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¶The Preface of the transla∣tour, vnto the reader.
WHen I had chaūced vpon this Re∣kening of the fayth of this so exce∣lently lerned & godly flok feder, euē the good heerdman / that set his lyfe for his shepe, and had seen it not yet vnto this daye to be confuted nor dampned of any christen l••rned man, but as it was then openly exhy∣bited vnto the Emprours Maieste, and to his noble lerned counsell, so stondeth it styll yet vntowched with any iuste contradiccion of holye scriptures: I coulde not but thynke this his fayth to be christen & catholyk, word thy for the glory of god & profyt of his chur∣che to be translated into many tongues, that many mought read it with frute. Vvherfore s••th•••• England (as they say) be many hygh¦ly lerned Byshopes and lawers in the specu∣latiue, but fewe in pract••k diuinite sharpe in naturall, but dull in spiritual iugement: me thoughte it conuenient, the boke to be tran∣slated into theyr mother tongue, that yet at the least the lerned in christ myght iuge ther∣of and saye theyr myndes. And for because therbe many laye men of better iugement & knowlege then the speculatyue priestes and prelats for all theyr latine and greke to, ther¦fore,