"As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are sons of God" saith
the inspired Apostle. Now to have been accounted worthy of the Holy
Spirit and to have become sons of God is of all things most to be
coveted; and, as it is written, "They that have become his sons find
rest from all enquiry." This marvellous, and above all else desirable,
blessedness have the Saints from the beginning won by the practice of
the virtues, some having striven as Martyrs, and resisted sin unto
blood, and others having struggled in self-discipline, and having
trodden the narrow way, proving Martyrs in will. Now, that one should
hand down to memory the prowess and virtuous deeds of these, both of
them that were made perfect by blood, and of them that by self-denial
did emulate the conversation of Angels, and should deliver to the
generations that follow a pattern of virtue, this hath the Church of
Christ received as a tradition from the inspired Apostles, and the
blessed Fathers, who did thus enact for the salvation of our race. For
the pathway to virtue is rough and steep, especially for such as have
not yet wholly turned unto the Lord, but are still at warfare, through
the tyranny of their passions. For this reason also we need many
encouragements thereto, whether it be exhortations, or the record of
the lives of them that have travelled on the road before us; which
latter draweth us towards it the less painfully, and doth accustom us
not to despair on account of the difficulty of the journey. For even
as with a man that would tread a hard and difficult path; by
exhortation and encouragement one may scarce win him to essay it, but
rather by pointing to the many who have already completed the course,
and at the last have arrived safely. So I too, "walking by this rule,"
and heedful of the danger hanging over that servant who, having
received of his lord the talent, buried it in the earth, and hid out of
use that which was given him to trade withal, will in no wise pass over
in silence the edifying story that hath come to me, the which devout
men from the inner land Of the Ethiopians, whom our tale calleth
Indians, delivered unto me, translated from trustworthy records. It
readeth thus.