IF that (right Honourable) I should prefix any long and tedious Preface before this work in commendation of your Honour, I should of some be suspected of flattery: If in praise of these learned Commentaries, it should seem a thing superfluous, seeing they sufficiently commend themselves: If in excuse of those faults which are by me in translating hereof committed: some censuring Cato would condemn me, because I would take in hand a work so weighty, being not able to be without fault, and by craving pardon for faults, lay open my folly. Omitting therefore these things which might carry with them such inconveniences, I hasten unto that whereof I am chiefly to speak: namely to lay open the causes moving me to dedicate this my simple translation unto your Honour. Your deserts of Gods church, your singular zeal, your unfeigned faith, your sincere profession, your especial care to advance Gods glory, and to root out papistry, your faithfulness toward your Prince have been such, that this Realm generally, but my countrymen in the North parts, my native soil specially, have & shall have ⟨image 3⟩great cause to praise God for you in the day of their visitation, even when it shall please God of his great mercy to behold them with favourable countenance, and to take from them in greater measure that blindness and superstition, wherein they had been long time nuzzled, and being fast bred by the bone, is not yet (through want of means) gotten out of the flesh. Seeing all these virtues are in you to be found: seeing both this church and country have found you so beneficial, whom ought not these things to provoke to show all thankfulness toward your honour? Again, when this history of the Acts of the Apostles was first penned in Gr[…] by Luke, it was dedicated to noble Theophilus: When M. Calvin did the second time publish his Commentaries thereupon in Latin, he presented them unto one who was in mind a noble Theophilus. Least therefore this work now published in English, should by dedication be any whit debased, I have made choice of your honour, being no less a noble Theophilus than those before mentioned. Another thing which is not so much a cause as an encouragement, is that courtesy which your honour showeth to those, which present unto you any exercises of learning how simple soever they be;
IF that (right Honorable) I shoulde prefixe anie long and tedious Preface before this woorke in commendation of your Honor, I should of some be suspected of flatterie: If in praise of these learned Commentaries, it shoulde seeme a thing superfluous, seeing they sufficiently commende themselues: If in excuse of those faultes whiche are by mee in translating hereof cōmitted: some censuring Cato would condemne mee, because I would take in hand a worke so weightie, being not able to be without fault, and by crauing pardon for faultes, lay open my follie. Omitting thefore these thinges which might carrie with them such inconueniences, I hasten vnto that whereof I am chieflie to speake: namely to lay open the causes mouing mee to dedicate this my simple translation vnto your Honor. Your deserts of Gods church, your singular zeale, your vnfaigned faith, your syncere profession, your especiall care to aduaunce Gods glory, and to roote out papistrie, your faithfulnesse towarde your Prince haue been suche, that this Realme generally, but my countriemen in the North parts, my natiue soyle specially, haue & shall haue ⟨image 3⟩great cause to prayse God for you in the day of their visitation, euen when it shall please God of his great mercie to behold them with fauourable countenance, and to take from them in greater measure that blindnesse and superstition, wherein they had been long time nousled, and being fast bred by the bone, is not yet (through want of meanes) gotten out of the flesh. Seeing all these vertues are in you to be found: seeing both this church and countrie haue found you so beneficiall, whom ought not these things to prouoke to shew all thankfulnesse toward your honor? Againe, when this historie of the Acts of the Apostles was first penned in Gr〈…〉 by Luke, it was dedicated to noble Theophilus: When M. Caluin did the second time publish his Commentaries thereupon in Latine, he presented them vnto one who was in minde a noble Theophilus. Least therefore this worke nowe published in English, should by dedication bee any whit debased, I haue made choyse of your honour, being no lesse a noble Theophilus than those before mentioned. Another thing which is not so much a cause as an encouragemēt, is that courtesie which your honor sheweth to those, which present vnto you any exercises of learning howe simple soeuer they bee;
