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for searching only. Book of books; because all other bookes are but as seruants vnto these, and all other are nothing without these, for any true good, but onely to condemnation by leaning men more without excuse. Yea, eueryone who can haue opportunitie, should labour to see with his owne eyes, for the fulnesse of his assurance, rather then to rest on others. And much more because there are so many and such malicious slanders against all our translations; as that those shamelesse calumniations haue beene a principall.meanes to turne many thousand soules, after Satan and Antichrist, by causing them to reiect the sacred Scriptures vtterly, to their endlesse perdition, and haue beene enough to shake the faith of Gods Elect. Vnder this very pretence of false translations, and obscuritie of the Scriptures, hath Antichrist principally holden vp his kingdome; keeping all in palpable ignorance to be drawne to dumb Idols, to murther Princes, to lying and all abominations which himselfe listeth.
And therefore in these respects it were to bee wished, that all Schollers who haue any leasure, and may come to these studies of Greeke and He-brew (especially they who purpose in time to become teachers of others) would do their indeauours to be as perfect in these two bookes, and to haue them as familiarly as euer the ancient Iewes had the Hebrew. This cunning in the Text should make them to speake as the words of God indeed, with facility, authority, and power.
Those also, who haue but a little time to bestow in the Greeke, would be-stow it here, for the former reasons; and because they may haue good occasion and helpe to increase in this continually, by the daily vse which they haue of the Scriptures: whereas they, hauing but a smattering in some other Greeke Authors, and contenting themselues therewith, do come in a short time vtterly to forget all; and so all that labour which was taken therein, is altogether lost.
If any do preferre some other Greeke Author, for the sweetnesse and purity of the Greeke, and so will spend their little time in that; Luke is inferior to none therein, by the iudgement of the learned. If they looke to the excellencie of all wisdome, what light is there to the light of the Sunne? Also, for them who haue a desire to trauell further, amongst all the famous Greeke writers, for the surpassing humane wisedome to bee found therein; this booke once perfectly knowne, will make the passage thorow all of them both very direct and plaine, and also full of all de-light and contentment, and to reade all other Authors without any danger.
In the Greeke Testament, to begin at the Gospell of Zahn, as being most easie; and next vnto that, to go thorow the Gospell of Luke, if you please. In which two Euangelists most of the History of the Gospell is contained: that by them the Euangelists may bee soone runne thorow; And also the Acts: Then all the Epistles may be read with speed.
Spoud. I cannot but allow and like of all these things; and principally of reading the Greeke Testament, in the first place, making it the entrance, and another foundation to all the Greeke studies. But if that could be brought to passe, that Schollers, as they proceeded herein, might grow as perfect in the Greeke Testament, as it is said of the learned Lewes, that they
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