This edition of Calvin’s Hebrews was planned not long after the publication of my edition of his commentary on Romans in 1981 and was originally intended as a companion volume to that book. When, however, the new Ioannis Calvini Opera Omnia was projected, I agreed that the work should be modified and included in this series. Progress has been slow, with interruptions by other writing commitments and by some extraneous circumstances.
Now that it is at last completed, it is my pleasant task to record my thanks to those who have helped in various ways : to Professor Helmut Feld for his support, encouragement, and advice ; to Mr. A.J. Brown, who generously put his extensive knowledge of early printed Greek New Testaments at my disposal ; to my son David, for his careful and critical reading of the section in the Introduction on textual criticism ; to Dr. P. De Klerk, who has annually kept me in touch with the latest literature on Calvin and has also supplied me with some out-of-the-way material ; to the Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral and to Dr. Roger Norris, for providing photocopies of the 1551 edition of the commentary ; to the staff in the Rare Books Room in Cambridge University Library, who have uncomplainingly produced for me the too-often massive volumes that the Middle Ages and the sixteenth century delighted to write ; and to Mr. G. Gömöri, of the Faculty of Modern and Mediaeval Languages in this university, who was able to assure me that a mysterious Hungarian book title really did indicate a translation of Calvin’s Hebrews.
Finally, I must confess that I cannot, like the pavement artists of old, claim that this is’All my own work’. Rather, like all my other books, it is the fruit of a partnership which commenced long ago (but only yesterday !) on March 1, 1936.
