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To the Reader.
BEing instantly requested (Gentle Reader) by my godlie zealous friendes to enterprice the transla∣ting of this most learned Commen∣tarie of M. Iohn Caluine, and be∣ing persuaded thereunto by manie godlie reasons, whereof Gods glory & the profite of his Church should bee the chiefe, I coulde not, nor woulde not refuse to take that charge vpon mee, vnlesse I should haue forgotten my dutie towardes God his Churche, and my friendes: and now for asmuch (Gentle Reader) as the principall recompence of my paines shall bee that profite whiche thou shalt reape by the reading of this my translation, I beseech thee re∣fuse not to take some paines in reading the same. I haue not stuft it full of strange wordes deriued of the Latin, which might no lesse molest thee, then if they continued Latin as they were. I haue not racked the phrases to make them runne smooth∣ly, to please 〈…〉〈…〉, and so digressed from the truth and meaning of the authour: but, so much as possible I could, I haue translated worde for worde, whiche the learned by conference shall wel perceiue. Long time haue the godly desired to haue this worke published in the English tongue, & seeing they haue their desire now, my request vnto thē is, to accept of my paines herein, I dare not good Reader presume so farre vppon mine owne skill, as to say that there is no faultes committed heerein, but I am earnestly to desire thee rather courteously to amend them, then curiously to condemne me for them. And thus trusting to thy curtisie, I committe thee to the tuition of the Almightie, who so direct thee by his spirite, that by reading thou maiest pro∣fite.
Thine in the Lorde, Christopher Fetherstone.