THE wisedome of God crieth in the wiseste of mortalle menne Solomō in the Prouerbes vn­to al men of all de­grees, and Ages, saiyng. Geue eare, for I will speake of principall matiers, Prouer. viii. and the ope­ning of my lippes shalbe to shewe out thinges that bee right. Depely dooe I muse vpon the trueth, and vngodlinesse to my lippes is moste abominable. In Righteousnesse are all the woordes of my mouthe: cursednesse, nor frowardnesse in theim is none. Readie, and easie thei are to them that list to lerne and to theim that will finde knowelege, right, and plaine. With me is counsaile, and preseruatione: With me is strength, and vnderstanding. Kinges through me dooe reigne, and Counsailours decree that is good, and iuste.

When these thinges be so, I meruail what eiuil spirite driueth those menne, whiche disdeine the most sacred Bibles the onely founteine, the most plentifull and richest treasaurie of true wisedom & be madde vpon false, and countrefaict wisedome. For a man maie finde at this daie, emong great studentes not a fewe, whiche wholie geuen (& al their whole life) to the colours, & deceiptes of Phi­losophie bothe dooe lothe the name of the Bibles, and when thei heare them spoken of, be readie to fal into an horri­ble quaking, and shiuering. I wys (thei saie) there wanteth Learning, and elo­quence in theim, and that thei hate the rude, and foule barbaritie.

The Bibles EloquēceAnd yeat forsothe merueil it is, that thei shoulde sette vp Eloquence before theim, as a rule to liue by, and a marke wherunto thei woulde directe all their whole minde, and studie. In deede that wise menne oughte to loke for an other thing in this life, euen their very owne Philosophiers themselues dooe testifie Marcus Cicero the prince of Eloquence, of a Philosopher doeth not require Elo­quence. [Page] For in his firste booke, De fini­bus bonorum, & malorum. speaking of Epicure: The talke of this Philosopher, saith he, displeaseth me not, for he can vtter in woordes whatsoeuer he will, and speaketh plainly to vnder­stande: And yeat a Philosopher, if he bring Elo­quence, I will not despise it: If he bring none, I will not greatly craue it.

Why now be these mē more hard vnto vs, then Cicero? Dooe thei not know that in our Bibles the heauenly philo­sophy is taught euen after the capacitie of the common people? And Cicero pro­ueth plainlie, that Eloquence without wisedome is very hurtful. It behoueth then to couet wisedome rather then E­loquēce, namely whē these If same Cicero in a booke called Partitiones oratoriae dooth define Eloquence to be nothing els thē wisedō speking plētifully wherfore whosoeuer is destitute of wisedom though he haue a faire, & a redie toūg to talke gaily, yeat shal he be called but a talker, & not eloquent. For as to speake, and speake wisely is not all one, no more is all one, talking, and Eloquence Menne vnaduised and not wel in their wittes poure out many woordes many [Page] times withoute reason nothing to the purpose, and cleane contrarie to al con­uenience,True eloquēce and comelinesse. But a wise e­loquēt man is no waster of wordes, but speaketh soche as doe profite, & serue to that ende whereunto thei be appoincted, and he so speaketh theim as he ought to dooe, whether it be with many, or with fewe, with learned, or vnlearned, with his matche, with his worse, or with his better, the comelinesse of time, and pla­ce alwaies obserued. And within these limites haue the heathen masters of elo­quēce thēselfes boūded in true eloquēce But sithens no writers haue been lesse wasters of woordes, then the holy auc­thours, whiche minded onely thinges profitable, & to a certeine ende, that is, al to obteine blessednesse, to liue quietlie, iustlie, and honestlie, and haue also set foorth those thinges in a plaine, & clere fashion of speaking: I dare saie boldlie and trulie, that onely the writers of the Bibles haue vsed true eloquence, whi­che thing, y^e vaine louers of deceiptfull philosophy shal not be able to proue fal­se, except thei cā before ouerthrowe the [Page] descriptiō of eloquence, whiche we haue brought out euē of their owne auctours or els cā manifestly shew y^t our writers be not soche, as we saie for, which as by good argumētes thei shal neuer proue, so assone as thei shalbe willing to dooe it, thei shal rūne in daungier of blasphe­mie, sacrilege, and high treason to God

S. Augustine also in his .iii. booke, & vi. Cha. De doctrina Christiana: I dare saie (saieth he) that al whiche well vnderstande what the holie writers theimselues doe speake, doe therewith vnderstande also, that thei ought not a­ny otherwise to speake. For there is some Eloquence whiche better becommeth young menne, and some that better becommeth olde, and is not then woor­thie to bee called Eloquence, if it agree not to the persō that speaketh: So is there other that besemeth men of high aucthoritie, and that be in dede most diuine, and excellente.

AND with this Eloquence spake thei whiche wrote the Bible, neither doeth any other Eloquence become thē nor this any other, but it is mete euen for them alone: and the lower it semeth to some, somoche the higher it riseth, not in proude, and loftie wordes, but in [Page] soundnesse of graue & substācial matier But the Hebruish maners of speaking greue the tender eares of these learned men,Hebruish phrases in the Bi­ble. and seme vnto the latines, that is, to deintie, and delicate persones ve­ry harde, rude, and in no wise to bee a­biden: yea I wis because a fine softe stile falling, and sounding swetely, in euery poinct, and delighting vs with pleasaūt Harmonie is that highest good thing whi­che all menne oughte to desire, and espe­ciallie regarde, without the whiche, yea the best thinges must be counted woorst forworne, and naught. Lo here our par­cialitie, and malice sheweth it self most of all. For not onely the Hebrue toung hath her facions of speaking, but the Grekes, and Latines haue theirs also. whiche hetherto no man hath discom­mended, nor disbeautified.

Moreouer many haue written, and that largelie of the constructions, and propreties of Speache vsed bothe in the Greke, and Latine toungue, many haue writtē of Schemes, and tropes. In thē to bee occupied, thē to lerne, and conne without booke, and with theim to en­browder [Page] our oration, is compted a very goodly thing. In these tongues no man cōplaineth of y^e facions of speche y^t thei be veri rare, & seldomely vsed. Only the lāguage of god for her owne maners of speaking, for her owne figures straunge to our hearing, semeth fowle, ouglie, & lothesome: and wote you why? Verely euen for that vnto the olde Adam, al is counted vile, whatsoeuer is pure, & hea­uenlie, & what is ferrefet, vncleane, and filthie, that pleaseth rightwel, & is wel allowed. Plato is trāslated into the la­tine toūg, Aristotle is translated, so is Lucian, Plutarche, Isocrates, and a great many of Greke Epigrammes. In thē, what was rugged is made smothe, what was harde 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 y^e 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 y^e great riches of his high knowlege & wisdome. Biblia in the plural nū ­bre 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. [Page] 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 y^e 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 [Page] 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 [Page] the substaūce of faieth, and of the Te­stament, al one, and the very selfe same thing is taught to vs bothe. Now for y^e 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 y^e 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, olde, and newe testament. For that teachyng, wherby our religiō was [Page] 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 y^t 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. [Page] 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 y^e 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 y^t 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 [Page] Ruth, Samuel, Malachim, Esaie, Ie­remie with his lamētations, Ezechiel, and the .xij. prophetes. He also hath no­ted that these .xii. prophetes be not nū ­bred 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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 [Page] 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 RuffinusFirste he putteth the fiue bookes of Moses, next the Prophetes called of some the former Prophetes, that is, [Page] 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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, [Page] 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, [Page] 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 y^e 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.v.c.lxx. yeres.

Genesis.The first booke declareth the begin­nyng and causes of all thinges, special­lie the creation of man, how it was frō [Page] the beginnyng, how he fell and was re­stored again, how all men came of one, and being dispersed through the world, by enormeous faultes angred God, and caused the fludde to come vpon them. A­gaine, how thei that were saued in the same, gaue the beginnyng to all king­domes: last, of Abraham, Isaac, and Ia­cob holie Prophetes, whiche liued be­fore the lawe written in tables, the li­ues, condicions, maners, religion, no­table dedes and saiynges be discribed, and how thei descended out of the lande of Chanaan into Egipt, For these and other good men, this first boke of Mo­ses was called of some, The booke of iuste men. Yet with vs and our elders hath their naming preuailed, whiche called it Genesis, doubtlesse of the generation and beginnyng of al thinges, at which Mo­ses beginneth his booke.

The seconde boke declareth how the Israelites oppressed in Egipt by Pha­rao,Exodus & deliuered by their capitain Mo­ses, were ledde into desert through the redde sea, how thei fought against the Amalechites, & were fedde with breade [Page] that rained downe from heauen, how at the commaundemēt of God thei did create a Magistrate, and at the last re­ceiued lawes also, describyng, settyng out, and commaundyng true religion, holie maners, rites, ceremonies, and finallie al due and good ordre in the cō ­mune wealthe. Here also is touched a little their shamefull offence, that thei did in worshippyng the golden calfe. And of their commyng out of Egipte, whereof it principallie treateth, this booke is called Exodus.

Leuiticus.Vnto this ioigneth Leuiticus, so cal­led of the Leuitical ministeries, which it teacheth. It sheweth sundry kindes of sacrifices, vowes, pollucions, infe­ctions, general clēsyng of sinnes, law­ful & vnlawful mariages, & like other. It speaketh a little of ciuill Gouer­naunce, but speciallie of holie rites, or customes, and, as we might saie, the bi­shoppes or canon lawes. Here maie we see how vertuous and learned priestes ought to be. All the misteries of the go­spel, the priesthode & sacrifice of Christ, his vertue & power, yea, and our whole [Page] redēptiō couertlie wrapped in figures, is here throughlie conteined.

¶The fourth booke is called Numeri peraduēture of this,Numeri. that in it the peo­ple of Israel are nūbred. It declareth the actes from the second yere of their going out of Egipt, euē vnto the death of Moses. In it be many notable exā ­ples of sondrie cōmocions, & rufflinges emōg rebellious people. There is shewed what euill ende sedicious persones come vnto, & what maruellous chaun­ces happen to the rulers them selues.

Moses of all menne moste constant and pacient suffred vntollerable thin­ges dooen to him, bothe by his owne people, and other foreins to, and yet he him selfe is not fautlesse neither. Ma­ny thinges are in this boke, which per­teine to religion, and ciuil gouernaūce, speciallie this: That bishoppes ought not to flie from intermedlyng wyth matiers of the cōmon weale, nor a ciuil officer to passe little vpon religion. Al­most at the ende be described great bat­tailes, and certaine lawes are declared at large in the great plaine of Moab.

The fift and last booke is called Deu­teronomium, Deuterono. or seconde lawe, and as you woulde saie, The lawe expouned now the second time. This is added of Mo­ses vnto the other afore, as a briefe of all heauenlie Philosophie. In it is con­teined all that euer serueth to liue wel and vertuouslie. The briefenesse there­of is moche commended and set by, and is a plaine commentarie of the ten com­maundementes. This Booke the Lorde woulde haue still in the handes of his people, wherin he hath so or­dred all matiers, as to all degrees and ages thei maie be moste mete and con­uenient.Iosue.

The booke of Iosue declareth prin­cipallie the trueth of Goddes promise: How after the death of Moses the peo­ple of Israel by the leadyng of Iosue (of whom the booke hath his name, as of the chiefe persone) were brought in­to the lande of promise, the princes and people of the Cananites vainquished & destroied, in punishment for their great sinnes. It hath a goodlie descripti­on [Page] of the holie Lande, and sheweth vnto vs an example of a verie good Prince, and obedient people. It con­teineth y^e historie of .xxvi. yeres, or ther­about.Iudges.

The Booke of Iudges taketh his name of the Iudges of Israel, whose actes and gouernaunce it declareth. And countyng Iosue him selfe, there were emong the people thirtene Iud­ges, not as Kinges, and Monarches, but pastours, presidentes, and consuls of free people. Here is set out a fre state with many chaunges, victories, slaugh­ters, Oppressions, Deliueries, iudge­mentes, and commocions. Also the mutabilitie of the commons alwaies ready to the worst, diuerse heauie chaū ­ces, the fight betwixt religion, and su­persticion is here declared. It is a mir­rour of that weale publique where is no head officer, but euerie man folo­weth what liketh him best, & it sheweth what euil end that to moche libertie co­meth vnto. Thē ensueth ciuill battail, [Page] and destruction within theim selues. The historie is of .cccxxxvi. yeares, ac­countyng hereunto the time of Iosue, and .xxiiij. yeres out of the ministrati­on of Helie.

Ruthe.The little booke of Ruth toke the name of the chiefe person. It treateth of no high matier, but sheweth how after harde happes, and greuous tēptations cometh a merie ende: and that vertue is rewarded, if we cōtinue stil in good­nesse, and refuse not honest labour. It hath a rehearsall of Dauids, or rather of Messias kinred very profitable for that that foloweth, and the vnderstan­dyng of the promise of God. This hi­storie perteineth to the times of the Iudges.

After this folowe .ij. bokes of Samu­el,Samuel and Kinges. and .ii. bookes of kinges, a woorke of many and sondrie matiers, very profi­table, and full of learnyng. By moste notable examples in them, be declared and confirmed the lawes, and promises of GOD. Out of theim also are made the Psalmes, and homelies of the Prophetes. To be shorte, emong the [Page] best, goodliest, cunningest, and moste ne­cessarie bookes of the Scripture these be not the laste. The booke of Iudges sheweth a state of gouernaunce, where the people, or rather the chiefe emong them dooe beare rule. The Historie of Samuel, & of the Kinges setteth out in his colours a Monarchie, or one highe gouernour, describing not onely what a King is, but the facions also of al his Courte, and Kingdome, bee it good, or eiuell. Here maie you finde how lawes be chaunged, religion kept, or neglected, notable examples also of Vertue, and vice, of trueth, falshod, prudence, iustice of princes, and priestes, bothe good, and badde. But who is hable in fewe woor­des to comprehēde the great varietie, & profite of matiers in these bokes? The first chieflie describeth the gouernaunce of Samuel, and Saul: The seconde of Dauid: the third painteth out the glorie of Solomō, & how mightie kingdomes decaie except thei be mainteined by fer­uent loue of Godlinesse, religiō, vertue, and concorde: So in the latter parte is shewed how the Kinges of the Isra­elites, [Page] and Iewes, wounded, and killed eche other, how to their great cost, and charge theie hiered the Egiptianes, and Assyrians to aide theim, and there­by gaue occasione to inuade the King­dome of Israel, as it is declared in the fowerth booke: Where also you maie see, a litle before their captiuitie, how greate miserie thei were in vnder Ieco­nias, in the yere after the making of the worlde, three thousande, fower hundred and thirtie. For the Historie of Samu­el comprehendeth an hundred, euen the twentie latter yeres of Heli. Fower­tie of Samuel, and Saul, as it is in the Actes: and fowertie of Dauid. The two bookes of the Kinges vnto the Capti­uitie haue fower hundred twentie and sixe yeres, and sixe Monethes. To whiche, if you put the yeres of the His­torie of Moyses, and Iudges, you shall finde thre thousand fower hundred, and thirtie yeres. Adde hereunto the seuenty of the Captiuitie in Babilone, and you shall haue from the twentie of HELI, fower hundred ninetie, and thre yeres, and sixe monethes. But into the num­bre [Page] of seuentie yeres you muste put the litle booke of Hester.

It seemeth,Hester. those thinges written of her to haue been dooen vnder Astiages, vnto whome the myghtie Monarche Euilmerodach, sōne to the most victorious Nabuchodonozer, peraduēter had geuē rule vpon those people, whom the first chap. of Hester speketh of. The same mā (as far as wee can gesse by the ninthe of Daniel) by likelihod was called Assuerus, a worde of Regall dignitie, his proper name be­ing Astiages, euen the very same that by the mothers side was graundfather to Darius, not Darius the sonne of Histaspis, but of that auncient Median surnamed of Zenophon Cyaparis, which caried awaie Da­niel w^t him into Medea, euē thē also pos­sessing .ii.c.xx. great Lordships. For .vii whiche his father Assuerus, (as it is said in the firste Chapiter of Hester) possessed were come vnto the Persians, vnto whom at the last y^e remnaunt also, were subiect after the death of Darius the Mede, whose Daughter Cyrus hadde maried, beyng Victour, Lorde, and Kinge of Babi­lon, Mede, and Persia. But howsoeuer it [Page] be, in this booke is described the court­lie life, foolishe, madde, and perni­cious. There all thinges are gaie, and gallaunt, menne liue at pleasure, and by riotous excesse lose al thei haue. Many heauie chaunces, great pensifenesse, pe­rill, and heinous treason is there also, The proude, and rebellious quene Vast­hi, is compared with the lowelie, and o­bedient Hester. Aman is a paterne of an ambicious, vniust, and cruell tiraunte, from base, & lowe degre enhaunsed into the toppe of highe dignitie, and foorth­with caste downe headlong, ending his life on the gallowes, an example to vs of vnstable fortune, and what thei shall come to, that geue cruell counsail. But Mardocheus representeth a vertuous lord standing on a sure ground. through his wisedome sauing himselfe, and his peo­ple, and by his prudente counsail doing moche good to other foreine Princes. As the litle Volume of Ruth, so this also taketh his name of the chiefe per­sone.

Now folowe the Bookes, whiche Esdrasdeclare what happened to the people of [Page] GOD after their deliuerance. Esdras euen at the firste preacheth the trueth of Goddes promise. In captiuitie thei crie to the Lorde, and be heard. Seuen­tie yeres expired, by fauour of king Cy­rus, thei retourne into Iewrie, with Golde, and riche giftes to be put in the Temple being made vp again. Thei set vp an altare, and hast them to building, but the worke was let two and fower­tie yeres. At last vnder Darius the yō ­ger the Temple was finished. Then came Esdras, renewed the Lawes, cor­rected the faultes of the people, and prelates.

After him came Nehemias,Nehemias and wal­led the Citie, eased the people from hard Exactions, burdennes, and vsuries, by witte, and Wisedome holpe the Citi­zeines, and amended that was amisse. The Souldioures of Antichriste, and their Craftes, whereby the buildinge might not go forwardes, is here plain­ly set out, and how ware men should be to ouercome thenemies of the people of GOD. This Historie conteineth thre score and tenne yeres. From the first [Page] of Cyrus vnto the twentie of Darius are coumpted eight and fiftie yeres. From thence vnto the two and thirtie are .xij in whiche the walles were made vp.

There remaineth the Chronicles, whiche the Grekes, and Latines di­uide into two bookes called Paralipome­non. Chronicles For some thinges passed ouer in the former Historie of the Kinges bee here rehearsed, and spoken of more largelie. Yet sure it is y^t these be not the Chroni­cles of Iuda, and Israel, whiche many times bee mentioned in the Bookes of Kinges. Doubtlesse those wer most co­pious commentaries of the actes of the kinges of Iuda, and Israel, now being lost through wastful time. Some thinke these to be a briefe of this excellente hi­storie, namely of the Kinges of Iuda. Thei profite moste to the exposition of the Prophetes. Thus hitherto haue we rehearsed all the bokes of the diuine hi­storie, whiche from the beginning of the worlde, vnto the building vp againe of the Citie of Ierusalē, that is to the two and thirtie yere of Darius, is thre. M. iiii. C. lxxxviij. yeres, and vi. monethes. [Page] So many shal he finde, whosoeuer wil diligently reade ouer the holie Historie: for we made this accoumpte by the ye­res of the Patriarches, iudges, Dukes and Kinges. Neither maketh it any matier that Iosephus, Eusebius, and many other folowe an other accoumpt. We haue folowed the holy writers, yea and the trueth it self. Now to the other bokes of holie Scripture.

Iob teacheth to beare paciently the crosse of aduersitie,Iob and that not by tri­flyng preceptes of Philosophie, but by wonderful consideration of Goddes prouidence. First of al is the historie it self: how there was a certeine good, and iust man broughte to greate aduersitie, and what shoulde bee the merueilous mea­ning of God in this case. After the ma­ter is discussed by a gret disputatiō: last of all foloweth the croune, & triumph of the victour. And in this boke is shewed more syncere philosophie, then in al the bokes y^t euer al the philosophers wrote, of the which none hath tought any thīg purely in this matier. The Epicures cal vs frō the crosse to delectacion, & pleasure. [Page] The Peripatetiques counte sickenesse, pouertie, reproche, and disworshippe e­mong the greatest eiuilles that can be. Certeine Stoiqnes doe counsaile men that be in daūgier either to breake their owne neckes, either to hang, or kil them selues, or by some other violente death to shift frō their peine And other teache other thinges more foolishe.

The booke of Psalmes is an heauen­ly worke,Psalmes. treating diuers matiers, and is both profitable, and pleasaunte. It pleased God (whiche touched briefly al Sciences) to speake a litle of Musique also, and handle it purely, if perchaunce thereby men might be driuen from vn­cleane, and wanton songes. So what­soeuer cunning, and holie sōges Dauid and of his nacion other wisemen, Poe­tes, & prestes haue writtē of diuerse ma­tiers at diuerse 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 sē ­tences, 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 strē ­gth 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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, y^t 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 paste. The same Hierome in y^e preface of his first boke vpon the cōmentaries of Esai saith thus: Let no mā thinke that I can briefely prehende the argument of this volume, touchyng all the holie misteries of the Lorde, as well howe Emanuel borne of a Virgine did noble woorkes and miracles, as that being dead and buried, he rose againe to saue all nacions of the worlde. What should I speake of his Logike, or of his Phi­losophie natural, and moral. What soeuer is of holie Scripture, what soeuer the tongue of man is hable to vtter, and witte to comprehende, in this booke it is included. These be the wordes of. S. Hierome.

Ieremie.The Prophete Ieremie in his wri­tyng is not so faire and pleasaunt, as Esaie, but more homelie, and nere the capacitie of the common people, yet in sentence as good. He was borne in a little strete called Anathoi .iii. miles frō the Citie, him selfe a Priest, and of the kinred of priestes, & sāctified in his mo­thers wombe. He prophecieth being yet a verie yong man, & as he saith him self, he began in the .xiii. yere of Iosias, and ceassed not by the space of .xl. yeares, after the citie was destroyed. Yea, for his plaine preachyng, and free mouthe, he was stoned to death, and so gaue vp his spirite to the Lord. He rebuked the sinnes vsed in his time, idolatrie, false­hode, couetousnesse, fraude, crueltie, & riote. He moued them to repentaunce, and amendment. He taught diligentlie faieth in God, and shewed theim how to liue. He spake also of their captiuitie, and comforted the sorie, shewyng afore­hande the destruction that should come to the nacions borderers. He wrote al­so a lamentation, wherin he bewaileth the ouerthrowe of that noble citie, and [Page] royall kingdome. Yeat in that kinde of writing appeare merueilous tokens of the iustice, and goodnesse of God.Ezechiel

Ezechiel, he also coming of Priestes was taken prisoner with Ieconias, and caried into Babilon: Where he taught the same thinges that holie Ieremie did in Iudea. Euery where, after the office of a prophete, he putteth in his writin­ges common places of Christe. He also prophecieth against Tire, and other na­cions, threatning vnto theim the iudge­ment, & iust punishment of God. He stā ­deth moche in declaring the building vp again of the tēple, & newe citie: Doubt­lesse propouning vnto vs the Misteries of y^e churche wrapped vp in couerture.

Daniel being yeat but a very young man was led awaie into Babilon with Ieconias.Daniel This man described vnto vs very elegātly certein profitable, & good­ly histories of his time, the fight of true & false wisedome, of religion also, & su­persticiō. He liued vntil the time of Cy­rus King of Persia, being then .lxxx. ye­res olde. He was a man of so great wisedome, that of him rose this Prouerbe, [Page] Wiser then Daniel. whiche Ezechiel vsed in his .xxviij. Chapiter. Of al wisemen he was called Polyhistor, that is, one that knewe many thinges. For like as he re­hearseth vp the fatall chaunces of all kingdomes, so in a brief historie or pro­phecie rather in fewe woordes he com­prehendeth, and finisheth that, whiche the cōning, and curious writers of the Gentiles coulde not telle in many boo­kes how to beginne. Onely he openeth vnto vs truely the matiers of the Ba­bylonians, Persians, Macedonians, and Romaines, and declareth of Christ the euerlasting kingdome. How Anti­christe also shall rise vp, what mischief he shall woorke before at last he be des­troied. He sheweth the destruction both of the Citie, and of the whole worlde, the daie of iudgement, the rising againe of the bodies, and life euerlasting.

The lesser prophetesAfter folow the .xij. prophetes, whom we cal the lesser, not for the smalnesse of the matier, woorke, or learning, but for their breuitie, and because in gretnesse, length, and copie thei bee vnlike to the other .iiii. whom thei call the greater.

Oseas standeth firste, sine of wit,Oseas. and vtterance, but somewhat brief, and therfore obscure. He prophecieth most a­gainst the tenne Tribes, or Kingdome of Israel. Sometime he toucheth a litle the Tribe of Iuda. He rebuketh the fa­ultes of the priestes, princes, and people sinne, and Idolatrie, vpholding religiō and goodnesse. He warneth them to re­pent, least thei all perishe, and sheweth that all nacions shalbe called.

Ioel semeth to haue prophecied in the time of Ezechias, he, & Esaie together,Ioel after the destruction of the tenne tribes He moueth the kingdom of Iuda to re­pentaunce. He setteth out the horrible daie of the Lorde, and their miserie to come, whiche yeat might be auoided by amending their liues. Yeat after he sai­eth it shalbe better with theim, and she­weth the signes of loue in y^e churche, of whiche Peter is an interpreter in chactes

Amos neither a Prophete, nor the sonne of a Prophete, not brought vp in any the liberall sciences,Amos was but a rude homely vnlerned mā: yet in few, & sharp wordes, he preached to the tenne tribes [Page] still calling vpon repentaunce, as the o­ther Prophetes did. And against the na­cions that were borderers, he spake ve­ry grauely touching their sinnes, and the iust punishment of GOD. He was sore greued against the religious of the Ieroboams, and the wanton liuing of the priestes. He prophecied also of the calling of the Gentiles. He liued, and taughte, when the younger Ieroboam reigned in Israel, and King Osias in Iuda, or Ierusalem.

Abdias reasoneth against Idumea in the time of Achas King of Israel:Abdias. and though he bee the shortest of all the pro­phetes, yeat dooeth he comprehende in a summe al the chief pointes of true reli­gion: namely, that god is to be worship­ped, and that in loue, and charitie, doo­yng to our brother no wrong at all. For the lorde will reuenge it. He declareth saluation to be in Sion, euen in Christe and his faithful churche. He telleth the Idumeans aforehande that thei shoulde be destroied, with the causes why: and that nothing maie deliuer theim from the harmes hanging ouer their heddes.

Ionas beareth the figure of Christ di­yng, and rising again.Ionas Wherof the lord himself maketh menciō in Math. He hath set out in a pure, and fine Historie the propretie, nature, and disposicion of god, how mightie, how good, & iust he is being god of the gentiles also, how vain the counsailes of men be, which are ta­ken against the lord, what true repenta­unce is, how weake man is, and that the proude fleshe, reasone, and deuise of man woulde kepe her estimation and be high­ly set by, yea, though it wer to the great hurt of other. He liued vnder Ieroboam king of Israel, being bothe a prophete, & an Apostle of the Gentiles. Yet prophe­cied he to his owne nacion also, as it is written in the fowerth boke of Kinges

Micheas semeth to haue been the fo­lower of Esaie:Micheas. verely thei liued both at one time, and had bothe al one supporter euen Ezechias a right verteous king. He cried out principallie against the .ij. tri­bes, and then against the .x. He thretneth vnto theim vtter destructiō for their sin­nes, and calleth them to repentāce. He inueieth against false prophetes. He prophecieth [Page] 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

NahumNahum 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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 thēde 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 [Page] 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. [Page] 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 [Page] haue .cccclxxxviij. yeres, which is y^e 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 y^e most part be of y^e 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 y^t 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 [Page] 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 geuē 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 hādled, & 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 y^t 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 [Page] 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, & diligēt. For he knitteth the gospel together ve­ry briefelie, and clarkelie, shewyng vnto vs, as it were an abridgemēt, 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 y^e Apostles, & one alwaies in their cōpanie, speciallie in Paules. This mā wrote .ij. bokes of the euangelical histo­rie. In the first he cōprehendeth the sai­ynges and dooynges of Christe, as did also Mathew and Marke.

In the latter he sheweth how and in what place Christ wēt out of the world and in what wise the holie spirite pro­mised did come frō heauē:Actes of the Apostica how y^e church first began encreased, and grewe to the best: what was y^e doctrine of thapostles rites, or holie customes, religiō & faith: [Page] 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 c [...]aūces 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 suppucatiō 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 mēcion 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 [Page] 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 sufficiēt, 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 writē 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 thē was set out alredie. This is euident in this that we haue. How litle diffe­rēce (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, [Page] 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,Thentent 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, and Gentiles. He dispu­teth of Sinne, and proueth al menne to be sinners.Sinne. After he reasoneth of Iustice [Page] or goodnesse,Iustice, or goodnesse & sheweth that onely tho­row the grace of Christe by faith, & not by any workes, or merites, the beleuers to be iustified.Grace, and faithe. Then he declareth the effecte of Grace, and faithe, teaching the iustified to leade a penitente life, to kepe theimselues from sinne, to liue holilie,Good liuing and sobrelie. He disputeth of the lawe, and strength therof, of the Nature,Lawe, and strength ther­of. and fight of man newe borne againe, of the calling of the Gentiles, the refusing, and restoring the Iewes, at laste he en­fourmeth, and facioneth our maners with many good, and wholesome pre­ceptes.

In the firste to the Corinthians he entreateth of diuers matiers principal­ly correcting the faultes of that Con­gregation.The first to the Corinthians He reasoneth against secular Philosophie, for the simplicitie of the Gospelle. He disputeth of the ministe­rie of the woorde, and of the fruicte, and glorie therof, whiche ought to bee re­ferred to God alone. He rebuketh the shameful riotte, and lecherie of the Co­rinthianes, speaketh also of Mariage, Bigamie, and virginitie, willing them [Page] to auoide their straunge facions in holy rites, and seruice of God, the true chri­stian vse therof to be kepte, and restored againe, he speaketh of diuers giftes of grace in the churche, of concorde, chari­tie, toungues, vse of prophecie, resurrec­tion of the deadde, and many other pro­fitable thinges.

The seconde to the Corin­thiansThe seconde Epistle is in maner of a defence, or answere to certein rebukes. In this he laieth the law, & the Gospel together. He sheweth with what pure­nes, & great peril he preached the Gos­pell, and how wel thinges came to passe He speaketh also of the almose to the poore. Laste, he laieth many matiers of his owne, to defende his aucthoritie a­gainst false Prophetes.

To the Gala­thiansThe Epistle to the Galathians, is in maner a Breuiarie of that to the Ro­maines. He disputeth of Iustificatione by faithe in Christe, against the Iustifi­cation by the lawe, and workes. He fa­cioneth also the life of theim that be iu­stified by faith. In the beginning he spe­keth moche of his vocation, and auctho­ritie of his apostleship, whiche the ene­mies [Page] of grace would haue had vtterlie to be disanulled.

Thepistle to the Ephesians is a brief but a notable exampler,To the Ephe­sians how he prea­ched the Gospel to the Gentiles. He teacheth the beleuers to be iustified by grace onely through faith, al ful perfect­nesse to bee in Christe, and through him the gentiles also to be brought into the fauour of God. After be diuers exhorta­cions to good liuing.

He warneth the Philippianes by a shorte Epistle sent from the citie,To the Phil­lippiens not to be offended with his imprisonment, but to go forwardes in the trueth, that thei had receiued, He desireth thē to be al of one minde, and to beware of false Apo­stles: chopping merites, and the law to­gether with the Gospelle. In the ende he geueth Lessons of vertue, an he doo­eth many times before.

The Epistle to the Collossians is a breuiate of that to the Ephesians.To the Co­lossians It treateth of all one matier more brieflie In this he rebuketh sharpely the false Apostles mingling Iewishnesse with the Gospel.

The first to the ThessaloniensIn the firste to the Thessalonianes he praiseth their faith and constance, en­couraging thē to continue in thesame, to liue a pure, and a Christian life, and not bewaile the deadde with soche out cries, and howling, as the Gentiles doe where also he reasoneth of the Resur­rectione, and daie of Iudgemente, of watching, and holines of the christians.

The second to the Thessalo­nians.In the latter he paincteth out Anti­christe, and his Kingdome, and willeth that the dranes those idle beastes shold eate no honie.

The first to TimothieIn the first Epistle to Timothie, he setteth before vs a very perfeicte exam­pler of an Euangelical Bishop. He dis­puteth of true, and false Doctrine: of the liuing, maners, and housholde of a Bishop, of his studie, and care for Ecclesiasticall matiers, of auoiding vnprofi­table questions, of wrangling, and intricate bondes of couetousnesse.

The seconde to TimothieIn the seconde he committeth to his charge the defence of sounde Doctrine, he remembreth him of his dutie, and not to be discouraged for any aduersitie: he prophecieth of the departing awaie frō [Page] the faieth in the latter daies.

In the Epistle to Tite he repeateth in maner the selfe same thinges more briefly.To Tite. He sheweth what men shoulde be made bishoppes, teaching bothe yoūg and old their duties. He speaketh much of the misterie of Iustificacion by faith and commaundeth to flie Sophisticalle questions, and incurable Heretiques.

In a briefe Epistle, but very plaine,To Philemon cunning, and full of Christian charitie, he desireth Philemon to bee good to his Seruaunte Onesimus, whiche had runne from him: And this he wrote at Rome being in prisone.

The Epistle vnto the Hebrues is a goodly, and cunning example,To the He­brues. in what wise he preached Christ vnto the Iuishe nacion. Straite in the beginning he proueth by plaine testimonies of scripture that Iesus Christe is very god, & man, and therefore that his doctrine shoulde not be set light by. Also that he is the onely and true Prieste, and euerlasting sacrifice, so that to pourge, & put awaie sinnes, ther nedeth neither any of Aarōs priestes, nor oblations. For he hath per­feict [Page] iustification, that possesseth Christe by faithe. He sheweth that by faith all the sainctes of the olde Testament plea­sed God, and serued him in Pacience, charitie, & innocencie of life, vnto whi­che vertues, he exhorteth theim. In the ende he putteth certein rules of good li­uing.The Philoso­phie that paul learned in the third heauen. And lo, this is the abridgement, and sūme of that excellent Philosophie whiche the Apostle Paule learned in the thirde Heauen, and left vnto vs in fowertene Epistles.

Seuē Epistles CanonicalThe other .vij. bothe holie, and briefe, be called of our eldres Canonicall, and Catholike. Canonical, because thei per­tein to y^e Canō of the scripture. Catho­lique, for that thei wer writtē not vnto certeine churches, but vniuersally to al Peter the Apostle wrote .ij.The first of Peter In the first he exhorteth to pacience, and stedfastnes in faithe. He teacheth maried folkes, masters, seruauntes, priestes, and soche as be in aduersitie to leade an holie life. In the latter he prophecieth of these laste vnhappie times of Antichriste,The seconde of Peter: warning vs to embrace the pure Euan­gelicall Doctrine, and to keepe it faste. [Page] Of like argument or matier is the epi­stle of Iude.Iude.

Iames rebuketh the faultes of his time,Iames. teachyng true religion not to be in vaine bablyng, and boasting of faith, but in Godlinesse that bringeth foorth good woorkes plentifullie. He geueth also many holesome, and necessarie pre­ceptes of liuyng.

Iohn 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 [Page] pleased the goodnesse of God to warne his people in good season of the mis­chiefes that were to come, y^t 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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: y^t neither the historie of Susāna, y^e 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) y^t thei may right wel be called [Page] 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 cō ­mon 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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 example oc­cupieth him selfe in his house, rulyng equallie his wife, his sonne, and his fa­milie. Besides this he maketh his testa­ment, he instructeth his soonne moste perfectlie, he prouideth for his posteri­tie, he sheweth him selfe thākeful bothe to God and manne, and in euerie point dooeth the office of a good housholder.

But TOBIE the younger his Soonne, shewyng how children [Page] should loue their parentes, first loueth and feareth God, obeieth reuerentlie his fathers commaundementes, being paineful, diligēt, curteous, sobre, chaste, and fearyng God in all thinges. In this boke is the honestie of mariage so­lemnelie sette out, how vertuouslie it shoulde be made and kept, how euil it frameth, if we come not to it with the feare of God. It sheweth that the rea­diest waie to put all euil out of an hou­sholde, is to studie to be vertuous, and that the troubles of good mē shal haue a good ende, the wicked to perishe for euer, with many other good thinges like to these.

Iudith.The historie of Iudith, as of Tobie, hauyng the name of the chiefe person, setteth out the cruel tyrānie of the wic­ked, their pride, disdeigne, and most vn­thriftie ryot, presumyng yet neuerthe­lesse verie great thinges of their owne strength. So the maiestie, the power, the valeantnesse, the gorgeous pompe passyng the pride of the Persians, whi­che was in Holofernes lieutenant of the kinges armie, is here liuely painted [Page] Contrarie to him is sette a lowlie Wi­dowe, weake, and fraile, but verteous, and chaste, fighting against that his in­uincible power with Faieth, Praier, lowelinesse, and Wisedome. And being armed with these, warely taking vaun­tage of the Capiteines surfite, lust,, and pride, she taketh this wicked man in his owne snare, and killeth him with his owne swearde. By this appeareth the merueilous will of God, exercising his seruauntes with the Crosse, and not de­liuering theim by and by, but at last ea­selie destroiyng all the strength of the wicked, and laughing theim to scorne. Thus he alwaies sheweth his mighte, deliuering all theim that trust in him. Iudith praising the benefite of God te­cheth vs to be thankeful, and that God onely is to be called vpon, and worship­ped, whiche in battaile geueth victorie, in peace ioie and felicitie.

Susanna is a very good exemplar of trust, and vertue in maried women:Susanna. the same teacheth that GOD kepeth the iust, and defendeth their innocencie, pu­nisheth, and shameth the wicked forni­catours, [Page] and adulterers, specially nau­ghtie iudges.

Bel, and the Dragon.The contention betwene Daniel, and the priestes of Bel, for thoutward wor­shipp g of gods, & idols, setteth out the nature of true, and false religiō: of that one, the shameful craft and confusiō, of that other the good simplicitie, & victo­rie. But such as take this for a fable, let them beware wherupon thei take their grounde. The historie is ful of learning and profite.The song of three children. Thei also whiche saie, that the children in the fornace had scant so moche leasure as to plaie, & make ver­ses, seme craftily to condēne the matier By a like reason many thinges maie be set light by in the canonicall bokes. We reade that Ionas praied vnto the Lorde out of the bowelles of the fishe. This semeth not incre­dible, the lorde being his comfort. Yet i­dle felowes will dispute what leasure the childrē had in y^e fornace. The himne it self is a goodly praise of God, and his workes, and a mouing therunto.

the thirde of Esdras.The thirde of Esra. reherseth certein thinges out of the .iiii. boke of kinges, and many matiers whiche are declared [Page] in Esdras, and Nehemias, but more at large, with many goodly examples of vertue.

The fowerth of Esra. telleth visions or reuelatiōs cōteining diuers chaūces of the people of god.Fowerth of Esdras And although our forfathers haue set lest by this boke, yet haue thei not vtterly cōdemned it, for it serueth to a purpose & is also profitable

The fragmentes,Fragmentes of Hester and residue of He­sther geueth many propre examples of praier, and certeine other profitable thinges.

The firste booke of the Machabees for the finenesse of stile,First of Ma­chabees sauoureth som­what of the olde Phrase, that is of the Canonical scripture, and sheweth vnto vs goodly exāples of faith. For of faith manlinesse, noble courage, temperance, cōstaunce, loue to god, & their countrie the noble childrē, w^t that right excellēt lord Mattathias their father, are most liuely presidentes. Thei fight for their coū ­treie, & holie lawes against the vngod­lie, with great successe? Yeat abuse thei not their victory. First thei set vp again the right woorshipping of God, and re­dresse [Page] the common wealth whiche was far out of order. Hereby we maie lerne to feare God, and fight against infidels, all soche as by lawefull vocatione haue that Office committed vnto theim. Di­uerse, and merueilous chaunces bee in this booke, wherin euidentlie appereth the goodnesse of God, his trueth, Iu­stice, equitie, Mercie, and many other thinges that the Scripture speaketh of in him, how he defendeth his seruantes and punisheth his enemies. This boke is of soche price, that great losse it wer for good men to lacke it.

The seconde of MachabeesThe seconde booke in stile is vnlike the other. It is full of Grekishe Elo­quence: neither haue the olde fathers so greatlie estemed it as the first. It repea­teth many thinges declared in the first, but more plainly. It conteineth the fa­mouse Martyrdome of the seuen bre­thren, and the stedfast belief of the olde father Eleazer, mete to bee folowed of all good men, whiche thinges Cecilius Ciprianus in the exhortacione to mar­tyrdome speaketh of largelie.

The confessiō of ManassesThe confession of Manasses sheweth [Page] vnto vs the maner of true repentance, and iust confessione of our sinnes to bee made before God.Sapientia.

Emong other bokes whiche contein preceptes of liuing, Sapiētia is set first being in dede, as it is called, the wisedom of Solomon, not that he was the ma­ker thereof, but the wisedome soche, as might beseme Solomon. The Stile is pure, and fine: It teacheth, and praiseth wisedom, and telleth of what effect and strength it is, and how moche to bee la­boured for. Herein he laudeth Godde highlie, whom to knowe is very wise­dome. It rebuketh false wisedome, and that deadlie poisone Idolatrie, of whi­che Lactantius speaketh and saieth. There can be no woorshipping of God where Idola­trie is. It sheweth many thinges that be­long to true wisedome, which here thei maie see that list to learne.

Ecclesiasticus of Iesu the sonne of Sirach,Ecclesiasticus. hathe moche that is before in the prouerbes. He writeth more large­lie, & is not so hard. Here maie be lerned moral philosophie moche better, & with lesse ieopardie then out of any Plato, or [Page] Aristotle. Almost at the ende is a goodlie praise of holie fathers, and their faith, wherunto peraduēture thapostle Paul had an yie, whē he wrote the leuenth chapiter of thepistle to the hebrues, in whi­che also he cōmendeth the faieth of our elders, not somoche y^t we shoulde know it, as endeuour to 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 y^e stubburne in­obediēce of his naciō. He desireth perdō for their offēces, & that God hauing pi­tie vpō his people, at y^e last wolde bring thē again into their countreie. Further to stirre vp faith in their hartes, he tel­leth that Israel shalbe sent home again

The Epistle of IeremieThepistle of Ieremie put vnto Baruch warneth the captiues that thei tourne not frō the true god, & reuerēce y^e 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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 [Page] 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 y^t 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, [Page] 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 [Page] of a sharpe witte & iudgment, right wel perceiued. In his moralles, he teacheth moche naughtinesse, contrarie to right, reason,Plato. and our religion. But Plato, one lesse corrupt then Aristotle, hath dooen so euill about the maiestie of the eternal GOD, that he maketh all his Philosophie worthelie suspected. The trueth whiche he knew of the true god for feare he durst not declare. I haue witnesse hereof Iustine the Philoso­pher and martire, in a warning that he geueth to the Gentiles, saiyng thus:

Plato when he should haue shewed the doctrine of Moses, and other Prophetes touchyng one God, whiche he had learned in Egipte, fearyng that happened to Socrates, and to stirre vp against him some Anytus and Melissus to accuse him of heresie before the men of Athens, & so to be poysoned went about a variable & crafty conueyed sermon touching the Goddes, wherby their opinion might stande whiche thought there were many, and theirs also whiche thought the contrarie, as by his writynges maie easelie be seen.

Loe the goodlie actes of these two Princes of the Philosophers, and in maner their Goddes. What should we [Page] loke for of the commune sorte, seyng in these their chiefe lightes so great dark­nesse is founde. I trowe no man is ig­noraunt what these blinde guides haue iudged touchyng the soule, what trou­ble thei haue made, and howe folishelie babled therof. Of the highest good thing, as many be their opinions, as daies in the yere. Finallie, thei haue scarse iudged rightlie of any thing that perteineth to blessednesse, and vertue: and yet folow we these bussardes whollie geuen to worship and maruail at them, more thē at all the Bible: yea, we thinke no man learned in dede, except he be well sow­sed in the sinkes of their filthy errours. Howe moche better and more wiselie did thei whiche sometime beyng noble men in Christes churche, forsakyng the studie of Philosophie (wherin yet to this daie by all consent, thei were most excellent) gaue them selues whollie to studie the Bible our heauenlie Philo­sophie, and hasting awaie from enormi­ous lies, deceiptes, & blindenesse, ioie­fullie came to the bright shinyng sunne of trueth. I meane Origen, Iustine, Pante­um, [Page] Ciprian and innumerable other ex­cellent Philosophers and Oratours, whose soulles now reste and liue with the Lorde God eternal. I will not coū ­saile any man therfore to folow those blind teachers, or their erronious doc­trine, wherin no pure nor certein thing maie be founde. I cal and exhort all mē as loude and as hartelie as I can, to the most holie, and sacred Bible. For mans hope & saluation onely standeth in that learnyng which the Bible teacheth vn­to vs. All the right wisedome that man hath,Wherin all wisedome resteth. resteth in this one poinct, to knowledge God for his owne God, and that through Christe, of whō all the bookes of al the Philosophers haue not shew­ed so moche as one woorde, neither how by true faieth and sure hope we should cleue vnto him whē he is knowen, and honour this most mightie Lorde & boū ­tifull father, in charitie and innocencie of life. This is our determinacion and doctrine, this is our ful mind & sentence I testifie it therefore with as loude a voice as I can, I proclaime and warne [Page] you to kepe it. This is that, whiche al the Philosophers haue sought for all the daies of their life, and yet could ne­uer fasten vpon it, nor holde it: euē for because sekyng it a wrong waie, either thei helde a naughtie religion, or elles made no religion at all. Wherfore a­waie with al soche, which set not mans life in ordre, but distrouble it. For what teache thei, or whom dooe thei instruct whiche can not teache them selues? Whom can sieke men heale, whom can blinde men guide? Shall we tarie till Socrates knowe somewhat, or Anaxa­goras finde light in darkenesse, or De­mocritus drawe trueth out of the wel, or Empedocles dilate the pathes of his minde, or Arcesilas and Carneades can see, fele, and perceiue? Beholde a voice from heauen teachyng the trueth, and shewyng a light brighter then the shinyng Sunne speaketh in the Bible openlie, plainelie, and certainelie. Lette all therefore that care for ve­rie wisedome come hither. Will we hurt our selues, and linger to take it? [Page] You that will be wise and happie har­ken to the heauēlie voice, learne Iesus Christe to be your iustice, and in him to be laied vp all the treasure of Goddes high wisedome and science, learne the misterie of your faieth, and natiuitie, de­spise worldly thinges, loue heauenlie, that after this miserable and wretched life you maie come to the ioie that is prepared for you.

A cōferring of the holie bokes with the prophanBut the pleasant varietie of the pro­phane writers, and their propre cast of teachyng dooeth moche delight theim. Well go to. Declare I praie you some of your gaie and goodlie colours. Thei teache wisedome (saie thei) in pleasant and fine disputatiōs, in swete dialoges and elegant epistles, as dooeth Plato, Aristotle, & Seneca: In eloquent orati­ons, as Isocrates, Cicero, and Demo­sthenes, in dilectable fables & allegori­es: as Homere, and Virgil: in sentences and Prouerbes bothe shorte and swete, as the seuen sages of Grece, Chrisip­pus also, & Diogenianus: in notable hi­stories, as Herodotus, Halicarnasseus, Diodorus Siculus, and Liuius Pata­uinus. [Page] But if these great boasters of Gentile Aucthours were aswell accu­stomed to holie writinges as thei are to prophane, thei had foūde lōg ere this in the Bible also those facions in teching of pleasant varietie, whiche thei so mer­ueile at in these deceiptful naughtie ma­sters of error. Thei praise the fine dispu­taciōs of philosophers touching Wise­dome. But Cicero in his first boke De ora­tore. Though al mē rage ther at, yet wil I (saith he) speake as I thinke: By Hercules that one litle boke of the twelue tables, if a man will see the groūdes and chiefe pointes of the lawe, semeth to me bothe for their aucthoritie, and profite, farre to passe all that euer the Philosophers wrote. And who knoweth not the ten preceptes of gods law to excede the .xij. tables a M. folde? So then, be these bosters of vaine philosophie neuer so angry, yeat will I also saie that I thinke, & beleue to be true: that one briefe treatise of the ten Com­maundementes, or boke of Deuterono­mie, touching the foundacion, principall partes, and effecte of the lawes, farre to surmounte in grauitie, and profite at the writinges of all the Phisosophers. [Page] In the booke of Iob, wise, and Godlie menne dispute very finelie, to whome if you compare the persones in Plato, or Cicero, you shall see in respecte thei bee right naught: whiche Hierome also cō ­fessing saieth. The booke of IOB determineth all matiers with Logiqual proposicion, assumption confirmation, and conclusion. One Epistle of the moste eloquent Paule, Peter, and Ihon, hathe in it more true holinesse, and learning, then all the Epistles of all the Philosophers. Neither dooe wee lacke right excellent Oratours, as Esaie Micheas, Ioel, Oseas, with many other mo, whiche haue left vnto vs moste profita­ble, cunning, and elegant oracions. You merueile at the thundering woordes of Pericles, the Eloquence of Demosthenes, and Cicero. Thei be reported to haue moued the mindes of the hearers, and enforced theim to what thei woulde. If this bee so praise worthie, what saie you to our Paule, which with bolde, and chereful countenaunce, though he stode in irons before the mightie, and learned King Agrippa, before the Princes of Syria, and before Festus himself presidente of Iurie, [Page] so learnedlie, and plainlie pleaded his owne cause, and that in a matier of deth and for a religion hated of all men, that King Agrippa himselfe rauished in his wittes cried out saiyng. Thou hast almoste made me a Christian man. Actes. xxvi. And Festus himself ouercome with his most pure, and clere oration, saied with a loude voice, Paule, thou arte besides thy selfe, moche Learning hath made the madde. Yeat was this Festus nei­ther vneloquent, nor yet vnlearned, nor one that hated the studie of philosophie I praie you in soche an audiēce, in such hate of al mē, and so heinous complain­tes of false accusers, besides this in a matier of death also, yea, & in irons to, what woulde Cicero your prince of Elo­quence haue doen?Cicero Without doubt his spirite stopped vp for feare, scarce sob­bingly could he haue brought furth one word. For vpō a time, as Plutarche reherseth, neither bounde, nor led in chaines but borne into the court hall in a softe chariot, to pleade not his owne matier, nor a matier of death, but for Milo, when he sawe Pompeies armed menne standing rounde about in bright harnesse, he was [Page] amased, and confounded, & at last trem­bling, & scarse bringing out one worde he began fearfully not to speake, but to sobbe. Besides this we haue wisedome couered also in goodly Allegories, as fi­guratiue ceremonies, parables, & canti­cles: wher you shal find more misteries bothe honest, and profitable, than in all the vngodlie verses, whiche al the min­strelles, and Harpers haue song in the praise, and honour of their wine God Bacchus. In dede thei trimme vp their fables with alluring woordes, and yeat geue you a swearde laied ouer with ho­nie. Most part of their writinges be of deflouring virgines, adulterie, lecherie, deceipte, crueltie, murther, vainglorie, & thinges not to be spoken of. But our Poeme is pure, cleane, and honest with out all ieopardie. Who euer spake or wrote more finely, and wisely, then our Solomon? Of whome we reade in the thirde boke of Kinges, the fowerth chapiter. And GOD gaue Sapience, and vn­derstanding to SOLOMON aboue measure, and a breadth of harte as the sande of the Sea. And his wisedome excelled al the wisedome of the chil­dren [Page] of the East, and of Egypte. For of all mortalle menne he was the wisest. And there came of all Nacions, and Regions of the Worlde to heare his wisedome that was so moche spoken of. Yea, the Quene of SABA in Riche apparaile, and of wonderful wisedome came also and when she had communed with him of al matiers, and perceiued how he go­uerned his Citie, and Housholde, shee saied.

The fame that I hearde in my lande of thine Elo­quence, and Wisedome, is true, but I woulde not beleue it, till I came my selfe, and see with mine yies. And yet lo, no not the one haulfe of thy ma­tiers is tolde me, thou so excelleste in Wisedome, and passest all that is spoken of the. These most surest praises of our wisedome no man merueileth at, and yeat we wonder at certeine fables, and vaine thinges, whi­che very vain liers haue writtē of vain Philosophers: Namely of Appolonius, how he wente into Persia, and so ouer the Mounteine Caucasus, through the Albanes, Scythians, Massagetes, those riche Kingdomes of Iude, and passing ouer the greate Riuer PHYSON, at laste [Page] came to the Brachmans, & all to heare Iarchas sittyng in his golden throne, and drinkyng of the fountaine Tanta­lus, and disputyng emong a fewe per­sones of the nature and properties of natural thinges. We rather wonder at the great desires of Pythagoras and Plato, of whiche that one is reported to haue gone to Egypt, that other to the Prophetes of Mēphis, by a paine­full waie, & ieopardeous iourney. Stād stil here a little I praie you, and learne to be madde and wise together. You thinke theim praise worthie, and moche to be made of, which toke a farre iour­ney to certaine wise men I wotte not who, to learne of them I wot not what but these our men you neglect and de­spise, & yet of them to be taught all the whole worlde made haste to come, be­cause thei knew that the high God had there set vp his throne & chaire of most excellent and perfecte wisedome. And why folow not you their exāples, whō you so greatlie praise, and moche mar­ueile at? Now as touching an historie, is there any like ours, so auncient, so [Page] sure, so graue, so profitable? Cicero in his booke, De oratore, saieth: An hi­storie is the witnesse of time, the light of truth, Historie. the life of remembraunce, the maistresse of liuyng, the messenger of Antiquitie. And if this be so, I maie saie trulie that none haue an hi­storie but christien men. As touchyng certaintie of time, you haue nothing be­fore the Olympiades were founde, and thei began but in the time of Esaie vn­der king Iothan.Olympiades when thei first began. So these your wri­ters confound many thinges together, and laie them in heapes all out of ordre, breaking of their matier with vaine fo­lishe fables, the Grecians especiallie, which studied not trueth, but rather to lie, and therfore are condemned of Ci­cero, Quintilian, and Iuuenal. Lodoui­cus viues speakyng plainelie, saieth: some for feare of reproche, & to lie the more safelie, leauyng the Grecians matiers, fette their compasse a farre of, from the Persians, Egiptians, and Chal­dees, as did Herodotus the father of lies, and Diodorus Siculus a triflyng Grecian. Your aucthours also write of light matiers neither pleasaunt nor [Page] profitable, and sette out their bablyng with vaine descriptions, & no goodnesse at all. But our moste profitable historie truelie declareth the ordre of times, se­uering the kingdomes one frō another, & speaketh of nothing without a good reason. It maie best also be called the messenger of antiquitie. For beginnyng at the creation of the worlde, it holdeth on to the Monarchie of the Persians, euen vnto Xerxes. Iosephus writyng against Appion of Alexandria, saieth thus: The Greke historiens, as Acu­silaus, and those that folowed him a­boute the time of Cadmus Milesius, were but a little before the warres of the Persians, as witnesseth Hellanicus. So the Greke historians there began where ours left of. The Latines be moche later. Now then it is plaine whether our historie or theirs mai rather be called the messenger of Antiquitie. Fi­nallie, as the holie writers in learnyng and varietie farre passe the prophane, so in glorie and renoume through al king­domes frō the beginning of the world, thei excel all other: so that to saie that [Page] Philosophie is therfore most commen­dable, because it hath alwaies bene had in moste price, is a thing to no purpose. The kingdomes of Egypt and Assyria were of all the world most auncient. In how great estimation Ioseph & Mo­ses were in that one, it is well knowen. In the other how shone our Philoso­phie,Esai. xxxviii. when as Esaie Prophecied in one night about the walles of Hierusalem, were slaine an hundred foure score, and v. M. men. To speake nothing of the high aucthoritie of Samuel, Iosue, and Dauid: Dooe we not reade of king Solomon, how he was magnified aboue all the kinges of thearth, as well in riches as wisedome? And as in the monarchie of Babilō dominiō was ge­uen to our Daniel, so did Mardocheus rule the whole kingdome of the Medes By the mightiest kinges of Persia Cy­rus and Darius great Priuilegies were graunted to our Philosophers. This is euident in Iosua, Esdras, and Nehemias, whiche by fauoure of the princes of Persia built vp againe both temple & citie. In thempire of the Ma­cedoniens at the request of Ptolomeus [Page] Philadelphus king of Egipt, whiche sent also giftes of incomperable value to the temple of Hierusalem, our lawe was translated into the Greke tonge. But in the monarchie of the Romains the Bible now dispersed through the whole worlde so willinglie was recei­ued of all men, that al whiche had witte and knowlege moste gladlie badde your deceiptful Philosophie farewell. Why then go you now about to call it vp a­gaine being ones dead and buried? Or what remaineth els, then all lies quite forsaken, to geue our selues wholie to be instructed in the moste auncient, certaine, and moste holesome Philosophie of the Bible?