VVhy Isai, Ieremie, Ezechiel, and Daniel are called the foure greater Prophetes, and these twelue the lesse: there semeth no other certaine and proper reason, but because they writte more largely, and these more brifely. ^note For otherwise without essential difference, al the sixtene, as also Baruch (whose booke is inserted with Ieremies) and Moyses, Samuel, the Royal Psalmist Dauid, Nathan, Elias, Elizeus, Esdras, Nehemias, and manie others, some writing bookes, some not, were absolutly true Prophetes of God, indued with the holie spirite of prophecie; had the like reuelations, with the same assurance of truth, in great part of the same Mysteries, as wel perteyning to the old Testament, as to the New. ^note And so these twelue, contracted into the straitnes of one volume (sayth S. Ierom) multò aliud, quam sonant in litera, præfigurant. Prefigurate a farre other thing, then they sound in the letter. ^note Sygnifying, as he elswhere explicæteth, that they do foreshew manie important thinges, not only perteyning to the Iewes, and some other peoples of those former times, but also of al nations to be conuerted to Christ. They were not al at one time: but Osee, Ioel, Amos, Abdias, Ionas, and Micheas, prophecied before the captiuitie of the tenne Tribes. Nahum, Habacuc, and Sophonias, after that captiuitie, and before the captiuitie of the two Tribes. And the other three Aggæus, Zacharias, and Malachie, after the relaxation from captiuitie. Neither did they al prophecie in the same places: nor concerning the same people; and so haue their particular arguments, as we shal briefly note of euerie one, as they folow in order.

Here vve may note for instruction of the vulgar reader, that the Prophetes commonly vse one of these names, when they direct their speach of the kingdom of two Tribes. ^note {Iuda, Beniamin, Ierusalem, or The house of Dauid.}

Because Iuda vvas the chiefe, and most vvorthie tribe. Beniamin the other only tribe (besides Leui) that ioyned vvith Iuda. Ierusalem the Metropolitan and Royal citie, vvhere both the Temple, and Kinges palace vvere situated. The House of Dauid is the familie, vvherof succeded al the kinges of that kingdom, so long as it stood; and of vvhich some remayned in more estimation then anie other euen to Christ.

Likevvise they vse some of these other names, vvhen they speake of the kingdom of tenne Tribes. ^note {Ephraim, Ioseph, Samaria, Iezrahel, Bethel, or Bethauen.}

For that their first king Ieroboam vvas of the tribe of Ephraim, and so descended from Ioseph; Samaria, and Iezrabel vvere the chifest cities of that kingdom; Bethel vvas one of the places (Dan the other) vvhere Ieroboam set vp the tvvo calues. VVhich place vvas othervvise, & more truly called Bethauen, the house of the idol, or of vanitie, or iniquitie. The names also of Israel and Iacob, were more commonly vsed for the tenne tribes; who being more in number vsurped, and appropriated to themselues the names of their general Progenitor, and Patriarch. ^note Yet sometimes these names importe al the tvvelue tribes, including also Leui. And sometimes, especially after the captiuitie of the tenne tribes, these names signifie the tvvo tribes only: vvhich more imitated Iacobs steppes and vertues, then the tenne.

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