The Whole Sum of Christian Religion, Preface
The Preface to the Reader.
HAuing already made declaration of my purpoſe and meaning in ſetting forth theſe two Summes of Chriſtian Religion (as appeareth in the Preface that goeth before) I ſhal not neede; gentle Reader, to recite any part thereof agayne vntounto thee. Neuertheleſſe ſome thinges there are, wherein it ſhall not be amiſe, to direct my penne a little to thee.
Firſt of all therefore I nothing doubt, but that ſome there will be, that wil hardly like, that Religion ſhoulde be geuen forth after the maner of theſe two Methodes. Becauſe the former doth ſo preciſely put by man for any agent in thoſe matters, and gathereth the whole glory of all onelyonly to God: the other, lying within the bounds of the ten-Commaundementes, will ſeeme vntounto them to be no more but only ſome parte, in no wiſe the whole by any good order. Thou therefore perhaps wilt loke, that I ſhould ioyne herevnto ſome defence of my dooing. and in deede I do not denie, but that, not onelyonly the eyes of the common multitude do as yet remayne ſo dazeled, that they are not able to perceiue either of theſe very plainly: but alſo, that certayne hoſtile mindes cannot in any wiſe be content to yeelde to the former of them, or, in theſe matters of ſpiritual glory, that they ſhuld hauehave none, and God ſhould hauehave all. Howbeit, becauſe I will not be tedious to thee, I will holde of my hande from that kinde of labour, and ſay no more but this only: that whenſoeuer it ſhall pleaſe God to open the eyes of the one, and to kill the cankre of pride in the harts of the other, then ſhal they alſo playnly perceyue, that they hauehave here no cauſe of miſliking. Tyl that time, we leeſe but our labour, if we looke that the blinde ſhould ſee; or that the proude ſhould freely geue all glory to God.
An other thing, wherein I thought it ſomewhat needeful to content thy minde, is to preuēt a doubt, that otherwiſe might happily ariſe vntounto thee. For I think thou wil… looke, that I ſhould hauehave furniſhed my Margent with ſo conuenient a number of Scriptures, as were ſufficient to confirme the truth that is heere ſet down: as it is the maner of many to do. as touching which matter, thus much I ſay, that I do accompt ſuch dealing, then eſpecially to be needefull, when we deliuer ſuche poyntes of doctrine, as are hardly receyued of eueryevery one. For who ſeeketh profe in a matter that is apparant inough? Seing therfore that in theſe two treatiſes I write no newe thing, but onelyonly gather to an other Method ſuch things as others hauehave already ſufficiently proued; and are nowe (almoſt) of all men receyued, that hauehave a good will and louelove to the trueth: I wote not, howe I might hauehave giuen an accompt vntounto God, if eyther nowe I had beſtowed my time therein, when I hauehave other more needefull buſines; or ſhould hauehave kept in this that I hauehave done, vntill …eyſure mighte hauehave ſerued to hauehave done the other. Neuertheleſſe my purpoſe is, if it ſhall pleaſe God to geue me ſtrength …nd oportunitie therevnto, and if none other ſhall well preuent me, not onelyonly to …eſtowe ſome vſuall number of quotatiōs on it: but to geeue the attempt, to reduce the whole ſcriptures therevnto, & the effect of eueryevery membre therof to ſome part of it. that ſo it may be a more profitable method to thoſe that ſhall ſtudie it more exactly. But as I am not able as yet to do it (eſpecially tyll I hauehave gottē ſome other things out of mine hāds) becauſe I know the worke will grow to a great labour, & require no ſmall quantity of time thervnto: ſo I do not thinke it beſt in any other reſpect, to be ſo haſtie for that matter. that ſo I may win a further tyme of deliberation of the methode it ſelfe. truſting that time, and the help of others, ſhall at lēgth bring it to better perfection: and ſo make it meter to be furniſhed with quotations. In the meane ſeaſon, ſith now I hauehave not opportunitie to doe it as I woulde, or to mine owne cōtentatiō, I can be very well content altogether to hold off my hands from it. yf any others to their priuate vſe ſhall in their reading, ſort the ſcriptures & other good authors therevnto, on their behalfe, & to their encouragement, thus much will I not ſticke to ſay, that, vnleſſ… I be farre deceiued, their paynes ſhal returne with ſo happy encreaſe, that ney…her ſhall they euer repent them of it, nor …aſily finde, howe they might otherwiſe …aue beſtowed their labour to muche bet…er purpoſe. And whenſoeuer a ſtudent …hal find any part of al ſcripture, or of any …ther good author, or any example or te…timonie of others, that can not aptly be …educed, to ſome parte of this method, …hen let him be ſure of one of theſe two, …hat eyther the methode is vnperfect, …r els him ſelfe doth not vnderſtande …t. whiche ſorting of the Scriptures …hervnto, will alſo he a very good way to …erfect the method. For ſo ſone as we …ght on any place, yt we can not perceaue …o come within the cōpaſſe of it, then fin…ing out where it ought to be, we may be …olde to conclude, that in that place it … vnperfect. But ſo farre as me ſelfe can …et ſee, I am not aduiſed of any parte of Scripture, that may not very aptly be re…uced to ſome parte or other of this me…hod. Neither coulde I content me ſelfe …ith it, tyll I had brought it to that order.
And therfore to ſpeake ſomething more …irectly of the vſe of it, I truſt that the vſe therof may be double. wherof the firſt is vniuerſall, or comon to all that hauehave no… yet atteined to ſufficiēt knowledge of the Chriſtian faith. And that is this; to geu… thē a generall ſight of all religion, & to lay in them the foundation of it. For my hop… is, that whoſoeuer ſhall well digeſt theſe two little bookes (a thing we may ſee of no great labour) he, by the helpe thereof may be ſo well grounded in Chriſtian religion, that there cannot lightly be moued a point of any great importance, but that he ſhalbe able to goe to the truth thereof and to ſee the place whence it doth ariſe to the better confirmation of his iudgement therin: as alſo it ſhall eaſe a good part of ye paines in reading ye holy ſcriptures, yt otherwiſe would be found therein, whoſoeuer ſhall firſt be grounded in ye whole body of religion, eyther by theſe, o… by any other to the like effecte. The other vſe hereof is more ſpeciall: but ſuche as is of good importaunce. It doth apperteine to all thoſe, that ſpecially ſhall geue themſelues to ye ſtudy of Diuinitie. For whoſoeuer ſhal ſo do, they ſhal finde it a thing very nedefull, not onelyonly to hauehave a notebooke, whereinto they may gather the floure of their reading, and the titles therof preſcribed vntounto them: but alſo to hauehave thoſe titles ſo to be deuiſed & diſpoſed, as may be apteſt to cōprehend the thing that they ſeeke. and therfore many hauehave laboured to gratifie ſtudentes in this behalfe: & in that reſpect hauehave deſerued very well of thē. As touching which matter, I for my part do not ſee, how a ſtudent of Diuinitie might better furniſhe his note-booke with titles, then to ſet downe the mēbers hereof in order as they followe: doing the ſame with aduiſement in choyce, and leauing to eueryevery one ſuch as a proportion of ſpace, as he ſhall geſſe yt matter will nede. No matter of diffcultie (to ſpeake of) to ſuche as know what a note-booke meaneth. And my truſt is, yt there are not many matters of importaunce, not only, not …n the ſcriptures, but alſo, not in the doctors, or in other good writers, apperteining to the ſubſtaunce of religiō, that may not aptly and naturally be referred to ſome ſuche title as is conteined in theſe two bookes.
For the better accompliſhment of this matter, as alſo for the better prouocation of al others to ſearch out the ſenſe of theſe litle books, I hauehave annexed herevnto ſuch a demonſtratiō therof & ſo liuely a repreſentation to the eye of ye principal parts, & of eueryevery particular point cōteined therin, as I was able to deuiſe in ſo ſmal a rome, expreſſing ye former booke vnderunder ye forme of a tree roote; and the latter by a couple of other trees. The former hauehave I made the roote, for that it is by nature the very groūd worke of the other: as may appeare in the opening of the firſte commaundement. In whiche Roote eueryevery principall Maſter-Roote doeth expreſſe the chiefe and principall partes of the whole diſcourſe: as alſo the leſſer doo betoken inferiour members, euen to the laſte and leaſte of all. And as for the Trees, my meaning is this. the one of them repreſenteth ſuch thinges as are forbidden by the cōmaundements, & therefore is called the tre of death: the other, ſuch things as they require, and therefore is called the tree of lyfe. The roote aforeſaide, diuerſly taken, is roote vntounto both. For the ignoraunce of thoſe things yt it conteineth, is roote vntounto the tree of death: and the knowledge of them, the roote vntounto the tree of lyfe. And therfore hauehave I ſomewhat bared ye rootes of both theſe trees: yt (ſo far as ye diſcourſe therof doth lead) eueryevery one may ſee it to be the ſelfe ſame roote, yt before is deſcribed. This alſo I hauehave prouided both in the Roote, and in the trees, that there be neither mo, nor fewer diuiſions or braunches of any, then there are ſeuerall partes or mēbers in the diſcourſes that belong thervnto: nor otherwiſe growing or iſſuing forth, thou the diuiſions or mēbers of theſe diſcourſes doo ariſe one vponupon an other. As it ſhalbe an eaſy matter for thoſe to eſpie, that will conferre them and the booke together: ſo that euer they remember to kepe this order, (which I hauehave continually obſerued) to beginne at their lefte hande in all Diuiſions, and to go to the right.
Which that they may the better finde out, I hauehave not only lefte my trees without eyther fruite or leaues (as in deede the tree of lyfe hath ſeldome any ſtore of fruite amōg vsus: & then why ſhould not the tree of death be ſo much the rather ſpoyled of this?) that ſo the Braunches them ſelues may better appeare how many they are & how they ariſe: but alſo hauehave added certen letters both to the Roote, and to ye Trees to bring ye demōſtration & the bookes together. that ſo, not onelyonly thoſe that will more diligently ſtudy religion, may ſoner eſpie what titles to chuſe: but all others alſo, that will but read theſe bookes with aduiſement, may better perceiue, what pointes religion geueth forth vntounto thē to be conſidered. But herewithall muſt they know, that this demonſtration doth not extend to the Preface, concluſion, or marginall notes in eyther of the bookes: nor to thoſe things yt in the text are added to the ſecond, third, fourth, & fifte cōmaundements, in ye latter booke. Otherwiſe there is not (to my remēbraunce) any one mē bre of eyther of theſe books, that hath not his proper demōſtratiō, either in ye roote, or in one of ye Trees: and that in ſuch ſort, as I truſt will be welcome to the diligent reader, for the light yt it doth carie with it. As alſo I dare be bold to ſay thus muche, that if any of thoſe that louelove imbrodering or nedle worke, ſhall thinke good to borrow their flowers or Braunches hence, ſure I am that the beſt of vsus all may here hauehave inow, to put in napkins to wipe our noſes.
As for the ſonges that are ſet herevnto, they doe ſo reſemble ye matter it ſelfe, that eueryevery one may ſee my meaning therein. The former of them is made vponupon ye ſong of the Angell that brought ye ſhepheardes word of ye birth of Chriſte, geuing ye glory of that our redēptiō only to God: a thing that cometh very neere to the argumēt of the former booke. The other goeth vponupon the ſenſe of ye ten-cōmaūdements, & doth more preciſely comprehend the effect of ye whole latter booke: teaching the way that we ſhould walke. Seing therfore yt ſometymes we are naturally bent to refreſhe our ſelues with ſong, & ſome, not onelyonly are deſirous to ſing by thēſelues, but alſo couet to hauehave others to ſing with thē, and therwithall to hauehave ſuch recreation as the harmonie of muſicke can bring therevnto (which is veri much to moſt mēs nature) whereas before I had a note of a freind of mine in foure parts, which well agreth to this kind of making, and is not vnworthy of the author of it, I thought it good to ſet all thoſe partes downe to the one, and to procure the like for the other: that, if ſo it ſhall pleaſe thee, thou alſo mayſt hauehave the vſe of them. and if thy hart ſhall goe with thy ſong, then dare I promiſe thee, that god him ſelfe ſhall like thy melodie.
Theſe (gentle Reader) are the things that I had to imparte vntounto ther. Theſe if thou take with the bookes them ſelues, thou haſt therwithall my whole meaning. Of what accompt it ſhal be with ſome others, as yet I knowe not, ſo alſo I care not. But whoſoeuer ſhal geue foorth better, I ſhal be as glad to receiue that, as I was readie in the ſame reſpect to publiſhe this. God geue vsus al grace, to be thankful to him for this great light, that it hath pleaſed him to cōmaunde, to ſhine out of darknes in theſe our dayes: and while we hauehave it, to walke as becommeth the children of light. The night (mee thinketh) approcheth neare, then ſhall we hardly be able to walke. Time muſt be taken, when time is offred. for time will away. And ſo in the Lord I bid thee hartily well to fare. this 20 of Aprill. 1576.