Harmony of the Gospels, Title page – Dedication
THE HARMONY OF THE Foure Evangelists:
Among themselves, and with the Old Testament.
THE FIRST PART:
From the beginning of the Gospels to the Baptisme of our Saviour.
With an explanation of the chiefest difficulties both in Language and Sense.
By JOHN LIGHTFOOTE, Staffordiens. A Member of the Reverend Assembly of Divines.
Imprimatur,
John White.
LONDON, Printed by R. Cotes for Andrew Crooke, and are to bee sold at the signe of the Green Dragon in Pauls Church-yard. 1644.
TO THE Most Renowned and Illustrious Knight and Champion of the Gospel HIS EXCELLENCY ROBERT EARLE OF ESSEX, &c.
Lord Generall of all the Forces raised by the Honourable Houses of Parliament for the defence of Laws, Liberties, and Religion.
SIR,
THis whole undertaking was vowed to your great name, and this peece of it in writing presented to your Noble hands, before the Lord, and the State had placed you in that high Station in which you now stand: And as I cannot but applaud the happy Prognostick of mine own thoughts, which found out such a Patron for The Harmony of the Evangelists, as the high Court of heaven, and of England have since called out to bee the Patron of the Gospel it selfe: So can I not but bewaile the unhappy condition of mine own disabilities; which can neither present any thing better, then what I now publish, to so great a person: nor yet could publish any whit sooner, that which I then presented, though it had been better. Your Excellencies candor will helpe to excuse both the one failing and the other, [give me leave to presage it] since I know such noblenesse as yours, accepteth according to what a man hath, and expecteth not according to what hee hath not. Mine addresse in this kinde unto your Self, I shall not go about to excuse, but must rather justifie, and though it bee exceeding bold, yet to mee it seems exceeding reasonable. For to whom should a Staffordshire student devote his studies, but to the glory of Staffordshire? and whither should a Treatise upon the Gospels refuge for patronage, but to the great Patron of the Gospel? I know mine own unsufficiency for such a work, and am conscious to my self of my many failings in the managing of it, yet could I not but undertake it, in hope of some profit to the Reader; nor could I but addresse it to such a Patron, in hope of some intertainment with your Excellency.
The Harmony of the Evangelists in our English tongue is rare to find, especially with that proofe of the order of the story, and that illustration of the Text and Language, that a thing of that nature doth require, & that it hath found in other tongues. Mine own heart did tell mee, that I of all others was most unfit and unable for such an undertaking in regard of want of parts, means, and opportunity; yet could I not desist from such an attempt, but must needs try what I could do in this kind, partly that I might bring something toward the building of the Tabernacle, though it were never so small, and chiefely that I might stir up some pen of a greater ability, to set to a work of so brave import.
An assay and tryall of some of my progresse in such an undertaking, I doe here most humbly lay at your Excellencies feet, and that not onelyonly as an Oblation tendered to your noblenesse this once, but also as an earnest of a future tribute of this kind, till the whole work bee finished, and the Harmony compleated, if God vouchsafe health, strength, and opportunity, and your Excellency acceptance, countenance, and incouragement: There is nothing in the workman, or the workmanship, that can ground any hope for any such thing, from you, but there is enough in your own known worth, goodnesse, and noble disposition, to make me confident, that you will not onelyonly not reject the work, but that you will also accept the workman for the workes sake, because the subject of it is the Evangelists. It is now become your honourable profession to bee the Champion of the Gospel, and the Lord hath installed you in an Order, of which, to a Constantine, a Sweden, and an Essex, I know not what Histories can adde a fourth, that hath been the Evangelicall Knight, or the Knight of the Gospel. How you have honoured this your Order, by your great atchievements, and how the great trust reposed in you, hath met with as great trustinesse, it is the happinesse of the Nation to have tryed, and to remember, and it cannot but bee the rejoycing and comfort of your poore suppliant to thinke of, and to consider: For to have to deale with so constant worthinesse, noblenesse, and candor, with so great piety, zeale, religiousnes, and honour, with so much accomplishment, excellency, and splendor, cannot but promise a comfortable accesse, a cheerfull entertainment, and a desired issue. I have no more to say [for short speech best agreeth with your great imployments] but only this, to beg of your Excellency, that among the serious cares and thoughts of your noble heart, you would remember our poore wrong'd Staffordshire for good: and labour her delivery, not only from her open enemies, but also from her seeming friends which do worse devour her.
And to the Throne of grace it must bee my continuall suite and petition, that the Lord would Crown all your great ingagements with happy successe, make you stil a blessing, and rejoycing to the English Nation, preserve your Person, increase your Honour, support your Heart, direct your steps, immortalize your name here, and lade your Excellency with the most excellent weight of glory hereafter. So ever prayeth, and so ever must pray,
Your Excellencies most humble and most devoted servant, and poore Countriman, IOHN LIGHTFOOT. From my Study in Little Britain, Sep. 30. 1644.