So that whosoever eateth of this banquet, shall find in it much comfortable nourishment for his soul & be occasioned thereby, I doubt not to give God hearty thanks, which hath vouchsafed of his divine clemency, & unmeasurable goodness, freely to call him to his celestial banquet. Would God that by this my banquet making, I might excite & move other to use like communication at their table, as they shall find here, or at the leest that they would interlace in some part of their repast their talk with such honest & godly words as they shall here read, & utterly reject & cast away all filthy and unclean communication, all jesting & railing, all blaspheming & cursing. So should they have Christ more present with them at their feasts, ⟨image 4⟩than many have now a days, at whose table such kind of talk is used, as may justly seem not to be worthy of God & his son Jesus, but of Bacchus and Venus. These be no Christmas banquets, but Christless & devilish banquets. They be no feasts fit for christen men, but for Gentiles & Ethnics. God banish once this great absurdity from the tables of them that profess Christ. Now in as much as at the beginning of a new year the universa•• custom is to give gi•tes one to another, whereby the protest their mutual good will, love & favour. I because I will not seem to be estranged from this point of humanity, do here humbly offer to your right honourable mastership this my Christmas banquet for a new years gift, most instantly desiring you favourably to accept it, as the gift of him, which wisheth to you from God the father, ⟨image 5⟩long life, continual •elth & prosperous felicity. Hereafter God prospering me in my studies, & directing my pen in the travail of his word, I trust to compile unto the glory of God, & the immortality of your name other works no less godly & profitable to the readers. In the mean season that god, whose blessed word you must entirely favour and follow, mought preserve in safe estate, your good mastership to the advancement of his glory, & the great quietness of us all in this country, by executing on your behalf, according to your office committed worthily unto you by th• kings most gracious highness, such justice & equity in your judgements, as shall may turn to the utter expulsion of all vice, & the high promotion & furtherance of all virtue.
So that whosoeuer eateth of this bancket, shall fynde in it muche confortable noryshmēt for his soule & be occasioned therby, I doubt not to geue God hertye thankes, whiche hath vouchedsafe of his deuyne clemency, & vnmesurable goodnes, frely to call him to his celestiall bācket. Woulde God that by this my bācket makynge, I might excyte & moue other to vse like cōmunicaciō at their table, as they shall fynd here, or at ye lees•e that they woulde enterlase in some parte of theyr repast theyr talke with suche honest & godly wordes as they shall here read, & vtterlye reiecte & cast awaye all fylthy and vncleane cōmunicacion, all iestynge & raylyng, all blaspheming & cursing. So shoulde they haue Christe more present wyth them at theyr feastes, ⟨image 4⟩than many haue nowe a dayes, at whose table such kynde of talke is vsed, as may iustly seme not to be worthy of God & his sōne Iesus, but of Bacchus and Uenus. These be no Christmasse banckettes, but Christlesse & dyuellysh bankettes. They be no feastes fytte for christen men, but for Gentiles & Ethuyckes. God banysshe once this great absurdite frō ye tables of thē that professe Christe. Nowe in as muche as at the begynnyng of a newe yeare the vniuersa•• custome is to gyue gi•tes one to another, wherby the proteste theyr mutuall good wyll, loue & fauour. I because I wyll not seme to be estraunged from this poynte of humanitie, do here hubly offer to your right honorable maystershyp this my Christmasse bācket for a new yeares gyft, most īstātly desyrīg you fauourably to accept it, as ye gyfte of him, which wyssheth to you from God ye father, ⟨image 5⟩longe lyfe, continuall •elth & prosperous felicite. Hereafter God prosperyng me in my studies, & directyng my pen in the trauaile of his word, I truste to cōpyle vnto the glory of God, & the īmortalite of your name other workes no lesse godly & profitable to the reders. In ye meane season that god, whose blessed word you must inti•rly fauoure and followe, mought preserue in safe estate, your good maistershyp to the anaūcemēt of his glory, & the great quietnes of vs all in this countre, by executyng on your behalfe, accordyng to your of•yce cōmitted worthelye vnto you by th• kynges moost gracious hyghnes, suche iustyce & equitie in youre iudgementes, as shal maye turne to the vtter expulsion of all vyce, & the hygh promocion & furtheraūce of al vertu.
