VIII. FIE, FOR SHAME.

CONSIDERING with myself the causes of the growth and increase of impiety and profaneness in our land, amongst others this seemeth to me not the least, viz. the late many false and erroneous impressions of the Bible. Now know, what is but carelessness in other books is impiety in setting forth of the Bible.

As Noah in all unclean creatures preserved but two of a kind, so among some hundreds in several editions we will insist only on two instances.

In the Bible printed at London, 1653, we read, 1 Cor. vi. 9: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God? for not inherit.

Now, when a reverend doctor in divinity did mildly reprove some libertines for their licentious life, they did produce this text, from the 247authority of this corrupt edition, in justification of their vicious and inordinate conversations.

The next instance shall be in the Bible printed at London in quarto (forbearing the name of the printer, because not done wilfully by him) in the singing Psalms, Ps. lxvii. 2:

for godly wealth.

It is too probable that too many have perused and practised this erroneous impression, namely, such who by plundering, oppression, cozening, force, and fraud, have in our age suddenly advanced vast estates.