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

TO THE RICHT EXCELLENT RICHT
HEICH AND MICHTIE PRINCE IAMES THE SEXT
KING OF SCOTTIS, ZOUR HVMBLE SVBIECTIS THE COMMIS-
sionares of the Kyrkes of your Realme, wish grace and peace with a prosperous
raigne, from GOD the Father, throuch our Sauiour
JESVS CHRIST.

OVRe deutie craues at al occasiones to halde zour Hienes in remembrance of
things perteining to the aduancement of Gods glorie and wel of his Kyrk,
querwith is ioyned the preseruation of zour estate and haile body of this
common welth. For aboue the common sort of Princes, (qha for the most
part are ather ennemies to true religion, or elles think that the melling therwith
troublis thair estate, and are greatlie mouit with the wickit Herode [Math. 2.],
quhen thay heare the wisemen seking for Christ to adore him as a King) ze
are of Gods louing mercie callit to this honour and dignity to be mainteinar of Gods eternall
trueth, and mutually to be mainteinit by the same: in sik sort, that in all troubles and commotionis
that ony tyme thir xij yeres past haue disquietit zour common weill, two thingis haue euer bene
annexit together and made as it were ane querel & ane cause: to wit, the maintenance of Christis
Euangel, and defence of your royal estate. So that for the maist part thay that haue bene ennemies
to the richt religion haue bene ennemies likewise to zour autoritie and crowne: as be the contrary
the maist feruent fauoraris of Gods trueth, haue euer bene founde maist faithful subiectis vnto
zour Maiestie, and mainteinaris of zour weilfare and estate. And in this respect (no doubt) hes the
Eternal at many tymes quhen materis appearit almaiste desperate in mennis eyes, grantit maruelous
successe & notable victories to thame quha sustenit zour querrel againis ye greater forces,
craftie & balde interprises of the aduersares of the same quha althocht many of thame outwardly
professit the same religion, zet gif thair attemptatis had come to effect, it sulde haue bene the
moyen to suppresse the same, and to erect superstition and idolatrie againe in place thereof, quhilk
our God walde not suffer, bot rather faucht be his awne power aganis thame, aswel for preseruation
of his trueth reueilit of his great mercie amangis vs, as of zour Hienes persone and estate to be
aduancer thereof in time to come. Quhilk in dede, Sir, is na smal honour vnto zou, to haue Gods
cause and zouris sa linkit together, and is ane euident taken and iestimonie, that sa lang is zour
princelie estate able to stand in al stabilitie quhow lang the puritie of religion & libertie of Christis
Kirk salbe carefully kepit & mainteinit be zou. Then gif oft times princes haue done many thingis
for thair freindis and confederatis, & namelie sik as haue bene with thame in like danger & hazarde
of tyning or winning, quhow mekle mair sal it become zour Hienes to refuse na trauailes for yt cause
of Christs kirk and true religion presontlie sa mixit with zour awne estate, that baith haue the self
same friendis and vnfriendis, and are baith appearand to abide together the like danger to fall or
to stand. Herefore we were mekle to be blamit and worthie to be accusit of neglecting our dewtie
gif we sulde not from time to time (as oportunitie beis offrit) stirre vp, and labour to promoue
zour gude minde in sa wuorthie and necessarie a cause, whilkis, forther & forther to aduance the libertie
of the Gospel and spiritual bigging of the Kirk of God, be quhome ze are promotit & main
reinit in this zour princelie estate, to be mutually to zour power promotare and mainteinare of his
glorie. And specially now quhé as being cóuenit in our generall assemblie, this holy boke of God
callit the Bible, newly imprentit, was brocht before vs be the prenter thereof Alexander Arbuthnot
(a man quha hes taken great paines and trauailes worthie to be remembred in this behalfe) and
desyrit to be dedicate to zour Hienes with a conuenient preface in our common Scottis language
we colde not omit nor neglect the occasion offrit to do the same: Exhorting zou maste earnestlie,
Sir, to consider to quhat place zour God hes callit zou, and to remember diligentlie quhow the
setting forth and autorising of this buke chiefly perteinis to zour charge. Trueth it is that the godly
(men of the nation of England for the maist part) banishit fró thair countrie for the Gospelis cause
and conuenit at Geneua, quha did faithfullie and lernedlie translate this buke out of the pure fontainis
of ye Hebrewe Chaldaike & Greke tongues aucht to haue thair awne praise for thair labouris
bestowit to the common weil of thame that speake our language. Zet for asmekle as thingis anis
weil begunne craue & require great diligence to preserue thame from decay after that with great
labotis thay haue bene brocht to perfection, ane great part of the honor of aduanceing this worke
perteinis vnto zou: be quhais autoritie it was of a certaine time bypast ordainit that this holy
buke of God sulde be set forthe and imprentit of newe within zour awne realme, to the end, that
in euerie paroch kirk there sulde be at leist ane thereof kepit to be callit the commoun buke of the
kirke, as a maist mete ornament for sik a place and a perpetuall register of the word of GOD
the fontaine of all true doctrine, to be made patent to all the people of euerie congregation as
the only richt rule to direct & gouerne thame in materis of religió as alswa to cóferme thame in the

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trueth receauit and to reforme and redresse corruptiones quhensoeuer thay may crepe in. Certainelie
we haue great occasion baith to glorifie the gudenes of God toward this cuntrie, and also heichly
to extol and commend zour Hienes most godlie purpose and enterprise. O quhat difference may
be sene betwene thir daies of light quhen almaist in euerie priuate house the buike of Gods lawe is
red and vnderstand in our vulgaire language and that age of darkenes quhen skarslie in ane haill
citie (without the clostres of monkes and freires) culde the buke of God anes be founde, and that in
ane strange tongue of latine not gud but mixed with barbaritie, vsed and red be fewe, and almaist
vnderstand or exponit be nane. And quhen the false namit clergie of this realme abusing the gentle
nature of zour Hienes maist noble Gudshir of worthie memorie made it an cappital crime to be
punishit with the fyre to haue or rede the new testament in the vulgare language, zea, and to make
them to al men mare odius as gif it had bene the detestable name of a pernicious sect, they were
named new testamentares, Verely gif we wolde wey thir matters aright, men sulde nether so aduance
the time passed nether zit accuse this present age, quhen this only spiritual comfort of Gods
worde aucht iustly to be preferrit to al the vaine warldlie welth of the zeires past before: but rather
with moste thankful heartes praise and extol the infinite gudnes of our God quha hes counted vs
worthie to quhome he sulde open fre ane heauenly treasure, and raisid vs vp the heroical spirits of
princes, and namely of zour grace, for the outsetting of the same. Quharefore seing it hes pleasit
the gudnes of our God to schawe sic fauore and beneuolence towarde zour Hienes and this zour
coútrie that now the truth of the Euangel is frelie trulie and sincerlie preachit throughout al places
vnder zour subiection, of verie dutie the nixt care and studie aucht to be howe this deuine warke
may mare and mare be fortherit and performit. and also mainteinit and continuit that the puritie
of religion may lang time remaine amangs vs, to the comfort of this present age, and of al posteritis
to cume. And samekle the rather that the neglecting of this point in other places hes bene occasion
that most notable and happie beginnings hes oft times not taken sic end and successe as
appearantlie micht haue followit gif the like prouision had bene made for the continuáce as panes &
trauels were taken for planting of true religion. Bot as the errours of others may make vs circúspect
sa suld the rare and singulare benifites of God laitly shawin to this realme incurage zour Hienes &
zour hail subiects in hope that this notable & excellent worke of the spiritual edifying of ye house
of God shal take gud successe and happie end in zour hands, for sence the time it pleasit God to deuolue
the gouernement of this realme and care of establishing his kirk in zour persone being then
bot ane infant of tender age, cótinually sic successe hes followit that not without iust cause the mindes
of mony are erected in that expectation that God sall some day vse zou as ane instrumét to performe
greater thinges for the welfaire of his Kirk, then ether we wil presently vtter, or be naturall
reason can be made probable. We omit now to speake how miraculouslie the truth of Gods
worde wes first sawin in this cuntrie be feble & weake instruments, or larglie to dilate how mercifullie
things were broght to passe without great inconuenient or cruel bludshed, and how the
libertie of the Euangel hes bene so gratiouslie granted to vs without ony extreme harme and
damnage, quhilk other great & potent nationes thir mony zeires with extreme trubles and fearful
battels to the great lose of their lifes and gudes, hes lang socht for, and zit neuer fully obtened
nether minde we at this present to declare how wonderfullie zour grace hes bene preseruit euin
from zour conception and birth to this day, how happelie factiones & controuersies concerning
zour royal estate haue bene setled and extinguished, and shortly how mony and notable workes
aboue all worldlie expectation interprisit in zour most happie name haue bene broght to lukkie
end and gud effect, the fauore & blessing of God continualie following them with better successe
then men durst other hope for or desyre. Thir things and mony others mare particulare (the ample
discours wherof we remitte vnto the histories) as they testifie vnto vs the bontiful gudnes of
God, baith toward your maiestie and this realme, so aucht they to stirrre vp all hartes to thankfulnes,
and cherfullie in curage zou to passe fordwart in this great worke of reformation of religion
and beilding the spiritual temple of the Lord. The fundation wherof being alreadie laide by publict
vniuersal preaching of true doctrine throuchout the haile realme, it resteth that the worke
may be prosecute and the building brocht to ane gud perfection by establishing of discipline and
mete policie in the kirk of God, not taken out of the Cisternes of traditiones of men, bot of the
pure fontanis of Gods haly worde. Quhilk thing wislie begunne in zour Hienes name by zour first
Regent of godlie memorie, and ordeined be act of parliament to be followit forthe, hes bene deligétly
preassed for, fró time to time, bot especialy now sence ye acceptatió of ye gouernemét in zour
owne persone: quhé as not onely mast louinglie & willingly ye did resaue ye boke of ye policie of the
kirk offred by thé quha were direct to zour maiestie in name of ye general kirk, bot also wes very cairful
to finde out mé mete for conferéce vpó the heads of yt same, laméting for the raritie of sic kynde
of persones as were desyred to cófere thereupó, & hes appoited diuers times & places where sik cóferécis
in zour name & at your cómandement haue bene had, not without fruct & agremét in mony

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heads to be passed in lawes, but wt expectation of greater things after to followe vpon forther
conferrence, prouiding sic meh be appointed thereto as zour Hienes wissit, and we maist earnestly
craue quharinto we dout not of zour awin gud wil as of before, for it suld be but trauel losit quhat
soeuer hes bene hitherto bestowed tharein, gif the worke sal not be followed furth, and brocht to
god shew and end. Quhareunto we exhort zour grace maist effecteously, for nathing can be fond
mare proper & ganand quharein ane Christiane prince of sic expectation as ze are, suld giue a true
prufe of the gude & sound affection quhilk he beares to the auancement of Gods glorie, and of the
Kingdome of Iesus Christ. Truth it is that Satan ceases not nether wil cease hereafter to obiect mony
and great impedimentes to the hinderance of this Godlie intorprise of bringing the spirituall
beilding of the house of God to perfection, quuilk we alwaies are in gud hope (adioyning thereto
our continual praiers) zour gud and heroik zele sall ouercome, albeit not without sum hard difficulties
and werisome lattis, euen of them quha aucht of dewtie to put thair handis to this warke. We
rede in this buik quhow mony & difficil impedementis were offrit to Zorobabel and the Iewes to
stope the biging and repating of the temple of Ierusalem. Sumetyme they were expresly contramandit
be the edictis of the great monarche, Sometimes be the threatning of thair aduersaires
round about them. Sumetime be domestical enenemies, hypocritis craftie warldlings and oppressoris
of thair brethren, Zit againis all thir the Prophet opponis the commandement of God and
promise of his assistance to perfurme the warke. [In the bukes Ezra & Neh. Agg. 12.] The lyke or rather greater impedimentis be
obiectit this day, againis the spritual beilding of Gods house. The Kingis and great monarchies
of the earth threaten wrake and destruction to all them that sall melle with this warke. The false
namit Kirkmen that pretend to be biggares vp, demolish it, and gif they had power, wold cast downe
al to the grounde, as thair wickit consperacie concludit at Trent dois specifie. In quhat cauldnes
the former zele of mony is now changit, zea, quhat carelesnes of maters of Religion in all
estates it may mare then euidently appeare. The insatiable couetyse of euerie ane to apply & appropriat
to them selues, the common rentes of the kirk, dois ouertrulie declare quhat conscience mé
haue, (and specially the greitest, quhose antecessores liuit more honorablie vpone thair awin) to
be manifest transgressores in dede, of that Religion quhilk in word to thair shame baldly they professe.
And last of all, the manifest corruption of our liues in all estates the licentious and Godles liuing
of the multitude, the impunitie of sinne and wickednes, the cruel and vnaturall murtherers
heynous and detestable incestes, adulteries, sorceries, and mony siclike enormities, with the oppression
and contempt of the pure allnaist vniuersal, corruption of iustice and iudgement, and mony
other euils that ouerflowe this commonwelth, beare euident witnes how sklender & smal sucesse
hitherto followit the reformation of religion within this realme. And do prouoke the iudgementes
of God, alace, ouersore aganis vs. And zit nane of these impediments, na not they all conioynit
together suld discurage zour Hienes to go fordwart in this Godly warke anis begunne. bot
the hope of Gods assistance, (quho is able to moue heauen and earth quhen pleases him) the promise
of his presence and grace, and the happie end to followe aucht rather to inflame and raise vp
zour royal heart mare constantlie to fecht and ouercome all the lettes that Satan and his crafty suposts
can deuise, It appeares weil that GOD hes chosen zou as a singulare instrument to be as a
paterne and ensample to al other princes of zour time; in offring zou so faire occasiones to put the
Kirk of God to ful libertie, to purge it from corruption, to establish sic decent and comelie policie
within the same as his word craues, and to prouide for the lang during and perpetuitie thereof, seing
it hes pleasit him to make zour grace from zour tender zouthhead to be brocht vp in the true
knawlege and feire of his name: to make the pure doctrine of the Gospel in perfite vnitie without
ony schisme or contrauersie to be planely & peceably publishit throuch all the boundes of zour
dominion. And finallie to make this policie of the Kirk to be humblie and earnestly crauit to be
establishit be zour Hienes be the maist parte of the true subiectes of zour realme. Sic preclare occasions
aucht not to be omitted; remembring how all Kings are commandit to kisse and embrace
the sonne of God and to be nurishers of his Kirk. [Psal. 2.] Therefore aganis all impediments, propone &
oppone the earnest zele of Dauid quha culd take no rest nor slepe vnto his eyes vntil he had found
the place quhair the Lord suld haue his resting place amongis his people. [Psal. 133 [132].] Call for the wisdome
of Salomon to indew zour grace with a principall Spirit aswel as in the outwarde policie, in aduanceing
the spiritual policie of his Kirk. [1. King. 3.] Imitate the feruent faith of Iehoshaphat, putting his hail trust
in the Lord, and beleuing his Prophetes. [2. Chro. 20.] The diligence of Iehoash in reparing the house of the
Lord. [2. King. 12.] followe the Godly Ezechias in ruting out all monuments of Idolatrie, & depending fermlie
vpon the Lord. [2. Chro. 29.] The faithful zong Iosiah, in making the buke of the Law of God lang time downe
smorit, and kept in silence: ze vtterly tynt and forgettin, to be publikly red, acceptit be the people,
and recommendit to the posteritie. [2. Chro. 34.] To sic deligence as this did the Prophetes Haggai, Zechariah
& Malachi, exhort the princes of the Iewes. And schortly sic Godly interprises as thay haue made
the great Constantine, the gentle Gracian, the Godly Theodose, and sic otheres to be worthi-

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of Eternal memorie & cómendatió. Nether is it aneuch to beginne weil, as did some Kings of Iuda
& afterwart faintit in thair procedingis: bot there chiefly is requirit constancie & perseuerance, wt
out shrinking til thígis be brocht to an gud order, & stable estate. Nether aucht zour Grace óly luke
quhow mekle is done, bot rather quhow mekle restis vnperformit, euer thíkíg yt great diligéce is requirit
to go fordwart, & great attédance to be geuin yt thígs done may abide & cótinually incresse,
til thay come to dew perfectió. This is a mater worthie of zour royal heart, a purpose proper for the
exercise of the viuacie of zour deuine & heich ingine. This is a maist faire feild to rine in & exerce
the course of zour zouth. And a thing maist mete to make knawé quhat aucht to be yt principal studie
of a Christiane prince, declaríg quhow nether we zour natural subiectis, nether ye godly & faithful
of foraine natiós haue in vaine sa lang lokit for some notable & excellent warke to procede fró
zour Maiesties autorite for promoting of Gods glorie, & establishing of his true religió. The quhilk
(na doubt) salbe ane exceding honor and perpetual renome, that sal followe zour Hienes. All other
glorie at last sal decay, and all cómendation that resultes of other princely actes ather is not of lang
indurance, or hes cómonly mixit therewith, sik thingis as be alswa worthie of blame, bot the honor
of this acte sall indure for euer, and salbe fully appreuit be him quhose iudgement can na wayis be
bot equal and richt, quha is the Eternal Lord of lordis, & King of kingis, quhome with maist humble
harte and instant prayer we beseik to blesse zour Maiestie with continual and daylie incresse of
his abundant blessingis, asweil spirituall as temporall, and to mainteine in welthie prosperitie
zour Princelie estate to the praise and glorie of his halie name; zour assured
saluation, the comforte & quietnes of this cuntrie, the ouerthrawe of
the power of Satan, the aduancement of the kingdome of
Iesus Christ.    From Edinburgh in our ge-
neral assemblie the tent day of
Iulie. 1579.
(∴)