Rycharde Tauerner clerke of the Signet to our soueraigne lorde the kynge wyssheth to the christen reader all grace from God aboue and increase of knowledge in his worde.

FOrasmuche as good christen reader at
this present tyme accordyng to our lordes
worde, the haruest is great and plenteouse
but the labourers are fewe: I meane as
thus, that the people be very desirous and gready to
receyue Goddes worde, if they had plentie of sobre
modeste and sincere teachers, where as nowe for scacetie
of suche in some places they be destitute and
scattered abroade euen as shepe lackynge faythfull
shepherdes: I was instantly required, to the intent the
Lorde of the haruest myght by thys meane thruste
forth hys labourers into the harueste, to peruse and
recognize thys brefe postil whych was delyuered me
of certayne godly persons for that purpose & intent.
Which thing to my lytle power & as the shortnes of
tyme wolde serue, I haue done. And suche sermons
or homylies as semed to want, I haue suplyed partly
wyth myne owne industrye, and partly wyth the
helpe of other sobre men which be better learned the~
I my selfe. Nowe, yf ye and namely you prestes and
curates shall vse thys synguler helpe and benefite,
which is here offered vnto you, well and to the edification
of Christes church, ye shal gyue occasion that
other frutefull workes may be hereafter at the commaundement
of the kynges maiestie or of his moost
honorable cou~cell set forth and puplyshed vnto you.
But yf on the contrary parte, after the exemple of the
vnprofitable seruaunte spoken of in the Gospell, ye
woll not fynde in your hartes charitably and prudently
to occupie this talent that here is frankly delyuered
vnto you, but wyll eyther wrappe it vp in a
fayre napkin or els vnreuerently handle it to the destruction
and not to the edification of others: be ye
then sure, that not only no mo such benefites shalbe
bestowed vpon you, but also all that whiche ye haue
already, shalbe taken from you and that not vnworthely.
Yea and finally according to our lordes owne
sentence ye shalbe caste as seruauntes vnprofytable
into vtter darkenes, where shalbe wepyng and gnashyng
of teeth. But there is good hope that ye woll
otherwise demeane your selues, namely now syth ye
be so beningly inuited, inioyned and continually called
vpon to execute your office in this behalfe by our
high shepherde vnder Christe and supreme hede our
moste dradde soueraygne lorde the kinges maiestie,
whom I dout not, but ye wyll gladly obey, I meane
to fede more often youre flocke commytted to youre
charge, not with rash, erronyouse, hereticall or fabulouse
sermons, but with sobre, discret, catholike, and
godly instructions suche as be here described vnto
you or better yf better ye can deuise: In whiche
thing doing ye shall vndoubtedly not onely
declare your selues obedient to your supreme
heade gods ministre, but also
you shal discharge your conscience
before god of the due
ministratio~ wherunto
ye be called. To
whom be gyuen all prayse and glory
worlde wythout ende. Amen.