§1. THAT which was the summary of the Old Testament, to wit: Christ and his Church, as St. Augustin saith , catechising the ignorant: the very same is the summary of the New Testament also. For (as the same St. Augustin saith again) In the Old Testament there is the occultation of the New: and in the New Testament there is the manifestation of the Old. And in another place: In the Old doth the New lie hidden, and in the New doth the Old lie open. And thereupon our Saviour said: I am not come to break the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them. For assuredly I say unto you, till Heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass of the Law, till all be fulfilled. In which words he showeth plainly, that the New Testament is nothing else but the fulfilling of the Old.

§2. Therefore to come to the parts; The Ghospels do tell of Christ himself (of whom the Old Testament did foretell) and that even from his coming into the world, unto his going out thereof again. The Acts of the Apostles do tell of his Church beginning at Jerusalem the head-city of the Jews, and of the propagation thereof to the Gentiles and their head-city Rome. And, the Apocalypse doth prophecy of it, even to the consummation thereof, which shall be in the end of the world. The Epistles of the Apostles do treat partly of such questions as at that time were moved, partly of good life and good order.

The Summary of the four Ghospels.

§3. THE Ghospels do tell historically the life of our Lord Jesus; showing plainly, * that he is Christ or the king of the Jews, whom until then, all the time of the Old Testament, they had expected: and withal, that they of their own mere malice and blindness (the iniquity beginning of the Seniors, but at the length the multitude also consenting) would not receive him, but ever sought his death: which for the Redemption of the world, he at length permitted them to compass, they deserving thereby most justly to be refused of him, and so his Kingdom or Church to be taken away from them, and given to the Gentiles. For the gathering of which Church after him, he chooseth Twelve, and appointed one of them to be the chief of all, with instructions both to them, and him accordingly.

§4. The story hereof is written by four: who in Ezechiel and in the Apocalypse are likened to four living creatures, every one according as his book beginneth. St. Matthew to a Man, because he beginneth with the pedigree of Christ as he is man. St. Mark to a Lion, because he beginneth with the preaching of St. John Baptist, as it were the roaring of a Lion in the wilderness. St. Luke to a Calf, because he beginneth with a priest of the Old Testament (to wit, Zachary the father of St. John Baptist) which Priesthood was to sacrifice Calves to God. St. John to an Eagle, because he beginneth with the Divinity of Christ, flying so high as more is not possible.

§5. The first three do report at large what Christ did in Galilee, after the imprisonment of St. John Baptist. Wherefore St. John the Evangelist writing after them all, doth omit his doings in Galilee (save only one, which they had not written of all, the wonderful bread which he told the Capharnaites he could and would give, Joh. 6) and reporteth first, what he did whiles John Baptist as yet was preaching and baptising: then, after John’s imprisoning, what he did in Jewry every year about Easter. But of his Passion all four do write at large.

§6. Where it is to be noted, that from his baptizing (which is thought to have been upon Twelfth day, what time he was beginning to be about 30 year old, Luke 3) unto his passion, are numbered three months and three years, in which there were also 4 Easters.