A prologe.
vnthankfulnes: but ſeynge yt lighte is come into the worlde, loue nomore the workes of darknes, receaue not the grace of god in vayne. Call to thy remembraunce how louynge & mercifull God is vnto the, how kyndly and fatherly he helpeth the in all trouble, teacheth thyne ignoraunce, healeth the in all thy ſyckneſſe, forgeueth the in all thy ſynnes, fedeth ye, geueth the drynke, helpeth ye out of preſon, noryſheth the in ſtraunge countrees, careth for the, & ſeyeth yt thou wante nothynge. Call this to mynde(I saye) & that earneſtly, and conſydre how thou haſt receaued of god all theſe benefites(yee and many mo then thou canſt deſyre) how thou art bounde lykewiſe to ſhewe thy ſelfe vnto thy neghboure as farre as thou canſt, to teach him yf he be ignoraunt, to helpe him in all his trouble, to heale his ſycknes, to forgeue him his offences, and that hartely, to fede him, to cheriſh him, to care for him, and to ſe yt he wante nothyng: And on this behalfe I beſeke the(thou yt haſt ye ryches of this worlde, and loueſt God with thy harte) to lyfte vp thyne eyes, and ſe how greate a multitude of poore people renne thorow euery towne: haue pitie on thyne awne fleſh, helpe them with a good harte, and do with thy councell all that euer thou canſt, that this vnſhamefaſt beggynge maye be put downe, that theſe ydle folkes maye be ſet to laboure, & that ſoch as are not able to get theyr lyuynge, maye be prouyded for. At the leeſt thou yt art of councell with ſoch as are in auctoryte, geue them ſome occaſyon to caſt theyr heades together, and to make prouyſyon for the poore. Put the in remembraunce of thoſe noble cityes in other countrees, that by the auctoryte of theyr prynces haue ſo rychely ād well prouided for theyr poore people, to the greate ſhame & deſhoneſtye of vs, yf we lykewyſe receauynge ye worde of God, ſhewe not ſoch lyke frutes therof. Wolde God yt thoſe men(whoſe office is to maynteyne ye comon welth) were as diligent in this cauſe as they are in other. Let vs bewarre by tymes, for after vnthankfulnes there foloweth euer a plage: the mercyful hande of God be with vs, & defende vs that we be not partakers therof.
Go to now(moſt deare reader) & ſyt the downe at the Lordes fete and reade his wordes, &(as Moſes teacheth the Jewes) take them in to theyr herte, & let thy talkynge & communicacion be of them when thou ſytteſt in thyne houſe, or goeſt by ye waye, whan thou lyeſt downe, & whan thou ryſeth vp.[1] And aboue all thynges faſſhyon thy lyfe, & cōuerſacion acordyng to the doctryne of the holy gooſt therin, that thou mayeſt be partaker of ye good promyſes of god in the Byble, & be heyre of of his bleſſynge in Chriſt. In whom yf thou put thy truſt, & be an vnfayned reader or hearer of hys worde with thy hert, thou ſhalt fynde ſweteneſſe theryn, & ſpye wōderous thynges, to thy vnderſtondynge, to the auoydynge of all ſedicyous ſectes, to the abhorrynge of thy olde ſynfull lyfe, & to the ſtablyſhynge of thy godly conuerſacyon.
In the firſt boke of Moſes(called Geneſis) thou mayeſt lerne to knowe the almightye power of god in creatynge all of naught, his infinite wyſdome in ordryng the ſame, his ryghteouſnes in punyſhynge ye vngodly, his loue & fatherly mercy in comfortynge the righteous with his promes. &c.
In the ſeconde boke(called Exodus) we ſe the myghtye arme of god, in delyuerynge his people from ſo greate bondage out of Egype, and what prouyſyon he maketh for them in the wildernes, how he teacheth them with his wholſome worde and how the Tabernacle was made and ſet vp.
In the thyrde boke(called Leuiticus) is declared what ſacrifices the preſtes & Leuites vſed, and what theyr office & miniſtracyon was.
In the fourth boke(called Numerus) is declared how the people are nombred and muſtred, how the captaynes are choſen after ye trybes & kynreds, how they wēte forth to ye battayll, how they pitched theyr tentes, & how they brake vp.
The fyfth boke(called Deuteronemium) ſheweth how that Moſes now beynge olde, rehearſeth the lawe of god vnto ye people, putteth them in remembraunce agayne of all the wonders & benefices that god had ſhewed for them, and exhorteth them earneſtly to loue ye Lorde theyr god, to cleue vnto him, to put there truſt in him and to herken vnto his voyce.
- ↑ Deute. 6. a.
