Historical Table of the Bible, Preface – To the reader
Henry Bullynger, Leo Iude, Conrade Pellicane, and the other miniſters of the churche of Tygurie. Sende vntounto the Chriſtian reader gretynge.
Dearely beloued brethren in Chriſte Ieſu, to thintent that eueryevery man may ſo much the fru…fuller vſe and occupye this regiſter or table it is to be noted for an introduccion and good vnderſtanding, that it ſerueth principally for three maner of poinctes Firſt it ſheweth the hiſtories of the olde and newe Teſtament, whiche are ſoone founde, hauinge a reſpect and regarde to the proper names whiche in the hiſtories and actes, which are ſought for, chefelye do occurre. As if thou deſireſt to knowe, where and in what place of the ſcripture is written ye hyſtory of innocent Abell, of the righteous Abraham, and of the obedient Iſaac, or of the feruent Helias, then ſe… the ſame name eueryevery one by his lettre, and when thou haſt founde hym, thou ſhalt fynde there a trewe introduction to the forſayde hiſtorie, howe be it there is to be noted, that the proper names are not eueryevery where wrytten after one ſort, but that they hauehave ſome difference, for ſome of them are written in ſome places with an .H. and in ſome places without an .H. as Habel or Abel, Elias or Helias Ebron or Hebron, Iericho or Hiericho, And ſome are in one place written with a .C. as Cain, Cades, Caath, and in an other place with a .K. as Kain, Kades, Caath. Some alſo are written in one place with an .S. as Sacharias, Sidekia, Sidon, Sorobabell, & in an other place with an .Z. as Zacharias, Zidechias, Zidon Zorobabel. Therfore gentill reader if any of ſuche lyke wordes in the ſearchyng out of any hiſtory do occure, and thy mynde be not ſatiſfyed in one place, or lettre, let it not be tedious vntounto the, to reſort to the other lettre, as it is afore mencioned.
Secondely dothe this Regiſter alſo ſhewe almooſt eueryevery perſones, certayn ſayenges and places, whereof it maye be gathered, what there dominion office and honoure and deutie or behaueoure is, what ſhe alſo ineſpeciall ought to endeuoure her ſelfe to do and to leaue vndone towardes them, with whome ſhe hath ought to do becauſe of her office or of her eſtate. Beſydes this certain examples of ſuche as hauehave behaued thē ſelues well or euell, in ſuche theyr offices, as namely, what they ought, and are bounde to do to there ſubiectes, how the Byſhoppes ought to behaue them ſelues towardes the churche. Fathers and mothers towardes their chyldren, and howe yuell or well ſome hauehave ordred them ſelues, in the premyſſes.
Thyrdely, this regiſter leadeth alſo to the ſentences and places, which may be conducyble & profytable for the trew vnderſtandynge and learnynge of the chiefe articles and moſt common pointes of the holy ſcripture (of the whiche eueryevery faythfull Chriſtian for his confeſſions and Chriſten names ſake ought to hauehave ſome knowledge and vnderſtandyng) as what is to be knowen by theſe wordes God, Chriſt, men, lawe, ſynne, &c. And all theſe thynges hauehave we …eyned in ſuche wyſe, that thou arte not only brought and ledde to the chapiter, but alſo to the letters, whiche are ſet ought beſydes eueryevery chapiter in the margent, to thintent that by the meanes thereof, thou myghteſt be eaſed of much labour and ſhouldeſt not nede for one pointe onelyonly to rede ouer the whole chapiters from the begynnyng to the place whiche thou haſte taken in hande, and where as ſometyme the whole chapiter from the begynnyng, or els from a letter, out to thende, intreateth of one matter and ſerueth to one purpoſe, there hauehave we, for to eſchue prolixitie lefte out the letters of the ſame in ſtede whereof we hauehave put and ordeined a * wherby is ſygnified that the ſame chapiter intreateth of the ſame matter out to the ende, and thus we commende you to GOD.
Gwalter Lynne to the Reader.
GEntill Reader yf that you woll take the paynes, as to reade ouer the Epyſtell dedycated to me Lady of Somerſetts grace, and the Preface of the Authoures before named, there by ſhall you comme to the ryghte knoweledge and vſe of the readynge of thys brefe Concordaunce, God geue vsus grace that we maye ſo reade and vſe it to the honoure of hys name and to the profyte of our bretheren and neyghboures and oure ſaluacion. Amen.
Dearely beloued bretheren and fryendes I praye you hartely make you well aquaynted wyth the bokes of the holy Bybell thorouwe muche readynge of them ſo ſhall you be much Eaſed in ſekynge any thynge aboue named in the Prefaces. ij. Timo iij.c.For all ſcrypture geuen by inſpyracyon of God is profytable to teache, to ymproue, to amende, and to inſturct in ryghteouſnes, that the man of God maye be perfect and prepared vntounto all good workes.
ij. Petr. i.d.For the ſcripture came neuer by the wyll of man: But holye men of God ſpake as they were moued by the holy gooſt.
Zachar. vij.c.Whyche the Lorde of hooſtes ſente in hys holy ſpyryte by the prophetes afore tyme.