To the reader.
After the death of Moſes doth Joſue brynge the people in to the lōde of promes where God doth wonderous thynges for his people by Joſue, which diſtributeth ye londe vnto them, vnto euery trybe theyr poſſeſſion. But in theyr wealth they fotgat the goodnes of God, ſo that oft tymes he gaue thē ouer in to the hande of theyr enemies. Neuertheles whan ſo euer they called faithfully vpon him, and conuerted, he delyuered them agayne, as the boke of Judges declareth.
In the bokes of the kynges, is deſcrybed the regiment of good and euell prynces, and how the decaye of all nacions commeth by euel kynges. For in Jeroboam thou ſeyſt what myſchefe, what ydolatrye & ſoch like abhominacyon foloweth, whā the kynge is a maynteyner of falſe doctryne, a̅d cauſeth the people to ſynne agaynſt God, which fallinge awaye from gods worde, increaſed ſo ſore amonge them, that it was the cauſe of all theyr ſorowe and miſery, & the very occaſion why Iſrael firſt and then Juda, were caryed awaye into captyuite. Agayne, in Joſaphat, in Ezechias and in Joſias thou ſeyſt the nature of a vertuous kynge. He putteth downe the houſes of ydolatrye, ſeyth that his preſtes teach nothynge but ye lawe of God, cōmaundeth his lordes to go with them, and to ſe that they teach the people.[1] In theſe kynges(I ſaye) thou ſeyſt the cōdicyon of a true defender of ye fayth for he ſpareth nether coſt ner laboure, to manteyne the lawes of God, to ſeke the welth & proſperite of his people, and to rote out the wicked. And where ſoch a prince is, thou ſeyſt agayne, how God defendeth him and his people, though he haue neuer ſo many enemyes. Thus wente it with thē in the olde tyme, and euen after ye ſame maner goeth it now with vs: God be prayſed therfore, ād graunte vs of his fatherly mercy, that we be not vnthankful: leſt where he now geueth vs a Joſaphat, an Ezechias, yee a very Joſias, he ſende vs a Pharao, a Jeroboam, or an Achab.
In the two firſt bokes of Eſdras & in Heſter thou ſeyſt the delyueraunce of the people, which though they were but fewe, yet is it vnto vs all a ſpeciall cōforte, for ſo moch as God is not forgetfull of his promes, but bryngeth them out of captiuite, acordynge as he had tolde them before.
In the boke of Job we lerne comforte and pacience, in that God not onely punyſheth the wicked, but proueth & tryeth the iuſt and righteous(howbeit there is noman innocent in his ſighte) by dyuerſe troubles in this lyfe, declaryng therby, yt they are not his baſtardes, but his dare ſonnes, and that he loueth them.
In the Pſalmes we lerne how to reſorte onely vnto God in all oure troubles, to ſeke helpe at him, to call onely vpon him, to ſatle oure myndes by paciēce, & how we ought in proſperite to be thankfull vnto him,
The Prouerbes and the Preacher of Salomon teach vs wyſdome, to knowe God, oure owne ſelues, and the worlde, and how vayne all thynges are, ſaue onely to cleue vnto God.
As for the doctryne of the Prophetes, what is it els, but an earneſt exhortacion to eſcheue ſynne, & to turne vnto God? a faythfull promes of the mercy ād pardon of God, vnto all them yt turne vnto him, and a threatenyng of his wrath to the vngodly? ſauynge that here and there they prophecye alſo manifeſtly of Chriſt, of ye expulſion of the Jewes, and callynge of the Heythen.
Thus moch thought I to ſpeake of ye olde Teſtament, wherin almyghtie God openeth vnto vs his myghtye power, his wyſdome, his louynge mercy & righteouſneſſe: for the which cauſe it oughte of no man to be abhored, deſpyſed, or lyghtly regarded, as though it were an olde ſcripture yt nothyng belōged vnto vs, or yt now were to be refuſed. For it is Gods true ſcripture & teſtimony, which the Lorde Jeſus commaundeth the Jewes to ſearch. Who ſo euer beleued not the ſcripture, beleueth not Chriſt, and who ſo refuſeth it, refuſeth God alſo.[2]
The New Teſtament or Goſpell, is a manyfeſt and cleare teſtymony of Chriſt how God perfourmeth his ooth and promes made in the Olde, and the Olde fulfylled and verifyed in the New.
