Of the Head Cornerstone, To the reader
The Preface to the READER.
AS touching these Books, that now (gentle Reader) I offer vntounto thee, I hauehave thoght it needful to acquaint thee with some fewe things first, concerning the same: most of them cōcerning the substance or matter of them; but some few likewise, of the maner wherin it now proceedeth. As touching the substance or matter of them, I was at the first in such a course or kind of life, as the yonger sort (vnderunder the gouernment of their Parents) of like condition, are wont to be sorted vntounto, and spent a few yeares therein: not meaning, nor knowing then, but in it to hauehave proceeded, as in that function or kind of life, wherunto it had pleased God to ordaine me. But those few yeares being so spent, it pleased God then to call me to the labour of the Ministery: & soone to set me on worke therin. In it I was occupied, after the vsual or common maner, a few years more. Than, hauing a dore of farther imployment opened vntounto me, & accordingly (in some measure) both aduising my selfe, and seeking farther, as in such a case it behoueth, what course I were best to take therin, it pleased God to lay me forth such a course as was not so vsuall: both for those among whom I was to bestow my labour; & for the forme or manner of that, which I was to deliuer vntounto them. Of the parties it is not needfull to speake, in the case that now we are in: but for the forme or manner of that which I was to deliuer, it was the very same that here I do now offer vntounto thee. I hauehave bin therin occupied long; euen for the most part of my time, since I began it: & both my selfe hauehave found that benefit by it, and many others too (as of their owne accord themselues hauehave deliuered) that I could not, but in dutie, both set it downe, and impart it to others. No new thing at all, in the substance of it; but such as soundeth (and that in great measure too, God be thanked in these blessed daies of the Gospell) all Christendome ouer, especially in these Churches of ours: but for the forme or manner of it, though handled by me, but after my plaine and simple endeauour; yet such in it selfe notwithstanding, as to my knowledge (and as before I hauehave said, is neither yet vsed by any, nor by our Writers (Old, or New) deliuered vntounto vsus.
In which kinde of labour as I was occupied, occasion was offered, to giuegive forth some part of it before: by which occasion long since I gathered, and soone after published, a forme or manner of the Lawes of God, such as he gaue to the children of Israel: terming it the Scepter of Iudah; and publishing it, 1584. In it I acknowledged, that then already I had a greater worke in hand, which but in much longer time, I could not get ready: and in truth it prooued much longer, than I conceiued. Yet now at the length, God hath vouchsafed that mercy vntounto me, that in some sort, or according to my measure, I hauehave gotten it ready, and now at this present salute thee with it.
The effect of it is, the whole body of those Scriptures that are Canonicall, generally: but for orders sake, I hauehave thought best to distribute the same into a couple of Tomes; and each of them into a couple of Bookes. The former of these two Tomes likewis… …s of the Olde Testament: the latter, of the New, and somewhat farther. In that which is of the Olde Testament, the former of those two Bookes, is of Historie: the later, of Doctrine. In that which is of History my endeauour hath been, to compact or knit all the seuerall parts together, so to make one body of it: and withall, to draw it forth in equall proportion, as a thred that is euen spun; not lesse not bigger in one place then another, but alike, so neare as I could. But to the ende, that of the History better vse may be made, there is euer now and then Doctrine deliuered, as the History it selfe doth occasion, and as it pleased God to vouchsafe me to espie. In that which is of Doctrine, my endeauour hath not beene to gather all into one Body (which notwithstanding I had in election, and my selfe was much inclined vntounto it) but hauehave resolued on the better course, as I do take it: namely, to take all those whole Bookes that are of that sort, as they lie; and but onelyonly to lay forth a Method of them. But whereas in those Bookes that are most of History, we hauehave diuers parcels that doe rather appertaine vntounto Doctrine, especially in those that are accounted the Books of the Law, those parcels hauehave I gathered to that Booke which is of Doctrine: and those Lawes of God, not onelyonly in parcels as they lie, but hauehave gathered them all besides, as it were into one entire Bodie. In that which is of the New Testament, the former of those two Bookes is of the estate of the Church or people of God, during the time of Christ, and of his Apostles: the latter of them, a compendious, or briefe recitall of the Story of the Church among vsus Gentiles, from the time of the Apostles vntounto this present Age wherein we liue.
The vse of these as I doe conceiue, and as I hope that God will blesse them, will be of good and speciall moment: and to his blessing I do commend it. But one thing there is, that my selfe might in some sort commend vntounto such, as shall be disposed so to take it. The Saboathes we all doe graunt, the most of vsus the Holy-daies also in a second degree) were best to be spent in some godly exercise or other. The Scriptures we hauehave and other good Bookes, in great plenty, which to such end we may vse to the glory of God, and to the edyfying of our selues and others: and eueryevery one is at his liberty to vse any such at his owne discretion, in all lawful and orderly manner.
In this worke of mine, there be two chiefe and principall matters: one of History; the other of Doctrine. The knowledge of the History that herein is deliuered (euen frō the beginning vntounto this present Age of ours) I am very sure, is to speciall good vse, to such as would profit themselues by the word of God, whether by reading or hearing the same. Some reasonable measure of this knowledge doe I conceiue might soone be had, by all such as can be content to take some reasonable paines about it. On this perswasion of mine, and on the hope I hauehave thereof, I hauehave thought good to put such in mind as shall in themselues be so disposed (otherwise leauing it free to eueryevery one to exercise themselues in those times, with whatsoeuer other good exercise themselues thinke best) of a way that I hauehave thought, to such a purpose might well be vsed. In those Bookes that are most of Historie, there are (as I take it) three hundred and nine Sections: in the former Booke of the former Tome, two hundred and thirteene; of the Story of Christ in the first foure Chapters of the former Booke of the latter Tome, thirtie and one; and in the latter Booke of the latter Tome (a briefe History of the Church) threescore and fiue; and so consequently, three hundred and nine in all. And these, in such odde times of our Sabaothes and Holy-daies, as betwixt, before, or after Diuine-Seruice, or publique-Prayer, we hauehave to spare, might wee easily in such sort bestow, as that in the yeare we should goe through the whole. Our Sabaothes, we know, are eueryevery yeare fiftie and two: our seuerall Hollidaies, (the Circumcision, twelfe day, Purification, Matthy, the Annunciation, Marke, Philip and Iacob, Ascension day, Iohn Baptist, Peter, Iames, Bartholomew, Matthew, Michael, Luke, Simon and Iude, All-Saints, Andrew, Thomas, and the Natiuitie of Christ) twenty likewise. But whereas we hauehave three principal Feasts, which hauehave mo Holy-dayes to them appertaining, thogh it may be wel conceiued, that to this purpose it wil not be n…df… to take in all such times in them (that so the people, such as are so disposed, may hauehave some part thereof to any honest recreation): yet, because those Feasts are all of speciall note, if therefore we shall thinke good, to take out to this purpose, that which is the next, or second day of eueryevery of them; so we shal hauehave three and twenty in al. Againe, in eueryevery of these we lightly hauehave three seuerall portions of time, besides those that both morning and euening are appointed for publique Prayer: the first in the morning, before the time of morning-Prayer; the next, after dinner, before euening-Prayer; the third after. The Sabaoth likewise we all doe graunt, would bee on all hands more carefully obserued: and so it shall not be amisse, if any of it allot two of those three portions of time that before we noted, to this exercise that now we speake of. The Holi-daies also would not be so much neglected as (vnderunder pretence of zeale sometimes, and then for that cause so much the worse) now by many of vsus they are: and so might we obserue them so much the better, to take one of those three portions of time that before we noted, out of them to this purpose also. So will it fal out, that if we take order with our selues, to read fiue of those Sections eueryevery Sabaoth (three in the former of those times that we take, and two in the later) that in the yeare we shall so hauehave read, two hundred and threescore of them. On those our other Holi-daies likewise if we shall read, on eueryevery one a couple of those Sections, those Holi-daies being twenty and three, so shal we dispatch sixe and forty moe of those Sections. Then wil there remaine but onelyonly three: and those may we well allot to three of those other Holi-daies that we have in those our three principall Feastes, to eueryevery of those three, but one. And all these are none other but of the history: and these may serue for the first yeare that any shall betake himselfe to the exercise that now we speake of.
In those parts of the whole worke that are for the most part of Doctrine (which are, all the latter Booke of the former Tome, and the sixeteene last Chapters of the former Booke of the latter Tome; the former of the Olde Testament, these latter Chapters of the New) first I note no more but this, that both those whole Books of Scripture, and those other seuerall portions besides, whereof they consist, are laide, I trust, a great deale more open vntounto the Reader, then otherwise they would hauehave been; and yet the same very briefly too: and that, whosoeuer would hauehave some Method, either for any whole Booke of the Canonicall Scripture, or for any Chapter or lesse portion thereof, there may he hauehave it, some or other, such as it is.
But then as touching such vse of these parts also, as before wee hauehave spoken of in the other, if any be disposed to set in hand with a second year also, they may soone (I trust) find, that the Sections of these parts are, of the second Booke of the former Tome, two hundred thirty and sixe, and the residue of the first Booke of the later Tome, one hundred & twelue in all, three hundred forty eight, & so thirty mine more then the others. For the Sabaothes therefore and for those Holi-daies of the second yeare, we may take of these, as before of the others: and so hauehave but those thirty and nine remaining; which may fitly bee bestowed on a second portion of time on those Holidaies which first we named, two a peece on eueryevery one. For those (excepting Saint Thomas his day before the Natiuitie) are but nineteene, and so take vp but thirty and eyght; and that day of Saint Thomas because of the businesse that commonly it hath (because of those holydaies that follow soone after) may well bee allowed, to bee charged no farther, for that second portion of time that it hath, but onelyonly with one: and so hauehave we al placed for the second yeare also.
But then, wherof diuers times Sundaies and Holidaies meete together in one, and then (in Diuine-Seruice, and set Sermons) the most vsuall maner is, that the one drowneth the other, in this case it might bee performed (by such as may hauehave conuenient leisure) in some time of the weeke ensuing: and the same course might be likewise obserued, so often as otherwise the exercise wee speake of, were by any occasion omitted. It may be likewise, that some would conceiue, it were much better, if in some Table it were set downe, what Sections would so fall out to be for eueryevery day, and for the seuerall portions thereof: but neither could that so well be done, because so many of those Sundayes and Holidaies are so mooueable; and in this course that now we hauehave noted, may eueryevery one at all times beginne, whensoeuer himselfe shall be disposed so to do. As also because some Sections are much longer, and some other but short eueryevery one may vse his owne discretion and freedome therein, both in the one, and in the other, as himselfe is disposed.
As touching the benefite, that in thine estate towards God, both in this present life heere, and in that which is to come, is like (by the goodnes and grace of God) to redound vntounto thee, if truly thou employ thy selfe therein, and seekest withall thy successe from aboue, so often hauehave I seene the good hand of God on many therin, that I cannot but hope, but that it will be gracious and comfortable to thee likewise: and the more it shall please God to extend his goodnesse to thee therein, the more be his name glorified therefore; and be thou more carefull, both safely to keepe, and still to encrease that gracious Talent, that so it shall please him, in trust to commend vntounto thee.
Of all the whole together, yet, by thy pacience, one thing more; this manner of teaching by the whole Body of holy Scriptures, doe I take to be of such importance, to the ouerthrowing of the power of darkenesse, and both to let in, and to settle in the hearts of the faithful the louelove of the Truth, that if it should be taken in hand by any that should be rightly furnished to such a purpose, and accordingly disposed withall, as in former ages there were many and diuers Engines of great force in Warres; but none like to the inuention of Gunnes since both great and smal: so in this spirituall warfare of ours, it might well fall out, that although wee hauehave many and diuers waies to impugne that power of darkenesse that of late did so ouerwhelme vsus, and those very forcible; yet such vnfoulding and laying open of the word of God, being rightly and kindly handled in deed would bee the most forcible Engine (to batter downe Popery, and the whole power of Satan too) that yet we hauehave vsed.
And for thy better furtherance heerin, before thou shalt enter into the Books themselues, thou hast some farther helpes besides: some, that may be to the vse of all; one other such, as for many of the common sort will be needfull also. Those which may be to the vse of all, are concerning the matter it selfe: and they are, in that the effect of the whol… and of eueryevery of the seueral Bookes by themselues is laide forth, first to the Learned, in the Tables of Method prefixed; then, to the residue, in the Contents of the Chapters, after the vsuall manner, besides. That other, that for many of the common sort will bee needfull also, is about the quotations of the Scriptures that therein are vsed: to which end I hauehave likewise set down (for the readier going to all the places that there are noted) not only the names of the Bookes themselues, as in our Bibles they are wont to be noted; but for some farther, and the more easie getting of them a Method likewise, in what sort they may be well taken.
Those few moe that concerne the manner wherein it now proceedeth or commeth forth, are, one of them before intended: others, comming in at the Window since. That which was before intended, is, that the Tables are framed to the Capitall Letters in the inner Margent, as other books for the most part are vntounto the Pages. The reason is, for that the Tables were made before, while the Booke was but in writing, and so could not bee knowne then, of what number the Pages would be when they should be printed: but then those Letters do note in effect, but Pages also, for that they all in eueryevery Section (the first and the last, which must euer take their place as it falleth, only excepted) had the space of a writtē page.
At the Window (that I speake of) are other two come in since: one, in certaine of the Sections; the other, in the quotations onelyonly. In the Sections no more but this, that a few of the first of them, are into diuers parcels, by Breakes (as they tearme them) diuided: which for a while on supposall was done, as thinking thereby to ease the Readers labor therein. That which is in the quotation, is, that therein for a time they hauehave followed their wonted order: whereas the manner of these quotations, are to distinguish the number that noteth the Chapter with a Colon, or Middle-distinction from the verses that follow; and some-times to sort the verses also (as the case doth sometimes require) by some other distinctions besides.
These are the things that thus I do commend vntounto thee: and that they may prooue to thy greater good, the successe thereof, together with thy selfe and thine, I commend to the good blessing of God.