of one master and Pastour ¶ For there is none ende in making of bookes HEre he toucheth the infelicitie of mās nature seeming to imitate and followe these good men and wryters but full vntowardly vnhandsomely This he meaneth Thou hast to doe in the world where thou shalt happē on innumerable bookes set out to edifie the people but abyde thou within a certen numbre of thē prescribed And hold thy selfe vpon the scripture Much study and reading is a wearines of the fleshe THis he saith not of the wearynes of the person that wryteth but of his disciples or hearers as if he would saye These men with their many wrytinges and bookes doe nothing but cause men to weary themselues whō yet they would séeme to benefit alwayes learning and neuer attayning vnto the truth This I say is the fruite of these bookes ▪ to trouble mens consciences and to weary that people Therefore we must persist and abyde in the opinion of one Teacher We must cleaue either to one or to a fewe which haue the trewe forme of doctrine Other we must beware of which go about onely to séeme to bring some newe deuyse and to séeme better learned then others as nowe many Sectaryes and their likes doo Well therefore doth S. Iames saye Be ye not many maisters Let vs heare the ende of all feare God and keepe his commaundementes THat is this is the sūme of all feare God and worshipp him and set hym alwayes before thine eyes and so shalt thou perfourme all I haue written in this booke For vnlesse a man feare God he can accomplishe none of these thinges He hath set forth the examples of them which haue lyued wisely and notablye without feare who when aduersitie and distresse commeth waxe insolent and trouble themselues But they that feare the Lorde can contemne and set light all aduersityes troubles when they come giue God thankes whē they come not ¶ For this is the dutie of all men THat is belongeth to all men and is profitable for all mē By other trades and kindes of lyfe men seeke for gayne by this for godlynesse The same Paule affirmeth in this wise These thinges be proffitable for men As for vaine talke auoyde For God wil bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secreat thing whether it be good or euell THat is all thinges at length shall come vnto iudgement Be they good or be they euil vaine talkers backbiters fooles at length shall be confounded and their opinions shall no lenger endure Thus zoilus at length was throwen downe aliue from the topp of a mountaine But Homer abydeth the Prince of all Poetes still in despight of all the zoili or of whosoeuer is more wicked then they Thus all other good authors especially of the sacred Scriptures by Gods power and appoyntment are likewyse hetherto preserued ¶ With euery secret thinge THat is to saye hypocrisie Because these Apes counterfet a shewe of lyfe and good doctrine So in the 25. Psalme also it is sayd I will not keepe companye with dissemblers that is such as Christ calleth hipocrites Paule sayth They haue a shewe of Godlines Therefore God shall Iudge euery worke that that may remayne and abyde that is perfect and sincere all coulor fainednes being taken away wherewith they hid and cloked their workes He speaketh not of the latter iudgment but after the maner of the Scripture in generall of all iudgments eyther such as heretikes be iudged and put to death by or what so euer sorte of wicked persons All these thinges haue their iudgment and time appointed them of God which they must abyde Thus the Pope euen at this day is brought to iudgement is almost condēned Thus was Arius and diuerse other heretikes brought to this iudgment and the Lorde reueled their shamefullnes as Peter saith In the time of his visitation and inquirie FINIS Psal. 119. Nun. Iames. 1. Iames. 1. He blameth the abusing of this booke The errour of the Schoolemē in this booke The doctrine of doubtyng tooke begynnyng of this booke The errour of holy fathers in misunderstādyng of this booke The begynnyng of Monkishe lyfe Errour of the interpretours The title of this booke He meaneth Plato The obscuritie or hardnes of this booke Two causes why it is so obscure The vse of this booke The Argumēt and intent of this booke The errour of them cōfuted which condemne Gods creatures The creatures of God are good The abuse of Gods creatures naughty affections of men are condemned in this booke The errour of them that vnderstand not this booke What thyngs Salomon condemneth in this booke What the matter and content of this booke is What the affectiōs of man are The doctrine of this booke is to vse our goods with thankes geuyng S. Augustines saying The corruption of mās nature and miserie of mans affections What thinges are reprehended in this booke The title of the booke Why this booke is called the Preacher Salomons phrase and speach The cause why one worde is doubled The theame and argumēt of this booke Mens deuises and enterprises are vaine Of whose labour and trauel Salomō speaketh He speaketh of mēs enterprises not of Gods workes Gods creatures are firme and stable but men are caryed and vexed with diuerse desires False interpretatiō blamed Gods creatures abyde within theyr bondes but men stray out of theirs The sunne rayseth the wyndes with hys mouyng The cause of sprynges and fountaines All thinges are led with their own course and order What the meaning of this comparison is The errour of Sophisters vpon this place The vanitie of man greater thē can be expressed with wordes The insatiable gulfe of mans hart Alexander Magnus Mans mynde is vnsatiable Vanitie of mans hart In man there is no new thyng but concupiscence naughty inclamtiōs dwell in all men God worketh newe thinges in some men Men are not mooued with the examples of their predecessours He begynneth hys doctrine 〈◊〉 the exāple of himselfe which hee setteth out to all men to folow Of his owne example by an argument a maiore He speaketh of hys owne workes enterprises Mē troubled wyth their owne wisdome The care of man to his vocation ruled by the worde of God good and necessary Mās coūsels not ruled by gods word are deceaued We must abstayne not trust to our owne counsels but to gods word onely Where the greatest wisdome of man is without the feare of God there is most foolishnes Vnhappy is the good intention that is not ruled by the worde of God and fayth The cause why all thynges cā not be ruled by our counsell All thinges must be cōmitted to God and he desired to order our deuises and to geeue them good successe The wisedome of kyng Salomon What knowledge i◠What wisdome is The continuation of the former chapiter with this present Mourning companion vnto pleasure Loue is bitter We must vse Gods giftes with the acknowledgyng
of the most vndoubted grace and saluation that God hath prohibited and geuen freely to vs And no lesse hurt haue diuers of the holy and notable fathers and Doctours in the Church done by misunderstādyng of the same booke who haue thought that Salomon had taught vs herein the cōtempt of the world as they call it that is to say of the creatures that God hath made and ordeined Amongest whom S. Hierome is one which by hys Commētary writtē vpon this booke allured his beloued Blesilla to become a Nunne From hēce hath flowed and rūne ouer all the church lyke a flud or inundatiō all that diuinitie of the religious houses or monasteries where they taught that it was the duty of a christiane to forsake the gouernaunce of hys house to giue vp his office yea to leaue the Byshoplyke or rather Apostolike ministery to get them into the wildernes to separate them from all company to lyue in quyete and silence saying that mē could not lyue in the world and serue God as though Salomon counted mariage gouernance of kingdoms bearing of office ministery of the word vanity all which in this booke hee meruelously extolleth calleth the gifts of God. And whereas Salomō declareth that men thē selues or rather their coūsels deuises are vanities these men peruertyng all thyngs call the things thē selues vayne and suppose that they their deuises are sounde good smothly dreamyng all thynges contrary to Salomons meanyng And to be short they haue drawen vs out of this most goodly and profitable booke nothyng but monsters and of most fine and pure gold haue made abhominable Idoles Wherefore the rather to discouer this darkenes and to abolish these filthy Idoles I haue suffered these annotations of myne noted and written by other as I spake them and framed after this order of speach for my selfe by reason of much businesse could write no sufficient and full Commentary vpon the booke to be published Which annotations albeit they are but slender and litle yet may they to them that haue no better or which haue been seduced heretofore with false gloses as I haue been geue occasion as vnto wise men to become the better and finde out and deuise better matter Surely a very small tast of this booke was to me a great pleasure after I was weryed in the same all my lyfe long and had in vayne vexed and corrupted my selfe with wicked opinions agaynst the fayth in Christ Wherfore I giue most harty thankes to the father of mercies which hath renewed this latter age with so many reuelations and so great light Therfore we will more aptely call this booke of the Preacher the politikes or Oeconomikes of Salomon not for that he giueth any rules or preceptes how to gouerne any Cities or to rule any families for that doth the law of nature or reason of man abundantly perfourme Wherunto all thynges in the world are subiect Gen. 1. which hath bene alway the fountaine Iudge and end must so remaine of all lawes aswell ciuile as domesticall but for that it giueth counsell to men in aduersitie whether they be publike or priuate persons instructyng their myndes strengthenyng them to patience by bearyng of misfortunes which many wayes fall out in such cases as the bookes of the holy hystories and all Poetes fables do declare such as are Hercules trauelles the monsters that Vlisses others ouercame the Beare the Liō and Goliath that Dauid vanquished He that in these pointes is ignoraunt at length falleth downe being tyred and great is his fall as was the fall of Timon Demosthenes Cicero and diuerse lyke Through the impatiencie hereof haue heretikes also styrred vp sects in the Church because such was the naughtynes of men that they forsooke their ministery As it is commonly sayd Desperation maketh Monkes For it is true that the wise mā sayth Office and authoritie sheweth what a man is But in deede onles we haue some Salomon to exhorte and comforte vs office and authoritie ouerwhelmeth casteth downe and vndoth a man. I commende therfore to the godly brethren this my Salomon rather pointed at and but touched then fully declared And I wish that some good and learned man of a more abundaunt spirit and happyer vayne then I am would stand vp expound and beautifie this booke according to the worthynes therof to the prayse of God and commēdation of his creatures to whom be glory for euer through Iesus Christ our lord Amen The Argument vpon Salomons booke called the Preacher THis booke is one of the most difficulte bookes of the whole Scripture whiche no man hath hetherto fully attayned vnto yea it hath been depraued with the vnworthy commentaryes of diuerse men in so much that it is a more trouble to purge the author therof from the dreames wherewith they haue defaced it then to restore the true sense therof agayn And two causes there haue been why it hath been more hard to vnderstand then other One was for that they perceaued not the intent and meanyng of the author which thyng as in euery kynde of writyng so chiefly in this and in all others it had been requisite they had kept and folowed The other was by reason they were ignoraunt in the Hebrew toung in the auctors peculiar phrase whiche many tymes swarueth from the common phrase of speach and differeth much from the custome of our tounge Hereby it came to passe that the booke which for many causes was worthy to be had in all mēs hādes and specially to be knowen to all gouernours of common weales for in it was most liuely set forth and in no place like the administration of affaires aswell publike as priuate hath hetherto been depriued of his name and dignitie miserably vnregarded and neglected so that to this day we haue had neither vse nor commoditie of it So much hath the rashnes and ignoraunce of some men been able to do Wherfore our first labour shal be to hold fast the certeine scope intēt of the booke what it requireth and whereto it tendeth For if we hereof be ignoraunt it shall be impossible to vnderstand the style and phrase in the same The meaning therefore and summe of thys booke is that Salomon wyll haue vs to be quieted and setled in our mynde that in all occurrēces and chaunces of thys lyfe we should liue cōtented wyth our present estate wythout care desire of thynges to come as Paul sayth liuing wythout carefulnes because vayne is the desire of future thyngs Salomon gathereth by a certayne perpetuall and cōtynued induction of particular thynges that mens deuises and enterprises are friuolous and vayne so that of particulars makyng a generall conclusion he prooueth that all mens deuises are vayne For he sayth that to get lyuyng riches it helpeth not to be wise to runne fast it auayleth not to be swift to gette the victory it booteth not to be strong
AN EXPOSITION OF SAlomons Booke called Ecclesiastes or the Preacher ☞ Seetle and allowed AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate An. 1573. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regia Maiestatis ⧠An admonition to the Reader DAuid that notable king and excellēt Prophet feeling in the course of this life the comfort and direction of the eternall word of almightie God professeth openly in that his Octonary Psalme these wordes Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum O Domine lumen semitis meis Thy word O Lord is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes Dauid well perceiuyng the corruptiō of his nature the blindnes of his vnderstandyng could not but acknowledge in that his long meditation the necessitie that he espied in the Scripture of God for where he sawe his wyt to weake to comprise the merueylous workes of God aswell in his creation as in his redemption which he saw in spirit before could not well atteyne the life that he most ioyed in in this trāsitory world except his vnderstandyng should be illightened and his whole state of life truely gouerned by the lanterne and light of Gods word He was no phantasticall reader of his word he ioyed not rather to be a student or a talker then a worker but effectually framed all his senses to sauour and knowe the will of God and to folow the same His spirit was altogither set to vertue which entent whosoeuer doth not folow he doth as a man by the testimony of S. Iames which delighteth to behold his naturall countenaunce in the glasse and is not carefull so to impresse the same in his remembraunce thereby to wype away the spottes of his face for whosoeuer doth not thus earnestly tary in the lawe of perfect libertie he deceiueth him self endeth in vanitie For it is he onely that is blessed in his act that doth persist in his law applying the vnderstandyng therof to heale his owne infirmities and to be able to be a light vnto others as we haue great cause to thāke the goodnes of almighty God for deuising of such a rule of Scripture to be lead by and as we be bounde to magnifie almighty God by his holy spirit to rayse vp such his welbeloued seruaūtes to call vpon vs and to bryng vs to the knowledge of hym selfe whereby we might be thākefull so is the daūger very great to all such as couer this his light vnder a bushell that deteyne this precious iewell vnder vnrighteousnesse of life The worlde was neuer more full of the certaine knowledge of God then it is at this day but almighty God was neuer more dishonoured then he is at this day by many that professe by theyr knowledge to be leaders to the blind instructours of the ignoraunt hauyng the fourme of right vnderstandyng by the law of God. Why therfore doest thou sayth S. Paule Teach other and teachest not thy selfe and so blasphemest the worde of almighty God before them that know not the power therof whose condemnation if they repent not shal be the greater We haue much delight now a dayes to know many thynges but litle lust we haue to lyue after our knowledge it is not he that heareth the worde of God that shall be partaker of Christes blessing but he that doth the word not he that hath right vnderstandyng of his will but he that is earnestly giuen to expresse his will in his secret thought betwixt God and hym selfe in his wordes and deedes of lyfe to the institution and example of others It shal not be asked at that dreadful day when we shall come to make our aunswere to almighty God how much we haue learned how oft we haue read how much we do know but how well we haue liued what workes we haue expressed to testifie with vs of our inwarde regeneration of our inwarde fayth that he might be thereby glorified And for this intent that we should be instructed in our true dueties to god and our neighbour amōgest many workes bookes to teach vs the same none is more apt then this booke of Salomon which we haue in hand none is more fit then this which setteth out the vanitie of our corrupt affections no author more liuely no writer is more apt to teach all maner of persons aswell publike as priuate to rule thēselue a right in this miserable vale of our corruptible lyfe thē is the author of this doctrine cōteined in this booke For whosoeuer will endeuour hym selfe to apply his wyt and his vnderstandyng to the counsell of this worke shall soone perceyue the corruption of this world and the vanitie of their owne nature and in all his trauayles what soeuer state of lyfe hee leades shall see by this lanterne how to step forth frōm fayth to fayth frō vertue to vertue frō charitie to charitie in cōclusion shal finde all thynges mere vayne and vanitie nothing permanent nothyng durable nothyng allowable but the knowledge of almighty God and the feare of his holy name to whom be all honour and glorye for euermore Amen ⧠The Preface vppon the booke of Salomon called the Preacher BEcause this booke hath beene obscurely darckly translated out of the Hebrew tounge euery learned mā hath greedyly gone aboute to expoūde and declare it eche man labouryng to frame diuerse of the sayinges therin to his owne profession or rather opinion whether for that their curiositie was delighted in straūge obscure and vnwonted matters or els for that in such obscure and darke writyngs it is easie for a man to fayne what hee phansieth and supposeth For the Philosophers haue thought that which Salomon sayth euen in the very begynnyng hath appertained to them namely that all thynges are difficulte man is not able to vtter them with tounge as though Salomon ment some kinde of vayne speculation in Philosophie Some other being offended with this saying of Salomon As the beast dyeth so dyeth the man and they haue both one end and lyfe haue demed that he was an Epicure or spake in the person of the Epicures But none haue more daungerously misused the same thē the Schooles of the diuines who haue wrested this place No man knoweth whether he be worthy of hatred or loue to the cōscience toward God and so much haue wrested the same that they haue vtterly slaughtered the consciences of all mē and put out the most certaine sayth in Christ teachyng beatyng into most miserable harts nothing more deuoutly thē that we ought to doubt to be vncertaine of the loue grace of God toward vs lyued we neuer so inculpable So great was the darkenes more the that of Egypt that by reason of this saying of Salomō yea rather through theyr owne errours builded vpon his saying they saw now no more the writynges of the Apostles and Euangelistes which do declare by so many miracles Scriptures and Argumentes that Christ is our mediatour and the authour
yea the wyser the holyer the more laborious a man is the lesse he preuayleth so that as well his wysdome as his righteousnes and workes are of no strength or force So that if neyther these nor any other thynges be of force then of necessitie must all thynges be vayne and forceles But here in the begynning must we roote out an errour and noysome opynion that many men haue namely that we thynke not Salomō to speake of the contempt of creatures which the scripture wyll not suffer to be contemned or condemned For all thynges which God created are very good and made for the vse of man which thyng Paule in playne wordes affirmeth 1. Tim. 4. saying Euery creature of God is good and nothyng is to be reiected that is receaued wyth thankes geeuyng For it is sanctified by the word of God by prayer It is therefore very foolyshly wyckedly done of some preachers to enuey agaynst glory power dignitie riches golde fame beuty women playnely condemning the creatures of god A Magistrate or officer is an ordinaunce of god Golde is good and ryches are the gyfte of god A womā is a good thing and made to be an helper vnto man For God made all thyngs to the ende they shoulde bee good and profitable some way to man. Therefore the creatures of God are not cōdemned by this booke but the naughty affection and desier of men which are not cōtented wyth these present creatures of God and the vse of them but are alway carefull how to heape vp ryches to get honour glory and great name as though they should alway lyue in thys world lothyng still their present state and condition and wyshing and aspyring to one thyng after an other For thys is a great vanitie and misery that a man should defraude and byguyle hymselfe of the vse of such pleasures as are before hym and vaynely to vexe and disquiet himselfe about thyngs he hath not These naughty affections I say and enterprises of men doth Salomon in thys booke condemne and not the creatures themselues For touching the vse of these creatures hee hymselfe sayth hereafter There is nothyng better then to be meary in thys life and to eate and drinke and man to reigne in his labour c. where he shoulde be founde vtterly agaynst hymselfe if he shoulde condemne the thynges and not rather the abuse of them which is onely in our affections Certayne foolishe men not perceiuyng these thyngs haue taught vs absurde opinions about the contempt and forsakyng of the worlde and haue themselues comitted many absurde thynges as we read in the liues of the fathers that there were some which would not looke vpon the Sunne beyng worthy doubtles to haue had their eyes put out and lyued most filthely and slouenly because they would seem religious which thing what we may iudge of it appeareth playnely by that is sayd before For it is but a sory contemnyng of the worlde to lyue solitarily and out of the company of men It is no contempt of golde to cast it away or to absteyne from touchyng of money as dyd the Franciscanes but he in deede contemneth it that vsing it euery day is not caryed away wyth the greedy desier of it Thys therfore is the principall thyng that they shoulde cōsider which will read thys booke of Salomō Farthermore this also is diligently to bee obserued that Salomon in this booke speaketh onely of mankynde and keepeth hymselfe within the bondes of mans nature that is of mans enterprises deuises desiers and counsayles least perhappes wee may imagine the same that the interpreters of this booke doe which thynke the knowledge of nature the studies of astronomy and all philosophy are here dispised as vayne and vnprofitable speculations whereas the commodities of these sciences are great and manifolde as dayly we see before our faces Besides that in searching out the groundes and causes of thynges naturall there is aswell great pleasure as profit And the holy Scripture proponeth diuers thynges to teach vs the properties and vertues of them such as is thys in the Psalme He maketh thee young and lusty like an Egle. Againe Like as the Egle that prouoketh her young ones to flye Againe As the hart desireth the water springs and soyle And Go sluggish body to the Emmet and Pismere Yea the scriptures are full of such metaphores and similitudes borowed of nature so that he that should take thē out of the holy Byble shoulde take therewith much lyght from it also To be plaine therfore the subiect and matter of the booke is that mankynde is so foolish that he desireth and searcheth after his owne wayes many thynges which he can not compasse and bryng to passe or if he bring them to passe he can not enioy them but possesseth them with care losse not thorough any fault in the thynges but by reason of his most foolishe affectiōs desiers Iulius Cesar was greatly occupyed to obteine the Empyre of the Romaynes but what perils trauels susteyned he before he could get it And hauing gottē it he was not yet quiet he had not bys whole wyshe but while he was carefully busied to clyme yet higher hee perished most miserably The same cōmeth to passe in all worldly affaires whē we haue greatest wealth straight way we lyke not with it If we want lacke we are neuer quiet at rest for desire of it This vice of mans nature and inclination saw that heathē writers For thus sayth Ouide That lawfull is we loth and like the thinges we are forbid to doe That foloweth vs we flee and seeke to follow that that flees vs fro Againe The present state doth no man please Vpon his owne to liue at ease This is the vanitie of mans hart neuer to be content with Gods present blessings but to despise them seeking still one thyng after other neuer content till he haue gotten his desire and hauyng once gotten it nothing regarding it but still deuising some other wayes Therfore to repeat againe my saying the scope and end of this booke is to teach vs to vse Gods present benefits creatures which he boūtifully bestoweth vpon vs with thākesgeuing without carefulnes hereafter to the entent our hart may be quiet setled and merry beyng content wyth Gods worde and workyng So in the chapiters folowing he exhorteth vs to eate and drinke with the wife of thy youth not to want oyle for our head but to haue our garments white according to the saying of Christ Sufficient to the day is the trauell and care therof And as Paul saith taking no thought for the fleshe to fulfill the lustes of it And if a man woulde followe this trade hys mynde would still be quietly setled and God would aboundantly prouide vs of all thynges And now men vexe and disquiet themselues with two mischiefes namely while they depriue themselues of the vse of thynges present and trouble
be taken away and the golden Ewer broken THat is before thine eating and drinking slake which is cōpared to a siluer corde and to a rundlet of golde or whéele or ringe of golde For as a whéele or circle runneth about and commeth to his circle againe So meate and drinke alwaies returne and are in déede lyke to a siluer string because our lyfe hangeth and dependeth on them Before the Pytcher be broken at the well and the wheele at the Cesterne THat is before thy breath and lyfe faile thée Our body is lyke to a pitcher which hath alwayes néede of reparation The whele vpon the cesterne is the stomacke and other members which giue instrument to the body And the dust returne to the earth as it was in the beginning SAlomon hath a respect to the place of Genesis 2. Chapiter as if he should say After death dust returneth to earth as it was before We were all dust therefore when we dye we returne to dust as we were before And the spirit returne to God that gaue it ANd here also he hath respect to an other place of Gene. in the same chapter The Lorde God breathed into the face of man breath of lyfe He appointeth not whether the spirit goeth but saith it returneth to God from whence it came For as we know not whereof God made the spirit euen so we know not whether it goeth Vanitie of vanities sayth the Preacher and all is but vanitie HE concludeth hys booke with the same saying wherewith he begonne it and addeth a cōmendation to his doctrine and an exhortation that we should not be led about with straunge and diuers learninges but abide in that that hath béene taught vs For this is a great misery that when God hath sett vp his worde and good teachers by and by start vp heretikes and wicked teachers which through emulatiō draw the people after thē Thus all the Apostles care was to keepe vs in holsome doctrine But thys peruersenes is the holsome doctrine and worde of God compelled to beare when God rayseth vp his worde in come heretikes and Apes that will counterfet hys word Moses appointed a seruice for god and certeine Ceremonies and forthwith certeine Apes erected Idols Thus in all Artes and Sciences it commeth to passe If there be a good Poet he wanteth not his zoili If there be a good Artificer there will be counterfets to follow hym Thus all Artes haue their imitators that is their destroyers But this of all other is the worst that the multitude foloweth these fooles and preferre them before the true Artificers as Christ sayd of them They shall deceaue many This is it that Salomon in this place complaineth on This Preacher was not onely wyse but also taught the people knowledge he was very diligent sought forth and gathered together many Parables THat is this preacher gaue himselfe altogither to teach the people truely but it succéeded not nor followed He was a very diligent man he sought how to set all thinges in good order he was diligent in teaching He appointed ordered many thinges in excellent wyse but where are they that listen to hym and receaue his learning There foloweth no more fruite but wordes For eyther he hath no hearers or els wicked teachers and peruerters succéede He sought to finde out pleasaunt wordes and vprightly to write the worde of trueth THat is he laboured to profit mē with holesome and worthy wordes or as Paule speaketh it with wordes worthy of all acceptation and he truly wrote the wordes of trueth He did not wrappe or folde them vp in darknes as these imitators doe who by reason they vnderstoode not thinges rightly can not teach rightly For Aristotle sayth it is a tokē that a man hath knowledge that can teach well And Demosthenes being demaunded how a man should teach well aunswered if he spake nothing but that he knew and vnderstoode well For he that hath good vnderstāding is able well to teach And this is a commendation of the author as if he should say he taught very well and plainely in so much that by his booke a man may vnderstand what to thinke what to take in hand what to doe or to leaue vndone The wordes of the wyse are lyke goades and like nayles fastened by the masters of the Assemblies and geuen by one Pastour HEre he exhorteth vs that we be not led about with diuers and straunge doctrines as if he should say you haue a notable master and teacher beware therfore of new teachers For the wordes of this master are goades and nayles that is they are planted and set fast They be fastened Such are the words of Dauid and of the Prophets The words of the inconstant wauering mē be as skūme vpon the water And of this place I coniecture there were certeine bookes and histories and to digeste them into certeine annalles and Chronicles of the Hebrewes and to compacte all other bookes in order thereby to purchase authoritie vnto the bookes and to ratifie and allow those that were worthy to be read So there are many authors that haue written Bibles But of them all those onely are receaued and allowed which at this day we call the Bible This it is therfore that he would say Take héede my sonne that thou stick fast to those bookes that are receaued as for other set them at naught because these wyse men haue set them at naught For it commeth to passe that when one good booke is set forth ten other euil be set forth again as may be séen in our dayes But the words of the wyse are firme true which a man may take holde on For they are nailes fastened they haue their authoritie of the men of the congregation Other bookes are not lyke them But are geuen by one Pastour THat is to say one kyng being Pastour hath appointed wisemen to peruse and allow bookes These men in this booke haue acknowledged the holy ghost and allowed it to be had of the people Thus were the Gospelles receaued and allowed of the Fathers that is the Fathers acknowledged the holy Ghost to be in them Now we must not hereof inferre therefore the Church or Fathers are aboue the Gospelles As it followeth not I know God to be the true and lyuing God and his worde Ergo I am aboue God and his worde As he is not aboue the Prince that acknowledgeth the Prince nor aboue his father that acknowledgeth his father euen so in this These men teach not this Pastour but receaue of our Pastour So I make a difference among bookes and say this Epistle is Apostolike and this is not Now this is nothing els but to beare witnes vnto the trueth Now followeth the exhortation ¶ Of other bookes beside these my sonne take thou heede THat is followe those bookes which are allowed of them that haue the holy ghoste and haue acknowledged them to be geuen