A Defense of A Consent of Scripture, Title page – Dedication
A Defence of the Booke entitled A Cōcent of Scripture, for amendment of former Athean moſt groſſe, and Iudaique errours, which our tranſlations and notes had:
Againſt the libel, ſcoffing a Scottish miſt: and ſlaundering that the Iewes Epiſtle ſent from Byzantian Rome, was a forged worke, and not in deed ſent thence.
By HVGH BROVGHTON.
1609.
To the Mightie Prince JAMES, King of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, Defendour of the Faith, &c.
ABout the middes of Q. Elizabeths reigne, gratious Soveraigne, ſome Courtiers tooke occaſion, by our corruptions in tranſlation of the Bible and Notes, to plead that our religion was but mans invention. To restraine their courſe, I wrote A Concent of Scripture, contriving a douzen kindes of hard ſtudies Thalmudique & Attique to one ſcope: couching large matters in ſo many ſeverall wordes. That paines was of esteeme, till I dealt with certen Scottes concerning preventing Neroes, hoping for Priamus happines: and M. Iames Melvin ſent frō Edenburg a letter by post, of your Maiesties favour, which letter came to me opened. Then my Lord Peregrin Willoughby warned me to looke to my ſelfe: and ſoone a Sumner coūterfaiteth an other mā, & the ſame day a Cōſtable & purſuivant offred 40. marks to tel wher I was: And I made over to Middelburg, and print how your Maieſtie would be King of our language. A Drifat of thoſe copies D. B. brent, noyſing that I wrot treaſon: twiſe he brent them, vnderunder Q. E. and vnderunder your Maieſtie, and conſpiring to ſcoffe the Scottiſh mist vnderunder cover of confuting mee, alloweth a libell raving againſt Archb. Wh. and D. Bilſon for the Creede: (teaching that our Lord went hence to Paradiſe.) And highly extolling Maiſter Lively for a moſt vnlearned Iudaique and Ethnique expoſition of Daniel: daſhing all the frame of Scripture Concent. At the ſame time a Iew wrote from to citie of Conſtantine, your Maieſties anceſtor, a ſupplication to hauehave our Goſpell opened in Ebrew. The Queenes Agent, Barton, ſent the Letters: two ſeverall copies. B. D. conſpired to Libell that I forged the Epistle printed: And when I compiled lately a treatiſe vponupon our Lo. familie, clearing our Nation from Iudaique errours, and touching foure Genevean Schollers of his bent to Albion flames, the thankfull wight receyving a booke, ſhewed as much grace as a Bargulus Illyricus, and threatned to ſtay your Maieſtie from Ebrew manifeſtation of our glorious Goſpell. For theſe partes I accuſe him to your Highnes, vponupon this Commaundement, 1. Cor. 16. If any louelove not the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, let him be Anathema Maran Atha. I hope your Highnes that hath placed him high, will not ſuffer a Babylonian Lucifer to lifte him ſelfe aboue God and your State. And for his indevour to hinder the Iewes ſalvation, your Highnes will take heed, that you hazard not your Familie by Gods anger, but will tender every worke bent to ſalvation.