Of the Head Cornerstone, Title page 1 – Dedication
OF THE Head-Corner-Stone: by Builders still ouermuch omitted:
That is; a forme of teaching IESVS CHRIST, out of all the Holy SCRIPTVRES, both of the Old Testament (that are Canonicall) and of the New; Gathered into one entire Bodie: in Substance, all one, with that which is commonly vsed by all; But in Forme or manner, as it were, a neerer & plainer path, not yet (that the Author knoweth of) troden by any.
The whole Worke being digested into Two seuerall Tomes: eyther of which Tomes, hauing two Bookes therevnto appertaining: as more at large is to be seene in the next Leafe.
Togither with certaine TABLES of diuers sorts, for the better vnderstanding, and vse of these Bookes; One, of METHOD, in the beginning; and three others in the end: the first of the Scriptures, in two parts; the next, of other Authors, and their Authorities; the thirde, of the more speciall & principall matters, contained in the whole worke.
By EDM: BVNNY, Batcheler of DIVINITIE.
¶ This is the way: walke ye in it. These things (also) teach, and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and resteth not in the wholsome words of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, & in the doctrine which is according to Godlinesse, He is puft vp, and knoweth nothing. Isa. 30: 21. 1. Tim. 6: 3, 4.
Printed by W. Iaggard, 1611.
The proper Titles of the seuerall Bookes.
Tom. 1. Lib. 1.
❧ The HISTORY of the Old-Testament, from the beginning of the World, vntounto the time of Iesus Christ: both vnited or knit together into one Bodie or continuall Storie; and laid foorth likewise throughout the whole, in one vniforme and orderly Method.
Tom. 1. Lib. 2.
¶ Most of the seuerall parcels, that, in the Bookes of History, are of Doctrine: and, all the whole Bookes of the Old-Testament, that (being Canonicall) are most of Doctrine, both eueryevery Booke by it selfe, and eueryevery Chapter thereof, laid foorth likewise in that Method aforesaid.
Tom. 2. Lib. 1.
¶ One entire Story of Iesus Christ, out of all the Euangelists gathered into one Body: and both the Euangelists themselues, and the Acts of the Apostles seuerally; and all the other Bookes of the New-Testament besides, together with their seuerall Chapters laid foorth in Method, as the others before.
Tom. 2. Lib. 2.
¶ The Auncient people, how farre they hauehave beene reiected: and, in what estate the Church of the Gentiles hath stoode, in these parts of the World, from Christs time, to these daies of ours, briefly declared.
¶ TO THOSE TWO REuerend, most Worthy, Noble, and famous Vniuersities, of the Realme or Church of England, Oxford the one, and Cambridge the other, Edm. Bunny, a member of the one, wisheth such like measure of Graces to both, as whereby still they may be, as (by the goodnesse of God) already they are, speciall good instruments to the aduancement of the kingdome of God among vsus, and beautifull Ornaments to those that hauehave beene the planters of them, and to those that still maintaine them.
THat I make so bold, as in this sort to offer these my labours vntounto your graue and learned censure, it is not for any worthinesse of the thing it selfe, as in any sense it may be mine, or for any thing it hath yet had by me: but for the hope that I hauehave conceiued, that in time it may hauehave by some of you; as a Lazarus now assaying againe, though once he was but little regarded, whether yet he can speede any better at the rich mans gate.
None other foundation, we all doe know, can any man lay, but that which is long since already laide, euen Iesus Christ: but the building which others may reare therupon, may well be diuers; either commendably answering the foundation laide, or (yet not without reproach and losse to the workeman) swearuing from it. It may answere the foundation laide, as also it may swearue from the same, either in substance: or else but in forme or manner onelyonly. As for the substance (God be thanked for it) there may hardly bee found any such variance at all among vsus (I know not of any) as may not in good, or some tollerable sense hauehave place in the building. The maner is diuers: one kind, that which is commonly vsed by all, the other, that which this present intention of mine doth point vntounto. That which is commonly vsed by all, is but to deale by particulars: as either by whole Bookes a-part by themselues; or else by seuerall parcels or portions thereof. And this if we marke, we may see to be the course of all generally: not onelyonly in the deliuery of the Word of God by word of mouth, as we terme it, as by Sermons and Lectures: but also euen of all our writers too, in a maner both olde and new; whether they hauehave taken but certaine Bookes or some parcels of them in hand, or whether they hauehave dealt with them all.
The course that this intention of mine doth point vntounto, is altogether another thing & diuers from it: not in any dislike of the other but to make vse of this also. For that other is not onelyonly blamelesse in it selfe: but of singular moment withall. And this that I speake of as so far from crossing the other: that it discloseth, both a readier, and an easier way vntounto it. Neither is it any more but onelyonly to deale first with the whole, and to contriue it into one entire Body: as if hauing the portrature or Image of the body of man, in metall, wood, or stone, but all the members seuered from the body, and from their owne proper places, and in many seueral parcels themselues, a man should in such sort dispose thereof, and lay eueryevery one to his fellow, that so he should giuegive forth the true shape thereof againe. Making no doubt, but the best way to come to the knowledge of all particulars, is first to bee acquainted well with the whole.
In my measure, at such a thing herein hauehave I aimed: but graunting withall, that it is farre beyond any furniture that is in me, in such sort to handle it, as the worthinesse thereof doth require. Therefore hauehave I made this offer thereof vntounto you: yet not onelyonly on mine owne desire, that so it may come to better handling; but also, on a good hope that I hauehave conceiued, that God will in his good time, set some of you on worke about it. And beginners being first directed vntounto the whole, and being orderly holpen therin, after that so, for some reasonable time, they hauehave beene made acquainted with it, may then at their pleasure descend to particulars: and, as by a more orderly course; so to their much better aduantage. In so much that the thing it selfe is not so much to be commended to any, as that wee all may iustly maruaile, that of so many rare and excellent men, that former ages, and especially this of ours, both for learning and godly care, hauehave raised vntounto vsus: yet is there none, that I do know of, not any one, that hath taken the course that now we speake of; though otherwise, in their kinde, they hauehave done maruailous well, and many of them in very great measure.
In that my abridgement in Latin, of Master Caluines Institutions, wherein also I shewed, what method I conceiued him to obserue (which to the yonger Students, members of the one bodie of you, many yeares since, 1579. I then did dedicate) I both mooued such a thing, and promised withall, that if others should not doe it before, my selfe would make proofe, what I might bee able to doe therein. Since which time I hauehave now and then, lesse or more, beene dealing with it: and this is the thing that it hath pleased God to vouchsafe me therein to doe.
Those that hauehave gone on all the whole Bible, or (which is the same) on all the Scriptures, hauehave gone nearest vntounto it: but so farre as they hauehave gone indifferently on all (on one booke after another in like sort of those that are of Doctrine, as of those that deliuer the Storie intermingling the one with the other; and hauehave not bin carefull to make their choice of such as did appertaine to the body of the whole, and so to dispose them) so farre hauehave they also missed the course that now we speake of. But these matters are more plaine in themselues, then that we need any farther businesse to lay them open.
Neither is it lightly to be regarded, that such as are to acquaint others with those things that doe appertaine to the Kingdome of God, should by obseruing this course, euer deliuer vntounto the people (and that in some better order then hath beene vsed) the vndoubted word of God: it being of most assured testimonie, both that it is mighty in operation; and that when it is not carefully deliuered, in some measure as it ought to be, (as also, in these dayes of the Gospell, oftimes it is not, euen by men of notable gifts so farre as they seeke themselues withall) thence is it, that so little conuersion is wrought thereby among the people. The people againe, hauing those things gathered in some plaine and easie manner may hauehave good encouragement thereby, to acquaint themselues better therewith.
In both which (that more comfortable dicharge of your owne duties therein, I meane, and the raising vp of the hearts of the people to a sound desire of those other matters) the better heede that you take, neuer to let downe those good orders that already you hauehave, & the more careful that you are euer to repaire the ruines thereof as occasion is offered, the more sauorie Salt shall you bee your selues, and so bee more able to season others: as on the other side, the lesse that smaller matters are in such case regarded; the harder doth it afterward prooue to withstand disorder in those that are greater.
God euer vouchsafe you the mercy, both that you may grow rich in all good graces: and that euer you be carefull withall, readily to bestow them, to the glory of him that gaue them; and to the helpe of those that neede them.
London, the 25. of Ianuary 1610.