Before we declare the contents, the reader perhaps wil require to know, why they are called the Bookes of Machabees: how manie they be; who writ them; in what language; & especially whether al, or anie, or which of them are Canonical Scripture? ^note For satisfaction of al which demandes, distinguishing betwen certaine and vncertaine, we shal briefly shew that which semeth more probable in the doubtful pointes; and the assured certaintie of that which is decided by the Catholique Church of Christ. Concerning therefore the name and inscription. S. Ierom, very probably supposeth that these Bookes haue their title of Iudas Machabevs; the narration of whose heroical vertues, and noble Actes occupieth the greatest part of this whole historie. ^note And this surname Machabeus signifying valient of streingth (or by an vsual hebrew contraction, Mobi, more explicated, Milchamach Coach bihuda, that is, Force of battel, or Streingth in Iuda) was geuen him by his father Mathathias, when before his death disposing of his sonnes & exhorting them, he sayd to them al: You my sonnes take corege, and doe manfully in the law, because in it you shal be glorious. And behold Simon your brother I know that he is a man of counsel: heare ye him alwayes, and he shal be father to you. Next he addeth: And Iudas Machabeus, valient of streingth from his youth, let him be to you the prince of warfayre, and he shal manage the battel of the people. And from him this name was also ascribed to his bretheren, and to al the rest that ioyned with them either in the holie warres, or otherwise shewed their valure, professing Gods law in spiritual combate euen to death. ^note As Nicetas writeth in Orat. 22. S. Greg. Nazian. VVherupon old Eleazarus and the seuen young bretheren, with their mother are also called Machabees.

There be in al, foure bookes called Machabees. ^note The first S. Ierom found in Hebrew, the second in Greke, as he testifieth Epist. 106. The third

is also extant in Greke, and Latin in Biblijs Complutensibus. ^note The fourth semeth to be that which is mentioned in the end of the first booke. And either the same, or an other vnder that title, is also extant in Greke, as testifieth Sixtus Senensis, li. 1. Bibliotheca. VVho writte them is more vncertaine: but most probable euerie one had a diuers auctor. Neither are the two last approued for Canonical by anie authentical auctoritie.

It resteth therfore to speake of the two first, which the Iewes and Protestants denie, because they are not in the Hebrew Canon. ^note The Protestants further alleaging that they are not in the former Canon of the Church, before S. Ieroms time. Moreouer obiecting certaine places of these bookes, which they say, are contrarie to sound doctrine, & to the truth of other authentical histories, or contradictorie in themselues. None of which thinges can procede from the Holie Ghost, the principal auctor of al Diuine Scriptures. Al which textes we shal more conueniently explicate, according to their true sense, in ^note their proper places. ^note As for the exception, that these bookes are not in the Canon of the Iewes, it is answered already (Præf. Tobiæ.) that the Canon of the Christian Catholique Church is of souereigne auctoritie, though the Iewes Canon haue them not. Finally wheras these bookes were not canonized in the former General Councels, it sufficeth that they are since declared to be Canonical, & Diuine Scripture, as some other partes haue likewise bene, which English Protestants do not denie. As the Epistle of S. Iames, the second of S. Peter, the second and third of S. Iohn, and S. Iudes epistle: of al which Eusebius, and S. Ierom testifie, that some lerned Fathers doubted sometimes, whether they were Apostolical or no. But afterwards the same, with these two bookes of Machabees, and others were expresly declared to be Diuine Scripture, by the third Councel of Carthage, can. 47. ^note By the Councel of seuentie Bishops vnder Gelasius, though by the name of one booke, as also Esdras and Nehemias as but one booke. Lastly by the Councels of Florence, and Trent.

If anie further require the iudgement of more ancient Fathers, diuers doe alleage these bookes as Diuine Scriptures. ^note S. Dyonise, c. 2. celest. Hierar. S. Clemens Alexan. li. 1. Stromat. S. Cyprian li. 1. Epist. ep. 3. ad Cornelium. li. 4. ep. 1. & de exhort. ad Martyrium. c. 11. Isidorus li. 16. c. 1. Etym. S. Gregorie Nazianzen hath a whole Oration of the seuen Machabees Martyrs, and their mother. S. Ambrose li. 1. c. 41. Offic. But to omite others, albeit S. Ierom vrged not these bookes against the Iewes, yet he much estemed them, as appeareth in his commentaries vpon Daniel. c. 1. 11. & 12. S. Augustin most clerly auoucheth li. 2. c. 8. de doct. christ. & li. 18. c. 36. de ciuit. that notwithstanding the Iewes denie these bookes, the Church holdeth them Canonical. And wheras one Gaudentius an heretike alleaged for defense of his hæresie the example of Razias, who slew him self. 2. Mao. 14. S. Augustin denieth not the auctoritie of the booke, but discu&esset;eth the

fact, and admonisheth that it is not vnprofitably receiued by the Church; si sobrie legatur, vel audiatur: if it be read, or heard soberly. VVhich was a nece&esset;arie admonition to those Donatistes: who not vnderstanding the holie Scriptures, depraued them (as S. Peter speaketh of like heretikes, ep. 2. c. 3.) to their owne perdition.

Now touching the contentes, a great part of the same historie, which is written in the former booke, is repeted in the second, with such varietie of some thinges added, some omitted, as in the bookes of Kinges and Paralipomenon: and as the Gospel is written by the foure Euangelistes. ^{note note} Ioyning therfore these two bookes together, the Concordance therof conteyneth foure principal partes. The Preface; the Historie: an Appendix, & the Conclusion. But the three former partes are very extraordinarily disposed. ^note For the writer of the second booke (who doubtles was a distinct person from him that writte the former) first of al added an Appendix to the historie (written before) making mention of two Epistles, and reciting the summe of one of them, in the first chapter and part of the second, as though he meant to haue writte no more of the same matter. But then, as it may seme vpon new resolution, intending to abridge the historical bookes of Iason, maketh a preface to his worke, in the rest of that second chapter. And so prosecuteth his purpose: and finally maketh a briefe conclusion in the three last verses of the same second booke. The mayne historie conteyneth two special partes. ^note The first sheweth the state of Gods peculiar people, the Iewish nation, from the beginning of the Grecian Monarchie, parted after the death of Alexander amongst his folowers: of which some did exceedingly persecute the Iewes, by diuers both suttle and cruel meanes, to the ruine of manie, and euen to death and martyrdom of some most constant obseruers of Gods Lawes, and true Religion, til the warres of the Machabees, in the first chapter of the first booke, and in the 3. 4 5. 6. and 7. chapters of the second booke. In the other fiftene chapters of the former booke, and other eight of the second, are described the battles, victories, & triumphes of the valient Machabees. Of which holie warres Mathathias was the beginner and first captaine: Iudas the second: the third Ionathas: and Simon the fourth: after whose death his sonne Iohn Hyrcanus succeded Duke and Hieghpriest.

But because these bookes are intermixed the one with the other, whosoeuer please to read them in order of the historie, may folow the direction of the Alphabet letters, set in the inner margen, beginning with A. at the twentith verse of the second chapter of the second booke, to the end of the same chapter. ^note Thence procede as the signe of a starre directeth to the next letter B. which is at the beginning of the first booke, the first chapter first verse. And so in the rest. And when the capital letters are ended, the smaller wil direct you.

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