The preface and introduction into the history of the Passion and death of Christ.

AMong all the histories1
gentle reader that any2
time haue bene written3
fro~ the beginning of the4
world vnto this present5
was there neuer any to be compared6
to the historie of the Passion, resurrection,7
and ascension of Christ, written8
most exactly by ye foure Euangelists,9
albeit dispersed and in sondry places,10
and aptely not without great trauell11
and payne gathered in due order by ye12
most godly & wel learned man Zuinglius,13
with certaine briefe annotatio~s14
and many wholesom & godly instructions15
and declarations of the harder16
places adioyned vnto it by the same17
man for the easier vnderstanding to ye18
reader, which history as it is most certaine19
and true, for that no percel therof20
was written but by the holy ghoste21

A.ii.

although he vsed men as instrume~ts22
therunto which onely is truth, & fro~23
whom proceadeth nothing but truth.24
So by it is sette forthe vnto vs the25
springe and ground of our saluation,26
namely the passio~ and death of Christ27
the price of our redemption, the onely28
pacifieng of the wrath of god towarde29
vs, & way to eternal ioy which Paule30
affirmeth to be great and wonderful &31
such as neither eye hath sene, neither32
eare hath heard, nor heart can imagin33
but what shal I nede now to make any34
lo~g or further declaratio~ either of35
ye certaintie therof, wherof no christia~36
man hauing ye feare of god before his37
eies hath euer douted: or of the co~moditie38
comming vnto vs by the same,39
whiche is so amply and manifestly set40
forth in the treatise it selfe. But for as41
much as it is writte~ in a stra~ge tonge42
namely in latin which ye multitude of43
our countrey vnderstand not, and also44
which is much to be lamented manie45
of these which are in place of teachers,46
such is the infelicitie of this our47
time, lest these I say shuld vtterly wa~t48
the vse of so fruitefull a worke, I was49
moued and thought good both for the50
aduau~cement of the glory of god, and51
also for our brethrens farther encrease52
of knowledge, to bestow some labour53
at such conuenie~t leasure as I coulde54
well spare, to turne it into our English55
tongue plainly and truly without56
all arte or eloquence, as one tendyng57
nothing els but the endes aforesaide,58
which if I obtein, I shal accompt59
my labours right wel bestowed,60
minding also farther to61
trauail in the same kind62
of labor, if I shall se by63
this that my labour64
hath bene profitable.65