ΤΟ ΤΗ Ε Moft High and Mighty Prince JAMES, By the Grace of GOD, King of GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, and IRELAND, Defender of the Faith, &c. The Tranflators of the BIBLE wish Grace, Mercy, and Peace, through Jefus Christ our Lord. REAT and manifold were the Bleffings (moft dread Sovereign) which Almighty God, the Father of all Mercies, bestowed upon us the People of England, when firft he fent Your Majefty's Royal Perfon to Rule and Reign over us. For whereas it was the Expectation of many, who wished not well unto our Sion, that upon the fetting of that Bright Occidental Star Queen Elizabeth, of moft happy Memory, fome thick and palpable Clouds of Darkness would fo bave 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 direc the unfettled State: the Appearance of Your Majefty, as of the Sun in his Strength, inftantly difpelled thofe fuppofed and furmifed Mifts, and gave unto all that were well-affected, exceeding Caufe of Comfort; efpecially when we beheld the Government established in Your Highness, and Your hopeful Seed, by an undoubted Title, and this alfo accompanied with Peace and Tranquillity at Home and Abroad. But amongst all our Foys, there was no one that more filled our Hearts, than the blessed Continuance of the Preaching of God's facred Word amongst us, which is that ineftimable Treafure, which excelleth all the Riches of the Earth, because the Fruit thereof extendeth itself, not only to the Time spent in this tranfitory World, but diretteth and difpofeth Men unto that eternal Happiness which is above in Heaven. Then not to fuffer this to fall to the Ground, but rather to take it up, and to continue it in that State, wherein the famous Predeceffor of Your Highneß did leave it: nay, to go forward with the Confidence and Refolution 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 Majefty'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 fandtified Perfon, who under God is the immediate Author of their true Happiness. And this their Contentment doth not diminish or decay, but every Day increa'eth and taketh Strength, when they observe, that the Zeal of Your Majesty towards the Houfe of Gode doth not flack or go backward, but is more and more kindled, manifefting itself Abread in the fartheft Parts of Chriftendom, by Writing in Defence of the Truth, (which hath given fuch, a Blow unto that Man of Sin, as will not be Healed) and every Day at Home, by Religious and Learned Difcourfe, by frequenting the House of God, by hearing the Word Preached, by cherishing the Teachers thereof, by caring for the Church, as a moft tender and loving nurfing Father. There are infinite Arguments of this right Chriftian and Religious Affection in Your Majefty; but none is more Forcible to declare it to others, than the vehement and perpetuated Defire of the accomplishing and publishing of this Work, which now with all Humility we prefent unto Your Majefty. For when Your Highness had Once out of deep Fudgment 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 Tranflation of the Holy Scriptures into the English Tongue; Tour Majefty did never defift to Urge and to Excite thofe to whom it was Commended, that the Work might be Haftned, and that the Business might be Expedited in fo decent a Manner, as a Matter of fuch Importance might juftly Require. And now at last, by the Mercy of God, and the Continuance of our Labours, it being brought unto fuch a Conclufion, as that we have great Hope, that the Church of England fhall reap good Fruit thereby; we hold it our Duty to offer it to Your Majefty, not only as to our King and Sovereign, but as to the Principal Mover and Author of the Work: Humbly craving of Your moft Sacred Majefty, that fince Things of this Quality have ever been fubject to the Cenfures of ill-meaning and dijcontented A 2 Perfons, Perfons, it may receive Approbation and Patronage from fo Learned and Judicious a Prince as Your Higbnefs is, whofe Allowance and Acceptance of our Labours fhall more Honour and Encourage us than all the Calumniations and hard Interpretations of other Men fhall difmay us. So that if, on the one fide, we shall be traduced by Popish Perfons at home or abroad, who therefore will malign us, because we are poor Inftruments to make Gods holy Truth to be yet more and more known unto the People, whom they defire fill to keep in Ignorance and Darkness: or if, on the other fide, we shall be malign by selfconceited Brethren, who run their own ways, and give liking unto nothing but what is framed by themJelves, and hammered on their Anvil; we may reft fecure, fupported within by the Truth and Innocency of a good Confcience, having walked the Ways of Simplicity and Integrity, as before the Lord; and fustained. without by the powerful Protection of Your Majesty's Grace and Favour, which will ever give Countenance to Honeft and Chriftian Endeavours, against bitter Cenfures, and uncharitable Imputations. The Lord of Heaven and earth bless your Majefty with many and happy Days, that as his Heavenly Hand bath enriched Your Highness with many fingular 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 Jefus Chrift our Lord and only Saviour. The Names and Order of all the Books of the Old and New Teftament, with the Number of their Chapters. 1 Atthew hath Chapters 28 | Ephefians M Mark 6 To the Hebrews. 13: 16 Philippians 4 The Epiftle of James 5 24 Coloffians 21 I. Theffalonians 2.8 II. Theffalonians. 3 I. John 5 I. Timothy 6 II. John I 16 II. Timothy 4. III. John I 13. Titus 6 Philemon 3 Jude I. Revelation 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmaJer. 10. ment, from the waters which were fabove the 12. & 51. firmament: and it was fo. 236.5. 15. + Heb. expanfion. Pfal. 148. 4. Job 26. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven: 9¶And God faid, "Let the waters under the 3.&38 heaven be gathered together unto one place, Pfal. 33. and let the dry land appear: and it was fo. 7.& 104. 9. & 136. 6. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and Prov. 8. the gathering together of the waters called he Seas and God faw that it was good. 29. Jer 5.22. ↑ Heb. tender grass. 11 And God faid, Let the earth bring forth +grafs, the herb yielding feed, and the fruit k ་ the day, &c. i Job 38. 18. And to rule over the day and over the Jer. 31. night, and to divide the light from the dark- 35. nefs: and God faw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. 20 And God faid, 'Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that 67; hath + life, and +fowl that may fly above the creeping. earth in the open firmament of heaven. Joul. 1 2 Efdr. 6.47. || Or, + Heb. + Heb. f Heb. 21 And God created great whales, and let fowl every living creature that moveth, which they waters brought forth abundantly after their face of the kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: ment of and God faw that it was good. firma beaven. in Pfal. Chap. 22 And God bleffed them, faying, "Be 104, 26. fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in s. 17. &. the feas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 9. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 24 And God faid, Let the earth bring 25 And God made the beaft of the earth |