TO THE GENTILL READAR, GRACE AND PEACE FROME GOD THE FATHER OF OUR LORD
JESUS CHRIST, WITH THE PERPETUALL ENCREASE OF THE HOLY SPREIT.[10]
It is not unknowen, Christeane Reader, that the same clud[11] of
ignorance, that long hath darkened many realmes under this accurssed
kingdome of that Romane Antichrist, hath also owercovered this poore
Realme; that idolatrie[12] hath bein manteined, the bloode of innocentis
hath bene sched, and Christ Jesus his eternall treuth hath bene
abhorred, detested, and blasphemed. But that same God that caused light
to schyne out of darknes, in the multitud of his mercyes, hath of long
tyme opened the eis[13] of some evin within this Realme, to see the
vanitie of that which then was universally embrased for trew religioun;
and hes gevin unto them strenth to oppone thame selfis unto the same:
and now, into these our last and moist corrupt dayis, hath maid his
treuth so to triumphe amonges us, that, in despyte of Sathan,
hipochrisye is disclosed, and the trew wyrschipping of God is manifested
to all the inhabitantis of this realme whose eis[14] Sathan blyndis not,
eyther by thair fylthy lustes, or ellis by ambitioun, and insatiable
covetousnes, which maek them repung to the power of God working by his
worde.
And becaus we ar not ignorant what diverse bruittis war dispersed of us,
the professoures of Jesus Christ within this realme, in the begynnyng
of our interprise, ordour was lackin, that all our proceidingis should
be committed to register; as that thei war, by such as then paynfullie
travailled[15] boith by toung and pen; and so was collected a just
volume, (as after will appeir,) conteanyng thingis done frome the
fyftie-awght[16] year of God, till the arrivall of the Quenis Majestie
furth of France,[17] with the which the Collectour and Writtar for that
tyme was content, and never mynded further to have travailled in that
kynd of writting.[18] But, after invocatioun of the name of God, and
after consultatioun with some faythfull,[19] what was thought by thame
expedient to advance Goddis glorie, and to edifie this present
generatioun, and the posteritie to come, it was concluded, that
faythfull rehersall should be maid of such personages as God had maid
instrumentis of his glorie, by opponyng of thame selfis to manifest
abuses, superstitioun, and idolatrie; and, albeit thare be no great
nomber, yet ar thei mo then the Collectour wold have looked for at the
begynnyng, and thairfoir is the volume some what enlarged abuif his
expectatioun: And yit, in the begynnyng, mon we crave of all the gentill
Readaris, not to look of us such ane History as shall expresse all
thingis that have occurred within this Realme, during the tyme of this
terrible conflict that hes bene betuix the sanctes of God and these
bloody wolves who clame to thame selves the titill of clargie, and to
have authoritie ower the saules of men; for, with the Pollicey,[20] mynd
we to meddill no further then it hath Religioun mixed with it. And
thairfoir albeit that many thingis which wer don be omitted, yit, yf we
invent no leys, we think our selves blamless in that behalf. Of one
other [thing] we mon foirwarne the discreat Readaris, which is, that
thei be not offended that the sempill treuth be spokin without
partialitie; for seing that of men we neyther hunt for reward, nor yitt
for vane[21] glorie, we litill pass by the approbatioun of such as
seldome judge weill of God and of his workis. Lett not thairfoir the
Readar wonder, albeit that our style vary and speik diverslie of men,
according as thei have declared thame selves sometymes ennemyes and
sometymes freindis, sometymes fervent, sometymes cold, sometymes
constant, and sometymes changeable in the cause of God and of his holy
religioun: for, in this our simplicitie, we suppoise that the Godlie
shall espy our purpose, which is, that God may be praised for his mercy
schawin, this present age may be admonished to be thankfull for Goddis
benefittis offerred, and the posteritie to cum may be instructed how
wonderouslie hath the light of Christ Jesus prevailled against darkness
in this last and most corrupted age.