GEORGE OFFOR.

A PREMONITION TO THE READER.

After that God had delivered Babylon and her king into the hands
of the kings of the Medes and Persians, then began the liberty
of the Jews, from their long and tedious captivity: For though
Nebuchadnezzar and his sons did tyrannically enslave, and hold
them under; yet so wrought God with the hearts of those kings that
succeeded them, that they made proclamation to them to go home,
and build their city, temple, &c., and worship their own God
according to his own law (2 Chron 30:6; Ezra 1). But because I
would not be tedious in enumerating instances for the clearing of
this, therefore I will content myself with one, and with a brief
note upon it. It is that in the seventh of Ezra 26: 'And whosoever
will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let
judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be to death, or
to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.'
This is the conclusion of a letter that king Artaxerxes gave to
Ezra the priest and scribe, when he granted his petition, and gave
him leave to go to Jerusalem to build the temple, and to offer
sacrifice there to the God whose house is in Jerusalem. And
a conclusion it was, both comfortable and sharp; comfortable to
Ezra and his companions, but sharp unto his enemies. I shall here
present you with a copy of the letter at large.

'Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the
law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I
make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his