TO THE CRISTIAN READER TOWCHINGE two editions of this booke.

ABowt three yeres past good
reader a certaine learned and
deuout gentilman, consideringe
the greate want of spirituall
bookes in Englande, for the direction
of men to pietie & deuotio~
whiche ought to be the cheefest point
of our exercise in this lyfe tooke the paines
to translate a godlye treatise to that effect,
named, the exercise of a Christian life, writen in
the Italian toung, by a reuerende man of the
socretic of Iesus, named Gasper Loartes, Doctor
in diuinitie, and of greate experience in
the handlinge and managinge of sowles to
that purpose. Whiche booke because I vnderstande
of certaintie, to haue done greate
good, & to haue wrought forcebly in the hartes
of manye persons, towards the foresayed
effect of pietie and deuotion: I was moued to
cause the same to be printed againe, and that
in muche more ample manner than before,
hauinge added vnto it, two partes of three,
which were not in the former booke.
The reason of this so large an additio~ shall

B

appeare in the Induction followinge, where
shal be shewed the partes of this booke, with
the causes and co~tentes therof. But the principall
cause and reason was, to the ende our
countrye men might haue some one sufficie~t
directio~ for matters of life and spirit, among
so manye bookes of controuersies as haue
ben writen, and are in writinge dailye. The
whiche bookes, albeit in thes our troublesome
& quarrelous times be necessarie for defence
of our faithe, againste so manye seditious
innouations, as now are attempted: yet
helpe they litle oftentymes to good lyfe, but
rather do fill the heades of men with a spirite
of contradiction and contention, that for the
most parte hindereth deuotio~, which deuotion
is nothinge els, but a quiet and peaceble
state of the sowle, endewed with a ioyful
promptnes to the diligent execution of all
thinges that appartayne to the honour of
God. In respect wherof, S. Paule geeueth this
counsayle to his scholer Timothie: contende
not in wordes, for it is profitable to nothinge, but
to subuert the hearers. The lyke counsayle he
geuethe in diuers other places, in respect of
this quiet deuotion, whiche is trowbled by
contention.
But yet as I haue saide these bookes of
controuersies are necessarie for other considerations,
especialie in thes our tymes, when
euerye man almost is made of a fancie, and
apte to esteeme the same greate wisdome,
except it be refuted. Suche are our dayes,
most vnhappie truelye in respect of our forefathers,
whoe receauinge the grownde of
faithe peaceably, & without quarelinge from
their mother the Chuche, did attend onlye to
builde vppon the same, good woorkes and
Christian life, as their vocation required. But
we spendinge all the tyme in ianglinge
abowte the foundation, haue no leysure to
think vpon the building, and so we wearye
out our spirites without co~moditie, we dye
with muche adoe and litle profit, greate disquiet
& small rewarde. For whoe knoweth
not, that what faithe so euer a man hathe,
yet without good lyfe it helpeth hym litle?
I am therfore of opinion gentle reader
that albeit trew faithe be the grownde of
Christianitie, without which nothinge of it
selfe can be meritorious before God: yet that
one principall meane to come to this trew
faithe, and right knowledge, and to ende all
thes our infinite co~tentions in religion, were
for eche man to betake him selfe to a good
& vertuous life, for that God could not of his
vnspeakeable mercie suffer suche a man to
erre lo~ge in religion. We haue a cleare exa~ple
of Cornelius a Gentile to whome God in
respect of his religious lyfe, prayer and almes
deedes, as the scripture affirmeth sent his
Apostle S.Peter to instruct him in the right
faithe. So mercifull is God to those whiche
applye the~ selues to vertue and pietie, albeit
they erre as yet in pointes of faithe.
And on the contrarie side, as loose lyfe
and worldlye ambition, was the first cause of
all heresye in Christian religion from the beginninge:

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so is it the co~tinuance of the same.
and it is verie harde for him that is so affected
to be recalled from his error. For that as the
scripture saithe the wisdome of God will not
entre into a malitious minde, nor dwell in a bodye
subiect to sinne. And our Saueoure in the
gospell askethe a question of certaine ambitious
worldlynges, whiche geeuethe greate
light to the thinge we talke of: how sayeth
he >can you beleeue, which seeke glorye one of an
other? as whoe woulde saie, that this worldly
ambition and euill life of theirs, did make it
impossible for them to come to the trewe
faithe.
Wherfore gentle reader if thow be of
an other religio~ than I am, I beseche the most
hartelye, that layenge a side all hatred, malice
and wrathfull contention, let vs ioyne together
in amendme~t of our lyues, and prayeng
one for an other: and God no doubt will
not suffer vs to perishe finallye for want of
right faithe. And to Catholiques I must saye
further withe S.Paule and S.Iames, that all
their faith will profitt them nothinge, except
they haue charitie allso, bothe towardes God
and man, and therby doe directe their lyues
accordinglye. Whiche God of his holye
mercye geeue them grace to doe, to his honour
and their eternall saluation. And I most
humblye request the good Christian reader
to praie for me allso, if thow take any commoditie
by this booke that I be not like the
Conduit pipe whiche bringeth water to the
citie, without drinkinge anye it selfe, or as
S.Paule withe muche lesse cause than I haue,
feared of hym selfe, to witt, lesse that after
preachinge to other, I become perchaunce a
reprobate my selfe. Reme~bre allso I beseeche
the, that most vertuous good gentilman,
whoe by his first translation, was the cause
of this labour now taken againe. He hathe
suffered much sence for the cause of his conscience,
and is at this present vnder indura~ce
for the same, and by that meanes, so muche
the more in disposition to receaue fruite by
thy prayer, by howe muche the more he
hathe suffered for righteousnes sake, and is
nearer ioined to God by his separation from
the world. Our lorde blesse him and the allso
good reader and sende vs all his holy
grace, to doe his will in this woorld,
that we maye raigne with
him in the world to
come. Amen.
Thy hartie welwiller and seruant
in Christ.
R. P.