THE
HOLY BIBLE
CONTAINING THE
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
OF
GOD ALMIGHTY
AND HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
KEPT AND PRESERVED UNTO THE CHILDREN OF GOD
ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE
BEING PURIFIED SEVEN TIMES
GIVEN BY THE INSPIRATION OF GOD
UNTO ALL THE SAINTS IN CHRIST JESUS
WHO RECEIVED IT NOT AS THE WORD OF MEN,
BUT AS IT IS IN TRUTH,
THE WORD OF GOD
WHICH EFFECTUALLY WORKETH ALSO
IN ALL THAT BELIEVE
DONATUS QUO DEUS
TO THE GOD AND CREATOR OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH,
THOU KING OF JACOB
BY THE GRACE OF GOD CALLED WONDERFUL, COUNSELLOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE,
THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
THE DEFENDER OF THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST,
THE PUBLISHERS OF THIS HOLY BIBLE PRAY GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE
THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE ALPHA AND OMEGA,
THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING, THOU WHICH IS, AND WHICH WAS, AND WHICH
IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY, SAITH THE LORD GOD THE FIRST AND THE LAST
OF THIS SO GREAT A WORK AS SHOULD BE PLACED
INTO THE HANDS OF SINFUL MEN.
GREAT and manifold were the heavenly blessings, our GREAT SAVIOUR, that Almighty God did bestow upon us the people of God, when He first sent Thee, His Only Begotten Son into the world, not to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person was sent to rule and reign over us. For whereas it continues to be the expectation of many, who wish not well unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, that she might be burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, that darkness, clouds, and thick darkness might overshadow this Land, to become a land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness; that men’s lives should hang in doubt before them all the day, and fear day and night, and have none assurance of life eternal; and that our eyes should be holden that we should not know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent; O to the praise and glory of God Almighty, the appearance of Your Majesty King Eternal, as the Sun of Righteousness did instantly enlighten our darkness and gave gifts unto men whereby thou hast given us thy Word wherein we are exceedingly comforted; especially when we behold Thee in the volume of the Book it is written of Thee.
Yet among all our exceeding great reward there was none to be so much enjoyed as the manifestation of thy Word through preaching, which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, which treasure we have in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us; which treasure extendeth itself to joy unspeakable and full of glory, not only to this life we now live in the flesh in this present time, but in the world to come life everlasting in heaven above.
Then not to allow ought of Thy Words to fall to the ground, but rather hast magnified thy word above all Thy Name, and to continue such in the Son and in the Father, wherein the Holy Ghost of Your Excellency did bestow it: yea, to go into all the world with boldness and access with confidence by the faith of the Son of God in holding fast the faithful word, and preaching it far and near, which is and shall forever be that which so binds and firmly knits together in one the children of God unto Thee alone that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, that blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise, which name is so precious amongst us: which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life, and we bless Thee in our hearts as the Just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus, Who, under God our Father, is the immediate and sole Author and Finisher of our Faith. And this contentment with such godliness as doth manifest from thee unto all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, doth not stay nor go back, but increaseth strength day by day continually, when the eyes of men doth behold that the manifestation of Your Majesty in our mortal flesh doth not decrease, but by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God through the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, that we always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh in filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ throughout the whole world, by manifestation of the truth through preaching, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, as the Author of our eternal salvation unto all that obey Thee!
Many would order their cause before Thee, and fill their mouths with arguments of the righteousness of God and love of God in Christ Jesus; but none be more forcible in declaration to all mankind than the completion and publishing of these Testaments, which we now with fear and trembling do set before Thee and all the people, knowing a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth, for where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For when Your Holiness had once out of the manifest token of Thy righteous judgment decreed that Thy Name be declared throughout all the earth, and that Thy Word be magnified above all Thy Name; it was altogether becoming Thee in not only purifying thy word as in a furnace of earth purified seven times in turning to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the Lord, to serve Him with one consent; but that the word of the Lord likewise have free course amongst us, for the preaching of the kingdom of God, the reading of Thy Word, and that the teaching of those things which concern Thy Majesty be with all confidence and liberty of conscience, no man forbidding, whether they be kings or queens, popes or priests, men or devils.
And now we rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at the last Thy care for the Church hath flourished again, according to Thy abundant mercy, with this volume of the Book being complete in Thee and now free indeed, seeing then that we have such hope that the Body of Christ shall reap also bountifully, we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end in presenting this supplication before Thee as the Author and Finisher of the work; and having none in heaven above or upon the earth that we desire but thee, seeing that this work was wrought of our God, that since the things which are freely given to us from God, have ever been subject to the hatred of light and treacherous persons, that this thy BOOK which Thou hast written shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the GOD of our salvation, whose power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing shall more stablish, strengthen and settle us, than all the strife, railings, evil surmisings and perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds shall beguile us. So that if the will of God be so that on the one side we be vehemently accused by Papists Priests at home or regions beyond, which accuse us day and night because we be the poorest sort of the people of the land to make known thy truth and thy faithfulness to all generations, whom they desire to make twofold more the child of hell than themselves; or if, on the other side, we be robbed of thy words by self conceited kings and princes, and false brethren unawares brought in, that give liberty to nothing but what can be censured and licensed by their own covetousness and instruments of a foolish shepherd for iniquity unto iniquity; our hearts may be comforted and our consciences clear before Thee, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ that in this Volume of the Book are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to bring us unto Thee, whose name is Written that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is HOLY.
“All rights to the King of Jacob’s Bible are vested in Jesus Christ the Righteous,
the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and to the people of God,
saved and born again by the Spirit of God throughout the world,
and in every place world without end, who are by these presents free to
own, copy, publish, look upon and with their hands handle the Word of Life
without restriction, tax, regulation or revenue, knowing that
if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life,
and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Amen.
