The Christian Synagogue, To the reader 2
❧ To the Christian Reader.
GOOD CHRISTIAN READER,
SVch hath ever beene the inveterate malice of Satan (that old Serpent) against the Church of God; that he hath partly by open Hostilitie, and partly by contagious Heresie; sought vtterly to quench the glorious light of the Word of God: that (all men sitting in darkenesse) he might the sooner blow vp the whole frame of the house of God. How farre the Potentates of the world, hauehave advanced themselues in his service, our Histories doe sufficiently declare, who (with many learned Fathers of the Church) hauehave inrolled in their famous writings, all the former infamous hereticks, and their blasphemies, to their perpetuall shame.
The Papists (as naturall children) succeeded to those viperous Parents, but hauehave farre exceeded them in number of heresies, and barbarous cruelties: setting forward Satans former policie, with all their might. For as they hauehave written very basely of the holy Scriptures; so hauehave they equalled, the writings of man vntounto them, and honoured the Apocryphe Bookes, with that stately throne, in the which Christ our Lord sitteth, as the onelyonly high, and mightie commander: yea, they thundred Excommunications and Marana-tha, against any of the Laiks (as they call them) that dare reade, any part of Scripture in their owne tongue.
But behold the great mercy of God to his Church; for, although, all those laboured to hauehave quenched the light of the Word, and to depriue the Church of that glorious Lampe; yet they hauehave come far short therein, and were never able to ecclipse that Sun-shine of the Church, though they did stretch out the wings of their malice, to the ends of the earth. I referre thee (good Christian Reader) to the view of those godly and learned Instruments, whom God of his mercy raised vp, (as valiant men) to withstand this hereticall furie; whose invincible courage learning and constancie, did amase the adversaries; I forbeare to excerp particular examples: you hauehave a cloud of witnesses, specified by Irenaeus, Augustine, Hierome, and diverse other.
Our moderne Champions, D. Wittaker, Rollock, Sharpe, Iunius, W…e…, Perkin…, &c. (who with a few small stones, taken out of the River, hauehave brought downe the pride of that Goliah) are daily in your hands: The Lord (who will never cease to watch over his Church,) is daily breathing courage, and Heroi…e spirits in others, who, for the louelove of Sion, will not hold their peace.
As for the Author of this Booke▪ Intituled, THE CHRISTIAN SYNAGOGVE, he is a godly Preacher, and well qualified in all good learning. In these his workes, he hath carefully laboured to cast out that filth and …ubbish, wherewith the Philistims had stopped Abrahams wills: Besides, he hath painefully digged, a pleasant passage that leadeth therevnto. And because the word of God hath a most sweet relish about all things; he doth instruct thee how to discerne the same, that thou may'st be drunke with the waters of life. The Author, besides the most approved of the Greeke and Latine Writers, hath well read with deliberation also, the ancient customes of the Iewes, in their owne Rabbines, and hath mentioned so many of them, as giues no small light for the vnderstanding of the Text, and likewise hath had conferrence vponupon the same things with the most approved Schollers of the Kingdome.
Let me exhort thee Christian Reader, to a diligent studie of the Originalls, the Hebrew and Greeke, with all their dialects especially, the Chaldaean, Syrian, Arabicke, and Samaritan, which are great Lights and Illustrations for the Text, whereby thou maiest more easily, not onelyonly follow the rules, which the Author setteth before thee, in his Cannons gathered from Scripture, in his Confirmations by Scripture, and Illustrations both from the Scripture it selfe, and from Writers, both Ecclesiasticall and profane: But also thou mayest delight thy selfe, in the pleasant fields of the Old and New Testament.
I am assured thou shalt greatly increase thy knowledge by reading this Booke: for as others that are not yet acquainted with the Originals, hauehave reapt no small comfort, by reading some scattered sheetes, that came to my hand from the Presse: What mayest thou expect after thy diligent labours therein. Thou canst not praise God sufficiently, who hath offered thee, the painefull travels of such learned men, that thou mayest know another day how to worke in the Lords Vineyard.
As for the Reader, whose purpose is not to Preach the VVord, but to profit by the same as a reverend hearer. I dare assure thee, that by this learned VVorke (if thou pervse diligently) thou shalt attaine to great light and knowledge in the holy VVord, and shalt finde many places thereof farre more clearely opened vp then thou didst expect.
WILLIAM SYMSON.