Page images
PDF
EPUB

LIOTHEQUE BANTONAL LAUSANNE UNIVERSITAIRE

3.-5.

TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE

JAMES,

BY THE GRACE OF GOD,

KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND IRELAND,
DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, &c.

The Translators of the Bible wish Grace, Mercy, and Peace,
through JESUS CHRIST our Lord.

G us the people of

REAT and manifold were the blessings, most dread Sovereign, which Almighty God, the

Majesty's Royal Person to rule and reign over us. For whereas it was the expectation of many, who wished not well. unto our SION, that upon the setting of that bright OCCIDENTAL. STAR, Queen ELIZABETH of most happy memory, some thick and palpable clouds of darkness would so have overshadowed this Land, that men should have been in doubt which way they were to walk; and that it should hardly be known, who was to direct the unsettled State; the appearance of Your Majesty, as of the Sun in his strength, instantly dispelled those supposed and surmised mists, and gave unto all that were well affected exceeding cause of comfort; especially when we beheld the Government established in Your Highness, and Your hopeful Seed, by an undoubted Title, and this also accompanied with peace and tranquillity at home and abroad.

But among all our joys, there was no one that more filled our hearts, than the blessed continuance of the preaching of God's sacred Word among us; which is that inestimable treasure, which excelleth all the riches of the earth; because the fruit thereof extendeth itself, not only to the time spent in this transitory world, but directeth and disposeth men unto that eternal happiness which is above in Heaven.

Then not to suffer this to fall to the ground, but rather to take it up, and to continue it in that state, wherein the famous Predecessor of Your Highness did leave it: nay, to go forward with the confidence and resolution of a Man in maintaining the truth of CHRIST, and propagating it far and near, is that which hath so bound and firmly knit the hearts of all Your Majesty's loyal and religious people unto You, that Your very name is precious among them: their eye doth behold You with comfort, and they bless You in their hearts, as that sanctified Person, who, under God, is the immediate Author of their true happiness. And this their contentment doth not diminish or decay, but every day increaseth and taketh strength, when they observe, that the zeal of Your Majesty toward the house of God doth not slack or go backward, but is more and more kindled, manifesting itself abroad in the farthest parts of CHRISTENDOM, by writing in defence of the Truth, (which hath given such a blow unto that man of sin, as will not be healed,) and every day at home, by religious and learned discourse, by frequenting the house of God, by hearing the Word preached, by cherishing the Teachers thereof, by caring for the Church, as a most tender and loving nursing Father.

There are infinite arguments of this right Christian and religious affection in Your Majesty; but none is more forcible to declare it to others than the vehement and perpetuated desire of accomplishing and publishing of this work, which now with all humility we present unto Your Majesty. For when Your Highness had once out of deep judgment apprehended how convenient it was, that out of the Original Sacred Tongues, together with comparing of the labours, both in our own, and other foreign Languages, of many worthy men who went before us, there should be one more exact Translation of the Holy Scriptures into the ENGLISH TONGUE; Your Majesty did never desist to urge and to excite those to whom it was commended, that the work might be hastened, and that the business might be expedited in so decent a manner, as a matter of such importance might justly require.

And now at last, by the mercy of God, and the continuance of our labours, it being brought unto such a conclusion, as that we have great hopes that the Church of ENGLAND shall reap good fruit thereby; we hold it our duty to offer it to Your Majesty, not only as to our King and Sovereign, but as to the principal Mover and Author of the work: humbly craving of Your most Sacred Majesty, that since things of this quality have ever been subject to the censures of illmeaning and discontented persons, it may receive approbation and patronage from so learned and judicious a Prince, as Your Highness is, whose allowance and acceptance of our labours shall more honour and encourage us, than all the calumniations and hard interpretations of other men shall dismay us. So that if, on the one side, we shall be traduced by Popish Persons at home or abroad, who therefore will malign us, because we are poor instruments to make God's holy Truth to be yet more and more known unto the people, whom they desire still to keep in ignorance and darkness; or if, on the other side, we shall be maligned by selfconceited Brethren, who run their own ways, and give liking unto nothing, but what is framed by themselves, and hammered on their anvil; we may rest secure, supported within by the truth and innocency of a good conscience, having walked the ways of simplicity and integrity, as before the Lord; and sustained without by the powerful protection of Your Majesty's grace and favour, which will ever give countenance to honest and Christian endeavours against bitter censures and uncharitable imputations.

The Lord of heaven and earth bless Your Majesty with many and happy days, that, as his heavenly hand hath enriched Your Highness with many singular and extraordinary graces; so You may be the wonder of the world in this latter age for happiness and true felicity, to the honour of that great GOD, and the good of his Church; through JESUS CHRIST our Lord and only Saviour.

[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

€ 9 Cor. 46. tween the light and be

tween the
darkness.
í Pr. 74. 16.
& 104. 20.
1 Heb. and

the evening
was, and the
morning
was.

Job 37. 18. Ps. 136. S

Jer. 10. 12. & 51.15

+ Heb. expansion.

h Prov. & 28.

1 Pr. 148: 4

k Job 26. 10.

3. & F. &1049 Prov. & 29

33-7. &95

k136. 6.

Jer. 5.22.

2 Pet. 35.

! Heb. 6. 7.

+ Heb. tesder grass.

[ocr errors]

And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament," and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

[ocr errors]

Before

let them be for signs, and for seasons, CHRIST and for days, and years;

4004.

& 104-19

9. & 148 3,5

15 And let them be for lights in the Ps. 74 17firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he

made

the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

Heb. for theref Ps. 8. 3.

[ocr errors]

day.

r Job 38.7.

18 And to 'rule over the day and over s Jer. 31. 35. the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

47.

Esdr. 6.

20 ¶ And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving Or, creepcreature that hath + life, and fowl that ing may fly above the earth in the firmament of heaven.

+ Heb. soul. I

open Heb. let

fowl fly.
+ Heb.face
ment of hra-

of the forma

& 7. 14. & 8.

21 And "God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, ve which the waters brought forth abun- u ch. 6. 20. dantly, after their kind, and every wing- 19. Ps. 104. ed fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying,

26.

8 And God called the firmament Hea-Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the w ch. 8. 17. ven. And the evening and the morning waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply were the second day. in the earth.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth 1bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and Luke & the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth: and it was so.

[blocks in formation]

1

[blocks in formation]

CHRIST ply, and replenish the earth, and subdue 4004. it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that † moveth upon the earth.

+ Heb. creepeth

[blocks in formation]

Acts 17.25 the ground.

k ch. 7. 22. Isai. 2. 22.

11 Cor. 15

45.

mi ch. 13. 10.

Isai. 51.3. Ezek. 28. 13. Joel 2.3. n ch. 3. 24.

cb. 4. 16. 2 Kings 19

12. 27.
23.
per. 15.

Fsdr. 3.6.
Ezek. 31.

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and 'breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and 'man became a living soul.

And the LORD God planted "a garden "eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the Pro: 3.18 garden, and the tree of knowledge of Rev. 2.7.& good and evil.

r ch. 3. 22. & 11.30.

22. 2, 14.

6 ver. 17.

10 ¶ And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it

The tree of knowledge.

was parted, and became into four heads.

Before CHRIST

11 The name of the first is Pison: 4004. that is it which compasseth "the whole Ecclus. 24 land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12 And the gold of that land is good: "there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of † Ethiopia.

14 And the name of the third river is * Hiddekel: that is it which goeth || toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

25

u ch. 25. 18.

w Numb. 11.

7.

[blocks in formation]

15 And the LORD God took the 1 Or, Adam. man, and put him into the garden of y ver. 8. Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof+thou shalt surely die.

I

+ Heb. eating thou

[ocr errors]

shall eat.

z ver. 9. a ch. 3. 1, 3,

11,17. 2 Esd.

3-7bch. 3-3, 19. Rom. 6. 23.

[ocr errors]

1 John 5. 16.

Cor. 15-56. am 1.15. Heb.dying

thou shalt

di

1 Cor. 11. 9.

18¶ And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and 'brought them unto || Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam +gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every See ch. 6. 20 beast of the field; but for Adam there 1 Or, the was not found an help meet for him.

24.

ch.3. 12. Tim. 2. 13. Ecclus. 36 Heb. as before him. 24.

e ch. 1. 20,

f Ps. 8. 6.

[blocks in formation]

1 The serpent deceiveth Eve. 6 Man's shame- 10, 11. ful fall. 9 God arraigneth them. 14 Then Exod. 32. serpent is cursed. 15 The promised seed. 16 25. Isai. 47. The punishment of mankind. 21 Their first clothing. 22 Their casting out of Paradise. "the serpent than thy best of the field which & 28. 10. the LORD God had made. And he said 16.2 Cor. unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Heb. Yea, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

NOW

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »