DEDICATION.

...glory and shine with that title. Since these things are truly so, Venerable Father-in-law original: "Venerande Socer"; the author is addressing his wife's father, who was likely a prominent scholar or official, even if not everyone turns their mind to this fact equally, it seemed to me that I was performing a task neither useless nor unwelcome to fair-minded judges of such matters, if I were to demonstrate (as I have attempted in these Books) that the Early Christian Church Ecclesiam Christianam Primævam: The Christian community during its first few centuries, which was born from the Synagogue and should be called its daughter, conformed itself, as far as was possible, in its Government Regimine: The organizational structure and leadership of the church and Ceremonies to the customs of the Synagogues.

Since I could not carry out this plan of mine without first defining the Form of Government of the Ancient Synagogues and describing their Sacred Rites, I believed this task was first demanded of me: that I should not treat those matters superficially. Instead, as my passion for the subject grew during the progress of the work, I also set out to explain the very Names and Structure of the Synagogues themselves and to investigate their Origin, motivated by both the relevance and the usefulness of the argument.

Regarding the Diligence I have applied in preparing these Books, I would prefer that you, Honored Father-in-law, and any others skilled in these matters who are accustomed to judging my labors with a fair mind, should gather that from reading them, rather than having me proclaim it with the boast of empty words. If I seem to have achieved too little to the Most Learned Men, who are permitted to be so immersed in the study of literature that [they may enjoy] their leisure...