Harmony of the Gospels, To the reader
The Epistle to the Reader.
Gentle Reader,
THe veile of the Sanctuary was supported by foure Pillars,Exod. 36. 31, 32. and wrought with great variety of workes and colours: So is the Story of the veile of Christs flesh by the foure Evangelists, and the Texture of it of like variety. For one relateth what another hath omitted, one more largely, what another more briefe, one more plaine, what another lesse, one before what another after, one after one manner, and another after another: And so they bring their severall peeces of Imbroidery, differing in colours, but not in substance, various in workmanship, but not in the ground-work, to constitute and make up a perfect and sacred Tapestry and Furniture in the House of the Lord: And carrying severall faces in the manner of their writing and composall, like those living Creatures in Ezekiel and the Revelation, yet they sweetly and Harmoniously meet together in the one body and compacture of a perfect Story.
To sew these parcels together into one piece, and so to dispose and place them in their proper order, as the continuance and Chronicall method of the History doth require, is, hic labor hoc opus, a thing of no small paines and difficulty, and yet a thing that with paines and industry may bee brought to passe: For in many passages and dislocations the Text hath shewed the proper place of such dislocated parcels, and the proper way and manner to joine them where they should bee joyned, so plainely; and in all places it hath hinted this so surely, though sometimes more obscurely, that serious study and mature deliberation, may certainly fix and settle them. Divers great and learned Pens have laboured in this worke, both Ancient and Moderne, both Romish and Protestant, but hardly any, if any at all, in our owne mother Tongue, so fully and largely as a Worke of this nature doth require: this hath incited me, though the unfittest of all others, for a taske of so much Learning, Judgement, and Seriousnesse, to attempt this worke; and if possibly my dimnesse might, to give some light and facility to the History of the Gospel, and if my poorenesse could, some contribution towards the building of Sion.
The Method that I prescribed to my self in this undertaking [some glimpse whereof thou maist see in this present Parcell] was, 1. To lay the Text of the Evangelists in that order, which the nature and progresse of the Story doth necessarily require. 2. To give a Reason of this Order, why the Text is so laid, more largely or more briefly, according as the plainness, or difficulty of the connexion doth call for it. 3. To give some account of the difficulties in the language of the Originall, as any came to hand, either being naturally so in the Greek it selfe, or being made difficulties when they were not so, by the curiosity, misconstruction, or self-end-seeking of some Expositors. 4. And lastly, to cleare and open the sense and meaning of the Text all along as it went, especially where it was of more abstrusenesse and obscurity.
These two last things did I assay and goe on withall a great way in the worke, with much largenesse and copiousnesse, both concerning the language, and the manner. For, for the first, I did not onelyonly poise the Greek in the ballance of its owne Country, and of the Septuagint, but I also examined translations in divers languages, produced their sense, and shewed cause of adhering to▪ or refusing of their sense, as I conceived cause.
And for the second, I alledged the various Expositions and interpretations of Commentators, both ancient and moderne, and others that spake to such and such places occasionally, I examined their Expositions, and gave the Reader reason to refuse or imbrace them as cause required. When seeing the Worke in this way likely to rise to va…nes of bulke it selfe, and of trouble to the Reader, I chose to abridg this first part for a tryall, and therein having expressed only those things which were most materiall for the understanding of the Text where it is lesse plain [for where …t is pla…ne enough, why should I spend time and labour about it?] And spoken mine owne thoughts upon it, and omitted [unlesse it be for a tast of what I had done] the glosses and thoughts of others: I now wa…te for the direction and advice of my learned and loving Friends and Readers, whether to exhibite the other parts that are to follow [by Gods good blessing and assistance] in that large and voluminous method that at the first I prescribed to my selfe, or in that succisenesse that this present parcell holdeth out.
I have partly chosen, and have partly been constrained, to tender this work to publike view by peeces, whereof onelyonly this, and this but a small one neither appeares at this time. I have chosen so to do, partly that I might give the world my th…ughts upon the Evangelists as the Lord giveth time: for who would deferre to doe any thing of such a worke, till he have done all, since our lives are so short and uncertaine, and the worke so long and difficult? And partly that I might be in an annuall tribute to that great name, and to that glory of mine own Country, yea, of this our Nation, our Renowned Lord Generall, to whom this undertaking was devoted from the very first thought of such an undertaking: And I have been constrained thus to doe, partly because of mine other occasions, many an lurgent, which deny me opportunity to follow that businesse as such a bulk would require: and partly because of the straits of the times, which have straitned our Presses, that they Print but rarely any thing volumino…. Every yeer by Gods permission and good assistance, shall yeeld its piece, till all be finished, if the Lord spare life, health and liberty thereunto.
Divers things were fitting to have been premised to a work of this nature; but because, … should all be set before this small piece that we now exhib… … …reface or Prolegomena would be larger then the Book it self: therefore have I reserved to every piece that shall come forth, its own share and portion. And the things that I have thought upon, and hewed out unto this purpose are these.
1. To fix the certain yeere of our Saviours birth, as a thing very fit to bee looked after, and to shew the certaing ounds whereupon to goe, that our fixing upon such a yeare may be warranted and without wavering: This have I premis…d to this first part, wherein comes the Story and Treat… se of our Saviours birth.
2. To give account of all the dislocations of texts and Stories in the Old Testament, which are exceeding many, to shew where is their proper place and order, and to give the reason of their dislocation: And this being so copious and frequent in the Old Testament, the like will be thought the lesse strange and uncouth in the New.
3. To make a Chor graphicall description of the Land of Canaan, and those adjoyning places that we have occasion to looke upon as …e read the Gospel, a thing of no small necessity, for the cleerer understanding of the Story.
4. To make a Topographicall description of Jerusalem, and of the Fabrick of the Temple, which will facilitate divers passages in the Gospel, which are of no small obscurity.
5. To give some account and Story of the State and Customes of the Jewes in these times when the Gospel began, and was first preached a…ong them, out of the…r own and other Writers, which things the Evangelists mention not, and yet which conduce not a little to the understanding o… the Evangelists.
These as things very necessary for the matter in hand, shall waite severally upon the severall parts that shall follow, as the Lord shall please to vouchsa…e ability, time, health and safety.
From my Chamber in …, Octob. 1. 1644.