a great part of the matier them selues chosen of the Lorde Iesus into the college of the Apostles Mathewe wrote first as some thinke in the ninth yere after the Lordes ascention He sheweth in goodlie ordre the stocke and birthe of our sauiour Christe and what was dooen before he shewed out him selfe and toke vpon him his office of preaching openlie and then what Disciples he chose what kinde of teachyng he vsed how great miracles he wrote what benefites he did to the people openly priuatelie howe he vsed his aduersaries how his frendes how he handled the weake and how the obstinate sinners He sheweth his excellent vertues his example of good liuyng high aucthoritie Last of all how by his disciple he was betraied to the Iewes deliuered to the Gentiles moste cruellie haÌ„dled at length also nayled vpon the crosse was dead and buried rose againe the thirde daie shewed him selfe aliue to his frendes after ascended into heauen sendyng his Apostles abroade into the whole worlde to preache saluation throughthe death of Christe to all that woulde beleue and geue theim selues wholie to God Iohn Iohn is thought late at the laste to haue written and put foorth his historie of the woorde incarnate Doubtlesse he hadde seen those thinges that Mathew had written wherfore he thought as it were to make vp the matier specially in the doctine of Christe for soche thinges as Mathew semed either to haue passed ouer or lightlie touched Therefore these two histories ioigned together we haue a very full perfect declaration of all the dedes saiynges of Christe Thei saie that Marke was the disciple of s Peter the Apostle Marke But whatsoeuer he was in dede he shewed him self verie wel learned trustie diligeÌ„t For he knitteth the gospel together very briefelie and clarkelie shewyng vnto vs as it were an abridgemeÌ„t of the Euangelical historie Some saie he wrote the gospel as he had receiued it of Peter But it is vncertaine what time he put it foorth abroade Luke was not an Apostle Luke but a disciple of the Apostles one alwaies in their coÌ„panie speciallie in Paules This maÌ„ wrote .ij. bokes of the euangelical historie In the first he coÌ„prehendeth the saiynges and dooynges of Christe as did also Mathew and Marke In the latter he sheweth how and in what place Christ weÌ„t out of the world and in what wise the holie spirite promised did come froÌ„ heaueÌ„ Actes of the Apostica how the church first began encreased and grewe to the best what was the doctrine of thapostles rites or holie customes religioÌ„ faith who were false Prophetes who true what were the natures deuises and condicions of them bothe What was the studie of the worlde and mindes of persecutours what câ—auÌ„ces did folow theim and how the Gospel was receiued Many thinges be written of the Sermons and dedes of Peter and other Apostles of the preachyng of Paule also and his iourneies Therefore this Booke is called the Actes of the Apostles And all this Historie of them and the Gospel conteineth about lx A suppucatioÌ„ of the times of the newe Testament yeres For Christe semed to be about xxxiij yere olde when Tiberius had reigned .xviij. yere Paule in the .ij. yere of Nero came to Rome bounde and was two yere prisoner at large Vntill this time did Lucas write his historie liuyng lxxxiiij yeres died in the peace of God buried at Bithynia The historie of the Gospels and Apostles perfect Now where some haue made meÌ„cion of the Gospel of Nicodemus Thomas Bartolomew and certaine others I wot not who surelie it nothing perteineth to the perfection of the Canonical bokes For Iohn him self testifieth Those thinges whiche he hath written to suffice for the faith that may sane vs. wherof speaketh also the holy father Ciril Not althinges saith he be written that the Lorde hath doen but that whiche the writers thought to be sufficieÌ„t aswel for opinions as for maner of liuing that we shinyng in true faith woorkes and vertue maie come to the Kingdome of heauen through our Lorde Iesus Christe So when it was perceiued that al was writeÌ„ whiche perteined to godlinesse it was thought neither necessary nor worthie the labor either to put to any more or to make any thing of newe And if thei had thei coulde not haue doen any other theÌ„ was set out alredie This is euident in this that we haue How litle differeÌ„ce I prai you is in the thre first perchaunce the olde Fathers willed of one matier fower writers to remaine .ij. apostles and .ij. their disciples that when al was dooen it might be seen any larger instruction herein or contrarie to this nothing to auaile no not if there should rise vp an hundred Writers sens these that we haue agree al in one and those that shoulde folowe coulde write but the same And to what purpose were it in infinite volumes to entreate all one thing declared by fower witnesses sufficient before For thesame entente also it semeth that Luke wrote not al the Actes of al the apostles sins the rest folowed none other waies neither in doctrine nor in liuing And that by thactes of one or twoo the residue maie bee iudged Bee it therfore ascribed to prudence and not counted lacke or imperfeictnesse that the Historie of the Gospell and Apostles goeth hetherto and no farther Now folowe the Epistles written vnto diuerse Congregations touching faith in Christe Th entent of the Epistles true repentaunce and innocencie of life whiche in deede is the commune marke and entent of theim all The occasions of theim be diuerse and so is the Argument or matier The firste in ordre and moste excellent of all is the Epistle written to the Romaines To the Romaines in whiche he so describeth and setteth out the Gospelle as he preached it to the Iewes