HKB
and be negligent) and all threatenings shall be forgiven thee for Christ's blood's sake to whom commit thyself altogether without respect either of thy good deeds or of thy bad.
Them that are learned Christianly I beseech forasmuch as I am sure, and my conscience beareth me record, that of a pure intent, singly and faithfully I have interpreted it, as far forth as God gave me the gift of knowledge and understanding that the rudeness of the work now at the first time offend them not, but that they consider how that I had no man to counterfeit, neither was helped with English of any that had interpreted the same or such like things in the Scripture beforetime. Moreover, even very necessity and cumbrance (God is record) above strength which I will not rehearse, lest we should seem to boast ourselves caused that many things are lacking which necessarily are required. Count it as a thing not having his full shape, but as it were born before his time, even as a thing begun rather than finished. In time to come (if God have appointed us thereunto) we will give it his full shape, and put out if aught be added superfluously, and add to if aught be overseen through negligence, and will enforce to bring to compendiousness that which is now translated at the length, and to give light where it is required, and to seek in certain places more proper English, and with a table to expound the words which are not commonly used and shew how the Scripture useth many words which are otherwise understood of the common people, and to help with a declaration where one tongue taketh not another; and will endeavor ourselves, as it were, to seeth (2) it better, and to make it more apt for the weak stomachs; desiring them that are learned and able, to remember their duty, and to help thereunto, and to bestow unto the edifying of Christ's body (which is the congregation of them that believe) those gifts which they have received of God for the same purpose. The grace that cometh of Christ be with them that love him. Pray for us.
(1) "Lust" here is used in a good sense: eagerness to obey.
(2) "Seeth" means "boil, cook."
THE NEW TESTAMENT
as it was written, and
caused to be written,
by them which heard it. To whom
also our saviour
Christ Iesus
commanded that
they should preach it unto all
creatures.
The Books Contained in the new Testament
i The gospell of Saynct Mathew ij The gospell of S. Marke iij The gospell of S. Luke iiij The gospell of S. Ihon iv The acts of the apostles written by S. Luke vj The epistel of S. Paul to the Romans vij The first epistel of S. Paul to the Corrinthians viij The second epistel of S. Paul to the Corrinthians ix The pistel of S. Paul to the Galathians. x The pistel of S. Paul to the Ephesians. xj The pistel of S. Paul to the Philippians xij The pistel of S. Paul to the Collossians xiij The first pistel of S. Paul to the Tessalonians xiiij The second pistel of S. Paul to the Tessalonians xv The first pistel of S. Paul to Timothe. xvj The second pistel of S. Paul to Timothe. xvij The pistel of S. Paul to Titus xviij The pistel of S. Paul unto Philemon xix The first pistel of S. Peter xx The second pistel of S. Peter xxj The first pistel of S. Ihon xxij The second pistel of S. Ihon xxiij The third pistel of S. Ihon
The pistel unto the Ebrues The pistle of S. Iames The pistle of Iude The revelation of Ihon.
The gospell of Saynct Mathew
The first Chapter.
This is the book of the generation of Iesus Christ the son of David, the son also of Abraham.
Abraham begat Isaac:
Isaac begat Iacob:
Iacob begat Iudas and his brethren:
Iudas begat Phares: and Zaram of Thamar: