[Introductory Epistle to King James VI, from the Geneva Bible of 1579.]

TO THE RIGHT EXCELLENT, RIGHT
HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE JAMES THE SIXTH
KING OF SCOTS, YOUR HUMBLE SUBJECTS THE COMMIS-
sioners of the Kirks of your Realm, wish grace and peace with a prosperous
reign, from GOD the Father, through our Saviour
JESUS CHRIST.

OUR duty craves at all occasions to hold your Highness in remembrance of
things pertaining to the advancement of God's glory and weal of his Kirk,
wherewith is joined the preservation of your estate and whole body of this
commonwealth. For above the common sort of Princes, (who for the most
part are either enemies to true religion, or else think that the meddling therewith
troubles their estate, and are greatly moved with the wicked Herod [Math. 2.],
when they hear the wisemen seeking for Christ to adore him as a King) ye
are of God's loving mercy called to this honour and dignity to be maintainer of God's eternal
truth, and mutually to be maintained by the same: in such sort, that in all troubles and commotions
that any time these 16 years past have disquieted your commonwealth, two things have ever been
annexed together and made as it were one quarrel & one cause: to wit, the maintenance of Christ's
Evangel, and defence of your royal estate. So that for the most part they that have been enemies
to the right religion have been enemies likewise to your authority and crown: as by the contrary,
the most fervent favourers of God's truth, have ever been found most faithful subjects unto
your Majesty, and maintainers of your welfare and estate. And in this respect (no doubt) has the
Eternal at many times when matters appeared almost desperate in men's eyes, granted marvelous
success & notable victories to them who sustained your quarrel against the greater forces,
crafty & bold enterprises of the adversaries of the same who although many of them outwardly
professed the same religion, yet if their attempts had come to effect, it should have been the
means to suppress the same, and to erect superstition and idolatry again in place thereof, which
our God would not suffer, but rather fought by his own power against them, as well for preservation
of his truth revealed of his great mercy amongst us, as of your Highness person and estate to be
advancer thereof in time to come. Which indeed, Sir, is no small honour unto you, to have God's
cause and yours so linked together, and is an evident token and testimony, that so long is your
princely estate able to stand in all stability how long the purity of religion & liberty of Christ's
Kirk shall be carefully kept & maintained by you. Then if ofttimes princes have done many things
for their friends and confederates, & namely such as have been with them in like danger & hazard
of losing or winning, how much more shall it become your Highness to refuse no travails for that cause
of Christ's kirk and true religion presently so mixed with your own estate, that both have the self
same friends and unfriends, and are both appearant to abide together the like danger to fall or
to stand. Herefore we were much to be blamed and worthy to be accused of neglecting our duty
if we should not from time to time (as opportunity is offered) stir up, and labour to promove
your good mind in so worthy and necessary a cause, which is, further & further to advance the liberty
of the Gospel and spiritual building of the Kirk of God, by whom ye are promoted & main
tained in this your princely estate, to be mutually to your power promoter and maintainer of his
glory. And specially now when as being convened in our general assembly, this holy book of God,
called the Bible, newly imprinted, was brought before us by the printer thereof, Alexander Arbuthnot,
(a man who has taken great pains and travails worthy to be remembered in this behalf) and
desired to be dedicate to your Highness with a convenient preface in our common Scots language,
we could not omit nor neglect the occasion offered to do the same: Exhorting you most earnestly,
Sir, to consider to what place your God has called you, and to remember diligently how the
setting forth and authorising of this book chiefly pertains to your charge. Truth it is that the godly
(men of the nation of England for the most part) banished from their country for the Gospel's cause
and convened at Geneva, who did faithfully and learnedly translate this book out of the pure fountains
of the Hebrew, Chaldaic & Greek tongues ought to have their own praise for their labours
bestowed to the common weal of them that speak our language. Yet for as much as things once
well begun crave & require great diligence to preserve them from decay after that with great
labors they have been brought to perfection, one great part of the honor of advancing this work
pertains unto you: by whose authority it was of a certain time bypast ordained that this holy
book of God should be set forth and imprinted of new within your own realm, to the end, that
in every parish kirk there should be at least one thereof kept, to be called the common book of the
kirk, as a most meet ornament for such a place and a perpetual register of the word of GOD,
the fountain of all true doctrine, to be made patent to all the people of every congregation as
the only right rule to direct & govern them in matters of religion, as also to confirm them in the

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truth received and to reform and redress corruptions whensoever thay may creep in. Certainly
we have great occasion both to glorify the goodness of God toward this country, and also highly
to extol and commend your Highness' most godly purpose and enterprise. O what difference may
be seen between these days of light when almost in every private house the book of God's law is
read and understood in our vulgar language and that age of darkness when scarcely in one whole
city (without the cloisters of monks and friars) could the book of God once be found, and that in
a strange tongue of Latin not good but mixed with barbarity, used and read by few, and almost
understood or exponed by none. And when the false-named clergy of this realm abusing the gentle
nature of your Highness' most noble Grandfather of worthy memory made it a capital crime to be
punished with the fire to have or read the New Testament in the vulgar language, yea, and to make
them to all men more odious as if it had been the detestable name of a pernicious sect, they were
named New Testamenters, Verily if we would weigh these matters aright, men should neither so advance
the time passed neither yet accuse this present age, when this only spiritual comfort of God's
word ought justly to be preferred to all the vain worldly wealth of the years past before: but rather
with most thankful hearts praise and extol the infinite goodness of our God who has counted us
worthy to whom he should open free an heavenly treasure, and raised us up the heroical spirits of
princes, and namely of your grace, for the outsetting of the same. Wherefore seeing it has pleased
the goodness of our God to show such favour and benevolence toward your Highness and this your
country that now the truth of the Evangel is freely truly and sincerely preached throughout all places
under your subjection, of very duty the next care and study ought to be how this divine work
may more and more be furthered and performed, and also maintained and continued that the purity
of religion may long time remain amongst us, to the comfort of this present age, and of all posterities
to come. And so much the rather that the neglecting of this point in other places has been occasion
that most notable and happy beginnings has oft times not taken such end and success as
apparently might have followed if the like provision had been made for the continuance as pains &
travails were taken for planting of true religion. But as the errors of others may make us circumspect
so should the rare and singular benefits of God lately shown to this realm encourage your Highness &
your whole subjects in hope that this notable & excellent work of the spiritual edifying of the house
of God shall take good success and happy end in your hands, for since the time it pleased God to devolve
the government of this realm and care of establishing his kirk in your person, being then
but an infant of tender age, continually such success has followed that not without just cause the minds
of many are erected in that expectation that God shall some day use you as an instrument to perform
greater things for the welfare of his Kirk, than either we will presently utter, or by natural
reason can be made probable. We omit now to speak how miraculously the truth of God's
word was first sown in this country by feeble & weak instruments, or largely to dilate how mercifully
things were brought to pass without great inconvenience or cruel bloodshed, and how the
liberty of the Evangel has been so graciously granted to us without any extreme harm and
damage, which other great & potent nations these many years with extreme troubles and fearful
battles to the great loss of their lives and goods, has long sought for, and yet never fully obtained;
neither mind we at this present to declare how wonderfully your grace has been preserved even
from your conception and birth to this day, how happily factions & controversies concerning
your royal estate have been settled and extinguished, and shortly how many and notable works
above all worldly expectation enterprised in your most happy name have been brought to lukkie [blessed]
end and good effect, the favour & blessing of God continually following them with better success
than men durst either hope for or desire. These things and many others more particular (the ample
discourse whereof we remit unto the histories) as they testify unto us the bountiful goodness of
God, both toward your majesty and this realm, so ought they to stir up all hearts to thankfulness,
and cheerfully encourage you to pass forward in this great work of reformation of religion
and building the spiritual temple of the Lord. The foundation whereof being already laid by publick
universal preaching of true doctrine throughout the whole realm, it resteth that the work
may be prosecute and the building brought to a good perfection by establishing of discipline and
meet policy in the kirk of God, not taken out of the Cisterns of traditions of men, but of the
pure fountains of God's holy word. Which thing wisely begun in your Highness' name by your first
Regent of godly memory, and ordained by act of parliament to be followed forth, has been diligently
pressed for, from time to time, but especially now since the acceptation of the government in your
own person: when as not only most lovingly & willingly ye did receive the book of the policy of the
kirk offered by them who were direct to your majesty in name of the general kirk, but also was very careful
to find out men meet for conference upon the heads of that same, lamenting for the rarity of such kind
of persons as were desired to confer thereupon, & has appointed divers times & places where such conferences
in your name & at your commandment have been had, not without fruit & agreement in many

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heads to be passed in laws, but with expectation of greater things after to follow upon further
conferrence, providing such men be appointed thereto as your Highness wished, and we most earnestly
crave whereinto we doubt not of your own good will as of before, for it should be but travail lost what
soever has been hitherto bestowed therein, if the work shall not be followed forth, and brought to
good show and end. Whereunto we exhort your grace most effectuously, for nothing can be found
more proper & ganand [suitable] wherein a Christian prince of such expectation as ye are, should give a true
proof of the good & sound affection which he bears to the advancement of God's glory, and of the
Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Truth it is that Satan ceases not neither will cease hereafter to object many
and great impediments to the hindrance of this Godly enterprise of bringing the spiritual
building of the house of God to perfection, which we always are in good hope (adjoining thereto
our continual prayers) your good and heroic zeal shall overcome, albeit not without some hard difficulties
and wearisome lets, even of them who ought of duty to put their hands to this work. We
read in this book how many & difficult impediments were offered to Zerubbabel and the Jews to
stop the building and repairing of the temple of Jerusalem. Sometime they were expressly contramanded
by the edicts of the great monarch, Sometimes by the threatening of their adversaries
round about them. Sometime by domestical enemies, hypocrites, crafty worldlings and oppressors
of their brethren, Yet against all these the Prophet oppones the commandment of God and
promise of his assistance to perform the work. [In the books Ezra & Neh. Hag. 12.] The like or rather greater impediments be
objected this day, against the spiritual building of God's house. The Kings and great monarchies
of the earth threaten wrek [vengeance] and destruction to all them that shall meddle with this work. The false
named Kirkmen that pretend to be biggars [builders] up, demolish it, and if they had power, would cast down
all to the ground, as their wicked conspiracy concluded at Trent does specify. In[to] what coldness
the former zeal of many is now changed; yea, what carelessness of matters of Religion in all
estates it may more than evidently appear. The insatiable covetous[ness] of everyone to apply & appropriate
to themselves, the common rents of the kirk, does overtruly declare what conscience men
have, (and specially the greatest, whose antecessours lived more honourably upon their own) to
be manifest transgressors indeed, of that Religion which in word to their shame boldly they profess.
And last of all, the manifest corruption of our lives in all estates the licentious and godless living
of the multitude, the impunity of sin and wickedness, the cruel and unatural murders
heinous and detestable incests, adulteries, sorceries, and many suchlike enormities, with the oppression
and contempt of the poor almost universal, corruption of justice and judgment, and many
other evils that overflow this commonwealth, bear evident witness how slender & small success
hitherto followed the reformation of religion within this realm; And do provoke the judgments
of God, alas, oversore against us. And yet none of these impediments, no not they all conjoined
together should discourage your Highness to go forward in this godly work once begun. But
the hope of God's assistance, (who is able to move heaven and earth when pleases him), the promise
of his presence and grace, and the happy end to follow, ought rather to inflame and raise up
your royal heart more constantly to fight and overcome all the lets that Satan and his crafty supposts [supporters]
can devise. It appears well that GOD has chosen you as a singular instrument to be as a
pattern and ensample to all other princes of your time; in offering you so fair occasions to put the
Kirk of God to full liberty, to purge it from corruption, to establish such decent and comely policy
within the same as his word craves, and to provide for the long [en]during and perpetuity thereof, seeing
it has pleased him to make your grace from your tender youthhood to be brought up in the true
knowledge and fear of his name: to make the pure doctrine of the Gospel in perfect unity without
any schism or controversy to be plainly & peaceably published through all the bounds of your
dominion. And finally to make this policy of the Kirk to be humbly and earnestly craved to be
established by your Highness by the most part of the true subjects of your realm. Such preclare [clear] occasions
ought not to be omitted; remembering how all Kings are commanded to kiss and embrace
the son of God and to be nourishers of his Kirk. [Psalm 2.] Therefore against all impediments, propone &
oppone the earnest zeal of David who could take no rest nor sleep unto his eyes until he had found
the place where the Lord should have his resting place amongst his people. [Psalm 133 [132].] Call for the wisdom
of Solomon to endue your grace with a principal Spirit as well as in the outward policy, in advancing
the spiritual policy of his Kirk. [1. King. 3.] Imitate the fervent faith of Jehoshaphat, putting his whole trust
in the Lord, and believing his Prophets [2. Chro. 20.]; The diligence of Jehoash in reparing the house of the
Lord [2. King. 12.]; follow the godly Hezekiah in rooting out all monuments of Idolatry, & depending firmly
upon the Lord [2. Chro. 29.]; The faithful young Josiah, in making the book of the Law of God long time down
smored [smothered, suppressed], and kept in silence: yea utterly tint [lost] and forgotten, to be publicly read, accepted by the people,
and recommended to the posterity. [2. Chro. 34.] To such diligence as this did the Prophets Haggai, Zechariah
& Malachi, exhort the princes of the Jews. And shortly such godly enterprises as they have made
the great Constantine, the gentle Gratian, the godly Theodosius, and such others to be worthy

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of Eternal memory & commendation. Neither is it enough to begin well, as did some kings of Judah
& afterward fainted in their proceedings: but there chiefly is required constancy & perseverance, with
out shrinking, till things be brought to a good order, & stable estate. Neither ought your Grace only look
how much is done, but rather how much rests unperformed, ever thinking that great diligence is required
to go forward, & great attendance to be given that things done may abide & continually increase,
till they come to due perfection. This is a matter worthy of your royal heart, a purpose proper for the
exercise of the vivacity of your divine & high ingeny. This is a most fair field to run in & exercise
the course of your youth. And a thing most meet to make known what ought to be that principal study
of a Christian prince, declaring how neither we your natural subjects, neither the godly & faithful
of foreign nations have in vain so long looked for some notable & excellent work to proceed from
your Majesty's authority for promoting of God's glory, & establishing of his true religion. The which
(no doubt) shall be an exceeding honour and perpetual renown, that shall follow your Highness. All other
glory at last shall decay, and all commendation that results of other princely acts either is not of long
endurance, or has commonly mixed therewith, such things as be also worthy of blame, but the honour
of this act shall endure for ever, and shall be fully approved by him whose judgment can no ways be
but equal and right, who is the Eternal Lord of lords, & King of kings, whom with most humble
heart and instant prayer we beseech to bless your Majesty with continual and daily increase of
his abundant blessings, as well spiritual as temporal, and to maintain in wealthy prosperity
your Princely estate to the praise and glory of his holy name; your assured
salvation, the comfort & quietness of this country, the overthrow of
the power of Satan, the advancement of the kingdom of
Jesus Christ.    From Edinburgh in our General
Assembly the tenth day of
July, 1579.
(∴)