To the reader.
prete ye ſcripture to the honoure of god and edifyenge of his people, where as(lyke as whan many are ſhutynge together) euery one doth his beſt to be nyeſt the marke. And though they can not all attayne therto, yet ſhuteth one nyer then another, and hytteth it better then another, yee one can do it better thē another, who is now then ſo vnreaſonable, ſo deſpytefull, or enuyous, as to abhore him yt doth all his diligence to hytte ye prycke, and to ſhute nyeſt it, though he myſſe & come not nyeſt the mark? Ought not ſoch one rather to be commēded, and to be helped forwarde, that he maye exercyſe himſelfe the more therin?
For the which cauſe(acordyng as I was deſyred) I toke the more vpon me to ſet forth this ſpeciall tranſlacyon, not as a checker, not as a reprouer, or deſpyſer of other mens tranſlacyons(for amonge many as yet I haue founde none without occaſyon of greate thankeſgeuynge vnto god) but lowly & faythfully haue I folowed myne interpreters, & that vnder correccyon. And though I haue fayled eny where(as there is noman but he myſſeth in ſome thynge) loue ſhall conſtyrre all to ye beſt without eny peruerſe iudgment. There is noman lyuynge yt can ſe all thynges, ne that hath god geuen eny man to knowe euery thynge. One ſeyth more clearly then another, one hath more vnderſtondyng then another, one can vtter a thynge better then another, but noman ought to enuye, or diſpyſe another. He that can do better then another, ſhulde not ſet him at naught yt vnderſtondeth leſſe: Yee he that hath ye more vnderſtondyng, ought to remembre that the ſame gyfte is not hys but Gods, and yt God hath geuē it him to teach & enfourme the ignoraunt. Yf thou haſt knowlege therfore to iudge where eny faute is made, I doute not but thou wilt helpe to amende it, yf loue be ioyned with thy knowlege. Howbeit wherin ſo euer I can perceaue by my ſelfe, or by the informacyon of other, that I haue fayled(as it is no wonder) I ſhall now by the helpe of God ouerloke it better & amende it.
Now wil I exhorte the(who ſo euer thou be yt readeſt ſcripture) yf thou fynde oughte therin yt thou vnderſtondeſt not, or that apeareth to be repugnaunt, geue no temerarious ner hayſtye iudgmēt therof, but aſcrybe it to thyne awne ignoraunce, not to the ſcrypture thynke yt thou vnderſondeſt it not, or yt it hath ſome other meanynge, or yt it is happlye ouerſene of ye interpreters, or wronge prynted. Agayne, it ſhall greately helpe ye to vnderſtonde ſcripture, yf thou marke not onely what is ſpoken or wrytten, but of whom, & vnto whom, with what wordes, at what tyme where, to what intent, with what circumſtaunce, conſyderynge what goeth before, and what foloweth after. For there be ſome thynges which are done & wryttē, to the intente yt we ſhulde do lykewyſe: as whan Abraham beleueth God, is obedient vnto his worde, & defendeth Loth his kynſman from violent wronge. There be ſome thynges alſo which are wryttē, to the intente yt we ſhulde eſchue ſoch lyke. As whan Dauid lyeth with Urias wyfe, & cauſeth him to be ſlayne. Therfore(I ſaye) whan thou readeſt ſcripture, be wyſe & circumſpecte: & whan thou commeſt to ſoch ſtraunge maners of ſpeakynge & darke ſentences, to ſoch parables & ſimilitudes, to ſoch dreames or vyſions as are hyd from thy vnderſtondynge, cōmytte them vnto God or to the gyfte of his holy ſprete in them yt are better lerned then thou.
As for the commendacyon of Gods holy ſcripture, I wolde fayne magnifye it as it is worthy, but I am farre vnſufficiēt therto, & therfore I thoughte it better for me to holde my tonge, then with few wordes to prayſe or commēde it: exhortynge ye(moſt deare reader) ſo to loue it, loue it, ſo to cleue vnto it, & ſo to folowe it in thy daylye conuerſacyon, yt other men ſeynge thy good workes & the frutes of ye holy gooſt in the, maye prayſe the father of heauen, & geue his worde a good reporte: for to lyue after the lawe of God, & to leade a vertuous conuerſacyon, is the greateſt prayſe yt thou canſt geue vnto his doctryne.
But as touchynge the euell reporte and diſprayſe that the good worde of God hath by the corrupte and euell conuerſacyon of ſome, yt daylye heare it and profeſſe it outwardly with theyr mouthes, I exhorte ye(moſt deare reader) let not yt offende the ner withdrawe thy mynde frō the loue of ye trueth, nether moue ye to be partaker in lyke
