To Princess Elizabeth, Dedication
TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE ELIZABET, by the grace of God Queene of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, defender of the fayth. &c.
I Preſented vntounto your Highnes (moſt gracious Soueraine) the Concent of the holy Storie: endeuoryng there to ſhewe, that all the Booke of trueth breathed from one ſpirite. That coulde not be declared, vnles the times had a moſt exact playnnes: which I recorded to be certaynly chayned, euen from the fall, to the Redemption. For that, I layde downe the pure wordes of the text: whereof an angel tolde: That from the ende of Iudahs captiuitie 490. yeeres are pared out vntounto our Lordes death. Againſt this last part, a Learned man of Oxford long diſputed: not denying the wordes to hauehave Gods authoritie in them, nor yet differing from mee for their beginning and ende. but affirming, That the Angell meant no certaine tyme. And ſetting aſide the Angels wordes, he affirmeth, That from Olympiades 560. yeeres preciſely may be gathered by the Greeke affayres: And going on by the Iewes common weale, maketh a partitiō. He maketh the Temple (a marke moſt famous) the limit of both partes: as I had done, but not in lyke tyme. From Zorobabel and Ioſuahs returne from Babel, he maketh yeeres an hundreth and ſeauen vntounto the buylding of the Temple. There I ſay that ancient Ebrewes vniuerſally, ancient Greekes vniuerſally, and Latines moſt generally olde and late, keepe them within 32. yeres, and that Scripture and lyues of all famous men agree with that. After the buylding of the Temple, are by him to our Lordes death 453. yeres: which I wyll grant him, and fiue more. In this laboure of his I blame his endeuour of two generall errours: That he diſanulleth the propriety of the Angels wordes, and affirmeth, that the returned from Babel lyued 107. yeeres to buylde the Temple. He read twelue monethes, as his hearers triumphed. Some of his Lectures he ſent me, by which I might iudge what matter could be in the reſt. I could hauehave wiſhed that he woulde eyther hauehave ſpoken where I myght reply, or hauehave printed his opinions, that rumors myght not preuayle aboue iudgement. I hauehave printed many ſeuerall workes againſt him. The ſumme of them is this: That all his gaynſaying is extreamely erroneous: and that he hath not blamed with any colour of ſounde learning, one worde of my Booke. Thoſe ſmall workes of my Defences for our Religion, and common trueth, oppugned by one pretending peculiar differing from me: who for theſe two poyntes hauehave all Nations, Religions, and Studies, on my ſide: Them I humbly commende to your Highnes, that they may be cenſured by ſome Learned, countenanced as trueth requireth, and conſidered according to the honour of your gracious gouernement. A priuate cenſure hath paſſed betwixt vsus all ready. For my Lord Archbyſhop of Canterburies grace, was choſen vmpier, and examined both ſides argumentes. I hope I may with modeſty pleade his teſtimony, though for my ſelfe, yet in a publique cauſe: where it is good for all to knowe the full ſtrength of the trueth. His Grace did wholly approue the Concent for eueryevery whit: where his wiſedome ſaw Heathen (that deceaued Diuines) confuted moſt plentifully, by moſt ancient Heathen of their owne kinde, and vniuerſally by all Iewes. And touching former Chriſtians folowyng Gentiles on Daniel, folowing Iewes in Ezra, his Grace ſaw them holpen from errours, by their owne graunt: that when the D. and I ioyne iſſue for the ſpace betwixt the Alter and Temple: Prophane heathē hauehave there no worke: but olde Diuines Ebrew, Greeke, Latine, tell him, that he went very farr, further then they woulde wiſh him. And touching croſſing the Angels propriety, I can not thinke that Europe beareth one learned Chriſtian, or that Iury (which trembleth at Gabriels oration) hath now one man, that holdeth the number vncertaine. I thinke his Grace will tell your Highnes ſo much. And your Maieſties ſignification of your Princely determination, woulde more breake young brauing Studentes, whom reaſon in ſuch vnexpected ſoyles can not bende. I greatly reuerence my learned aduerſarie, and commende him, that he woulde not hauehave all libraries ſet on flame by fire of iudgement in few wordes, without tryall in one twelue monethes fight. But I ſhoulde more commende him now, if at the laſt he woulde tell, how playne the Scripture lay alwayes, though no heathen before ſetled Iubilees aright with the Chronicle. His fame of Learning, and my more confident reſistance, maketh many thinke that the Scripture is hard, where our long labours differ. The fault is vntolerable in the one of vsus two, eyther in him or in mee: and the faulty ſhoulde be forced to yeelde, that none thinke amiſse of Gods worde. I refuſe not to abyde all diſgrace, yf my trauels be not founde true for the ſtory, profitable for the quietnes of the ſtate, and fit for a Prince, reigning in theſe weſt endes of the earth, the poſsesſion of Chriſt. Our Marchantes that paſſe ouer all Nations, can not carry into the Eaſt more noble marchandiſe from the Weſt, then skil of teaching Greekes, vponupon what occaſion, euer hitherto they miſſed 1500. yeeres in 4000. and marred all the holy ſtory, and loſt religion: and cauſed the Chriſtian Arabians to follow and fayle alike. And that poynt hath been hence firſt opened, in that lytle worke to your Maieſtie, and in a further explication of it. Likewyſe, where by the tyme and kinred of Chriſt, they may moue any Iewes: there, I truſt, that I may affirme, without chalenging more then due, that to your Highnes firſt, both poyntes were declared in full and conſtant Concent. What the paynes hath been to contriue vntounto agreement ſo many moſt intricate pointes, as for this harmony of Scripture hauehave been ioyned, from eaſt writers of hard and diuers tongues, and ſubtilties: not Ebrew onelyonly, but Syriaque and Chaldean, in ſundry Dialectes from Greekes and Latines of all ſortes, auoyding the errours of all, bringing nothing but matters of difficultie, and all iudged faultleſſe: any may iudge, that conſidereth but the hardnes of the leaſt of theſe ſtudies ſeuerally. The payne is augmented by the greatnes of the charges: not mainteined by great allowance of Diuinity, but gotten through Ebrew skill, and ſpent on Diuinity: though it be a rule of God and man, that none warre on their owne charges. Yet duetie bindeth all men to further, as they can, celeſtiall knowledge. But paynes in this ſort, loſeth much of the due encoragement. And ſome encreaſe of grieſe I felt, that when I had a meaning to looke to my ſelfe by other meanes then Diuinity: I was requeſted by one of your Maieſties honorable Counſellers, a Diuine, to take rather your Highnes preferment: the delay whereof hath hindred myne owne courſe. But all this may ſoone be cured, when it is knowen to your gracious care ouer Learning.
Your Maieſties moſt humble Subiect Hugh Broughton.