before-hand

[…] God did not work as a necessary, but a voluntary agent, intending before-hand, and decreeing with himself, that which did outwardly proceed from him.

1594, Richard Hooker, “Book 1”, in Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, London: John Walthoe et al, published 1782, page 5

But the practice of dispensations was much more foul: witness their Penitentiary Tax, wherein a man might see the price of his sin before-hand; their common nundination of pardons, their absolving subjects from their oaths of allegiance […]

1654, John Bramhall, A Just Vindication of the Church of England from the Unjust Aspersion of Criminal Schism

Agricola, who perceav'd that the noiſe of this defeat had alſo in the Province deſirous of novelty, ſtirr'd up new expectations, reſolves to be before-hand with the danger: […]

1670, John Milton, The History of Britain, that Part especially now called England, Book II

And though antient Tragedy use no Prologue, yet using sometimes, in case of self defence, or explanation, that which Martial calls an Epistle; in behalf of this Tragedy coming forth after the antient manner, much different from what among us passes for best, thus much before-hand may be Epistl’d; that Chorus is here introduc’d after the Greek manner, not antient only but modern, and still in use among the Italians.

1671, John Milton, “Of that sort of Dramatic Poem which is call’d Tragedy”, in Paradise Regain’d, to which is added Samson Agonistes, London: John Starkey, page 4

Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar before-hand, it does not advance their felicity in the least.

1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter VI, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 47