Of the Head Cornerstone, Biblical epitome
A SHORT METHOD OF ALL THE BOOKES OF THE HOLY BIBLE: DECLARING,
In what order those Bookes may be taken (as commonly they are sorted vntounto vsus) for the readier finding of such places, a… … these Bookes following by the Quotations we are directed vntounto: (the better if it …e …ad by heart; and not vnmeete to be taught vntounto Children, for their readier helpe heereafter.)
OF the Holy-Bible there bee two princip…s; the Old-Testament and the New: the Old consisting of such Bookes, … in former Ages were written of Christ; the New, of such as are written of him since his comming in the flesh.
In that which goeth vnderunder the name of the Old-Testament, there be sorts of Bookes; Canonical, and Apocrypha: Canonical being such, as are the vndoubted Word of God; Apocrypha being such, as are not the vndoubted word of God, but yet hauehave many good Lessons in them.
Those that are Canonical, are of two sorts: some of them for the most part of Histories; others, for the most part of Doctrine onelyonly. Those that are for the most part of Histories, are, first Genesis, Exodus, Leuiticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy: then, Ioshua, Iudges, and Ruth: thirdly, two Books of Samuel, two of the Kings (which are sometimes called also the foure Bookes of the Kings) and two Bookes of the Chronicles: fourthly, Ezra, Nehemiah (called also two of the first Bookes of Esdras) and Ester: last of all, Iob.
Those that are for the most part of Doctrine, are some of the Kings: and some of the Prophets. Those that are of the Kings, are first, the Psalmes, which are (most of them) Dauids: then, the Prouerbes, Ecclesiastes, and the Canticle or Song, all which are Salomons. Of the Prophets there bee two sorts: some of them Greater; and some of them Lesser. The Greater are foure, Isaiah, Ieremy (both his Prophesie, and his Lamentations) Ezechiel & Daniel. The Lesser are twelue, Hosea, Ioel, Amos, Obadiah, Ionah, Micah, Nuhum, Habacuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachy.
The Apocrypha are, one of them set before by it selfe: the others following after together. That one that is set before by it selfe, is the Prayer of Manasses, commonly following the Bookes of the Chronicles. Those that follow after together, are the first and the Bookes of Esdras, Tobit, Iudeth, the rest of Ester, Wisedome, Ecclesiasticus, Baruk with the Epistle of Ieremiah, the Song of the three Children, the Story of Susanna, the Idol Bell, and the Dragon, the first and the second of the Maccabees.
Those … of the New-Testament, are most of them of that praesent time: but … there is, of a time then after following. Those that are of that … time, are some of them for the most part of Histories▪ & some of them for the most part of Doctrine. Those that are for the most part of Histories, are most of the History of Christ: but one, of the Apostles. Those that are of the History of Christ, are the foure Euangelists: Mathew, Marke, L…e, and Iohn. That one that is of the Apostles, is the Acts of the Apostles.
Those that are for the most part of Doctrine, are the Epistles of the Apostles: most of them going vnderunder the name of S. Paul; but some of them being the Epistles of other Apostles. Those that go vnderunder the name of S. Paule, are most of them his indeede: but one of them there is, that some hauehave thought to be the Epistle of some other Apostle. Those that are his indeed, are some of them written to whole Churches: others to certaine se…ll persons. Those that are written to whole Churches, are, one to …, two to the Corinthians, to the Galatians, Ephesians, Phillippians, and Colos…ians to eueryevery of these one: and two to the Thessalonians. Those that are written but onelyonly to certaine seuerall persons, are, two to Timoth, one to Titus, and one to Philemon. That one that some hauehave thought to be the Epistle of some other Apostle, is, the Epistle to the Habrewes. Those that are the Epistles of other Apostles, are, one of Iames, two of Peter, three of Iohn, and one of Iude.
That one Booke which was of a time then after following, is the Apocalyps, or the Reuelation of Saint Iohn.