A prologe to the reader
Now where as the moſt famous interpreters of all geue ſondrye iudgmentes of the texte(ſo farre as it is done by ye ſprete of knowlege in the holy gooſt) me thynke noman ſhulde be offended there at, for they referre theyr doingis in mekenes to the ſprete of trueth in the congregacyon of god: & sure I am, that there commeth more knowlege and vnderſtondinge of the ſcripture by theyr ſondrie tranſlacyons, then by all the gloſes of oure ſophiſticall docteurs. For that one interpreteth ſomthynge obſcurely in one place, the ſame tranſlateth another(or els he him ſelfe) more manifeſtly by a more playne vocable of the ſame meanyng in another place. Be not thou offended therfore(good Reader) though one call a ſcrybe, that another calleth a lawyer: or elders, that another calleth father & mother: or repentaunce, that onother calleth pennaunce or amendment. For yf thou be not deſceaued by mens tradiciōs, thou ſhalt fynde nomore dyuerſite betwene theſe termes then betwene foure pens and a grote. And this maner haue I vſed in any tranſlacyon, callynge it in ſome place pennaunce, that in another place I call repentaunce, and that not onely becauſe the interpreters haue done ſo before me, but that the aduerſaries of the trueth maye ſe, how that wwe abhore not this worde pēnaunce(as they vntruly reporte of vs) no more then the interpreters of latyn abhore penitere, when they reade reſipiſcere. Onely oure hertes deſyre vnto God, is, that his people be not blynded in ther vndirſtondyng, leſt they beleue pennaunce to be ought ſaue a very repētaunce, amēdment, or conuerſyon vnto God, and to be an vnfayned new creature in Chriſt, and to lyue acordyng to his lawe, for els ſhall they fal in to the olde blaſphemy of Chriſtes bloude, and beleue, that they thē ſelues are able to make ſatiſfaccion vnto God for theyr awne ſynnes, from the which erroure god of his mercy and plēteous goodnes preſerue all his.
Now to conclude for ſo moch as all the ſcripture is wrytten for thy doctryne & enſample, it ſhal be neceſſary for the, to take holde vpon it, whyle it is offred the, yee and with ten handis thankfully to receaue it. And though it be not worthelyminiſtred vnto the in this tranſlacyon(by reaſon of my rudnes) yet yf thou be feruēt in thy prayer, God ſhal not onely ſende it the in a better ſhaype, by the myniſtracyon of other that beganne it afore, but ſhall alſo moue the hertes of them, which as yet medled not withall, to take it in hande, and to beſtowe the gifte of theyr vnderſtondynge theron, as well in oure language as other famous interpreters do in other languages. And I praye God, that thorow my poore miniſtracyon herein, I maye geue them that can do better, ſome occaſyon ſo to do: exhortyng the(moſt deare reader) in the meane whyle on Gods behalfe, yf thou be a heade, a Judge, or ruler of ye people, that thou let not the booke of this lawe departe out of thy mouth, but exerciſe thyſelfe therin both daye and nyghte, and be euer readyng in it as longe as thou lyueſt: that thou mayeſt lerne to feare the Lorde thy God, & not to turne aſyde from the commaundement, nether to the right hande ner to the lefte: leſte thou be a knower of perſonnes in iudgmēt wreſt the righte of the ſtraunger, of the fatherles or the wedowe, and ſo ye curſe to come vpon the.[1] But what office ſo euer thou haſt wayte vpon it, and execute it, to the mayntenaunce of peace, to the welth of thy people, defendynge the lawes of God, and the louers therof, and to the deſtruccyon of the wicked.
Yf thou be a preacher, and haſt the ouerſighte of the flocke of Chriſt, awake and fede Chriſtes ſhepe with a good herte, & ſpare no laboure to do them good, ſeke not thy ſelfe, & bewarre of fylthy lucere, but be vnto ye flocke an enſample, in ye worde, in cōuerſacyon, in loue, in feruentnes of ye ſprete, and be euer readynge, exhortynge, + teachynge in Gods worde, that the people of God renne not vnto other doctrynes and leſt thou thy ſelfe(whan thou ſhuldeſt teach other) be founde ignoraunt therin. And rather then thou woldeſt teach the people eny other thynge then Gods worde take the boke in thyne hande, & reade the wordes euē as they ſtonde therin(for it is no ſhame ſo to do, it is more ſhame to make a lye). This I ſaye for ſoch, as are not yet experte in the ſcripture, for I reproue no preachyng without the book as longe as they ſaye the trueth.[2]
Yf thou be a man that haſt wyfe and childrē, fuſt loue thy wyfe, acordynge to the enſample of the loue, wherwith Chriſt loued the cōgregacion, and remembre that ſo doynge, thou loueſt euen thyſelfe: yf thou hate her, thou hateſt thine awne fleſh: yf thou cheriſhe her and make moch of her, thou cheriſheſt & makeſt moch of thyſelfe for ſhe is bone of thy bones, & fleſh of thy fleſh.[3] And who ſo euer thou be that haſt children, brynge them vp in the nurtour and informacion of the Lorde.[4] And yf thou be ignoraunt, or art other wyſe occupied lawfully that thou canſt not teach them thy ſelfe, then be euen as diligent to ſeke a good maſter for thy childrē, as thou waſt to ſeke a mother to beare them: for there lieth as great weight in the one as in ye other. Yee better it were for thē to be vnborne, then not to feare God, or to be euel brought vp, which thynge(I meane bryngynge vp well of children) yf it be diligently loked to, it is the vpholdinge of all comon welthes: and the negligence of the ſame, the very decaye of all realmes.
Fynally, who ſo euer thou be, take theſe wordes of ſcripture in to thy herte, and be not onely an earſtwarde hearer, but a doer therafter, and practyſe thyſelfe therin: that thou mayeſt fele in thine hert, the ſwete promyſes therof for thy conſolacion in all trouble, & for the ſure ſtablyſhinge of thy hope in Chriſt, and haue euer an eye to ye wordes of ſcripture, that yf thou be a teacher of other at the leeſt though thou be but an hearer or reader of onother mans doynges, thou mayeſt yet haue knowlege to iudge all ſpretes, and be fre from euery erroure, to the vtter deſtruccion of all ſedicious ſectes & ſtraunge doctrynes, that the holy ſcrypture maye haue fre paſſage, and be had in reputacion, to the worſhippe of the author therof, which is euen God himſelfe: to whom for his moſt bleſſed worde be glory & domynion now & euer. Amen.
