THE Holy BIBLE, CONTAINING The OLD and NEW Newly Tranflated out of the Original Tongues: And with the former TRANSLATIONS Diligently Compared and Revised. By His Majesty's Special Command. Appointed to be Read in Churches. EDINBURGH: Printed by James Watfon, One of His Majefty's Printers. To the 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 Chrift our Lord. G Reat and manifold were the Blessings (moft dread Sovereign) which Almighty God, the Father of all Mercies, bestowed upon us the People of England, when firft be fent your Majefty's Keya! Perfon to rule and reign over us. For wheress it was the Expectation of many, who wished not well unto our Sion, that upon the festing of that bright Occidental Star Queen Elifabeth, of met happy Memory, fome thick and palpable Clouds of Darkness would fo have over bad wed 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 unfettled State: The Appearance of your Majefty, as of the Sun in his Strength, inftantly dispelled the fe fuppofed and farmifed Mifts, and gave unto all that were well-affected, exceeding Caufe of Comfort; especially when we beheld the Government eftablished 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 move filled our Heartsy than the bleed Continuance of the Preaching of God's facred Word amongst which is that inestimable Treasure, which excelleth all the Riches of the Earth, because the Fruit thereof extendeth it felf, not only to the Time spent in this transitory World, but directeth 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 Higonefs did leave it: Nay, to go forward with the Confidence and efoon of a Man, ja maintaining the Truth of Chrift, and propagating itar and nrary is that which hath so bound and frmly knit the Hearts of all your Majesty's loyal and religious People unto you, that your very Name precious among them, their Eye doth beheld you with Comfart, and they bless you in their Hearts, as that fanctified Perfon, who under God i the immediate Author of their true Happiness. And this their Content ment doth not diminish or decay, but every Day increafeth and taketh Strength when they obferve that the Leal of your Majfty towards the House of God, doth not flack org backward, but is more and more kindled, manifesting it felf abroad in the fartheft Parts of Christendom, by writing in Defence of the Truth (which hath given fuch a Blow unto that Man of Sin, as will be bealed and every Day at Home, by religious and learned Difccur fe, by frequenting the House of God, by bearing the Word preached, by cherishthe 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 Affeis in your Majesty but none is more forcible to declare it to hers, than the vehement and perpetuated Defire of the accomplishing and publish ng of this Work, which now with all Humility we prefent unto your Ma For when your Highness had once out of deep Judgment apprehended. he convenient it was, that out of the Original Sacred Tongues, together with comparing of the Labours, both in our own, and other foreign LanBarts of many worthy den who went before us, there should be one move Text Tranfation of the Holy Scriptures into the English Tongue; your Majet, did wer defift 13 urge and to excite thefe to whom it warcommended, that the Work might be haltned, and that the Bufinefs might be expedited in fode ne a Manner, as a Matter of fuch Importance might juftly require. And now at last, ly the Tercy of God, and the Continuance of our Labour, it bring brought unto fub a Conclufion, as that we have great hope, that the Church England sharea" god Fruit thereby; we hold it sar Duty to offer it to your Majefty, not only as to our King and Se A 2 |