The Preface to the Reader
THe gloriouse Apostle Saint PETER very fittely compareth the worde of God,1 and the doctrine of the holy-Ghost, vnto a Candell shining in a darke place, vntill the day dawne, and the day starre arise in our hartes. For although Christ our Sauiour the true light of the worlde, hath by his most bitter Passion and pretiouse woundes giuen light vnto our darkenes; yea, and of darkenes which we were before, made vs a shining light: yet so long as we remaine in the mist of this mortalitie, and that it appeareth not what we shal be: we are truely light in comparison of Heretickes and Infidells: but in respect of heauen; we are in the night, and continually conuerse in obscurity and darkenes. All honour then and glory be (as it is worthy) yeelded vnto him, who least we walking in darkenes know not whither to goe, hath prouided vs a Candell of his holy doctrine euen in the middest of Egypt, and set it vpon a candlesticke in the Catholicke Church: where those which are out of this house of God liuing in palpable darkenes; the children of this light may safely expecte the rising of that starre, wc neuer shall sette, which is the cleare vision of Gods euerlasting glory. This light although by diuerse persons who loue darkenes better than light, it hath by sundry meanes bene assaulted: yet hath these assaultes done nothing ese, but by encreasing the aduerse darkenes, made the light appeare more gloriouse: and contrary to mans expectation, yet agreeably to Gods disposition, not brought water to quench, but fewell to feede so liuely slames. Hence may we in all places of our Countrey to our owne great comforte, and Gods singular glory, out of Prisons, out of Iudgementes, out of all maner of publicke places, out of many priuate persons and families, behold the beames of this light so vehemently issuing forth;2 that comming out of the East (for to vse our Sauiours wordes) it appeareth euen to the West: and it shineth so generally abroade, that it is renowmed in the wholle world: which seeing the beauty thereof, glorifieth our Father of light which is in heauen.
Onely (my deare Catholicke Brother) who being vnlearned seekest to treade the steppes of thy forefathers, & walking in darkenes of this mortall life, procurest to follow those which befre thee haue caried lightes for thy direction: it sometime cometh into my minde to feare, least either thy torchbearers being taken from thee, or for ouer-long watching, the oile of the Lampe which they may leaue thee (I meane charitie and a good conscience3 the tinder and fewell of that light of Faith) begining to faile; the light it selfe may by little and little be extinguished: and so thou returning to thy former darkenesse, togither with the children of darkenes, maiest fall and perishe. We are not ignorant of his cogitations, who like a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may deuour: and amongst other sleightes which he vseth, transfiguring himselfe into an Angell of light, with a counterfaite light of hypocrisy and heresy; seeketh to depriue thee of that which is true and sincere.
Wherefore I offer vnto thee a torch or candell, containing in it, although in a small match, the whll lighte of Christian Relgion, which although it bee lighted at the candel of another man: yet thou knowest, that light is neuer the lesse because it is receiued of another: and in this it is more free from all suspition, whereas it is the same light which lighteneth many other partes of the world. This when thou hast once receiued, and fully enioied, thy selfe: thinke that thou hast not performed thy duety, if thou imparte it not to thy children. O how they are deceiued, & in how great daunger of euerlasting damnation doe they liue, who as though they had by carnall generation brought into this world brute beastes, whose onely end is to liue here, without any end of heauenly blisse: do not seeke for their children the meanes of their saluation, onely prouiding for them earthly riches, not caring for heauenly. Nor considering, that besides the very bonde of the lawe of nature, & of God himselfe, who hath giuen most straite charge of good education of children: Christ our Sauiour hath consecrated Christian mariages into a sacrament, for this end amongst others; that they may present vnto our Sauiour sanctified children by baptisme first, and afterward by all Christian and Catholike discipline. Mariage was instituted to propagate the people of God, not to build vp the confused walles of Babilon. The Turke or Iew if he should perceiue his child to haue bene present at Christian Ceremonies, would not sticke to embrew his handes in that which he begotte. And yet he wc professeth himselfe a Catholicke, by sending his child, or permitting his childe to be sent to such thinges as are indispensably forbidden by God himselfe: doth vnnaturally depriue his innocent sonne of that which he coulde not giue him. But true it is which our Sauiour saide:4 that wiser are the children of this worlde in their generation, than the children of lighte. But thou deare Brother, when thou fallest into any such preuarication, thinke assuredly that thy light is beecome darkenes. And that in darkenes thou shalte so long remaine, vntill thou take away the bushell wt thou hast sette before others eies: and permit the light to shine to all those of whom thou hast charge.
But to the intent that thou maiest not onely performe this duety, which is necessarily & vpon paine of vtter darkenes required of thee: but also like vnto a childe of lighte seeke that which is perfect, and according to the nature of light liberally endeuour to communicate vnto al men that which thou hast thy selfe of God receiued: I haue set downe in the margen of this booke, all those places of holy Fathers and Scriptures which are in the Lattin: to the intent that thou either being assaulted by any aduersary, or thy selfe seeking to reschew out of miserable captiuitie any soule: maiest haue authorities to alleage for whatsoeuer thou shalt say. Of the places of scripture for the most parte I haue quoted the very verse that sodainely thou maiest find that wherin consisteth the force of the proofe.
Finally I haue added certaine little Kindled sizes, to lighten some secrete corners which might otherwise annoy thee. All which God graunt that it may to his glory both maintaine and increase the light of thy hart, and bring forth in many obscure mindes such brightnes of true beliefe, that wee all may worthely walke by the same, conforming our liues thereunto. That so being made worthy vnto the parte of the loue of the Saints,5 in the light; we may by him which hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes, be translated at the length into the euerlasting Kingdome of the sonne of his loue: where we shall not onely neede neither sunne nor moone: but we shal receiue that perfecte light of the Lambe, by whome onely as we haue bene redeemed, so must we also be glorified.
Footnotes
Chapter 2 of 36