A prologe.
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 doinges 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 another calleth pennaunce or amendment. For yf thou be not diſceaued 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 we 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 vnderſtondyng, 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 worthely miniſtred 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 here in, 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: leſt thou be a knower of perſonnes in iudgmēt, and wreſt the righte of the ſtraunger, of the fatherles or of 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.[2]
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.
