To the courteous Reader.

COurteous Reader; Thou
hast here the fruit of my
sicknesse, whereby in the
beginning of this Winter,
I was made vnseruiceable
for my publique duety. In this
while, considering that Time is pretious,
and the dayes euill, as the Apostle
saith, the Lord put into my heart, to
redeeme the time: Whereupon as God
enabled me to hold vp my head I looked
ouer my ragged Notes, and scattered papers.
Part of which, after my rude maner
pollished, are here offered vnto thee.
I am not without hope, but that by the
good hand of God as I had experience of
the profit of these things, being deliuered
by liuely voyce: so also the charitable
reading of them may much auayle
thee. I know that euery day there are
many new Bookes set forth, and of this
kind not a few: yet in this method, with
sound & briefe Propositions of the principall
points of Diuinity: euident and
infallible proofes: succinct and perspicuous
Explications; and plaine and liuely
Applications, I haue not obserued any:
So that, this, and also the great ignora~ce
of the multitude considred, I doubt
not but the Indifferent, will free these
my Endeuors from the censure of superfluous,
& of writing Iliads as say they
after Homer. I confesse ingenuously
that much of my Explications is drawn
fro~ the fountains of other men, both forren
Writers, and many our owne worthy
Countreymen. So that, as the little Bee,
greatly industrious, flieth ouer many a
garden and flower, to gather a little hony:
so haue I out of many mens gardens,
selected and gathered many such choice
things, which I iudged might most make
for thy benefit. And this can be no Imputation
to mee, in asmuch as the Learned
know, that not to speake of some of
the Pen-men of the holy Ghost both auncient
& later Writers, haue, to the great
benefit of the Church, taken this course:
& also because I haue made such things,
which I haue receiued from others, so to
serue my purpose, either by contraction,
addition, exposition, or marshalling into
my order: that I may in some sort iustly
challenge them as mine owne.
The summe of this my small Labour,
to the which is prefixed an exhortation
to the study of the Word is an Exposition
of the Description of God, named the
Grounds of Diuinitie, expounded &
applied, because it propoundeth, proueth,
and as a key openeth, & easily vnlocketh,
the hidden mystery and counsell of God,
concerning our saluatio~ by Iesus Christ.
The Questions and Answers, are familiar
and friendly depending. The Explications,
plaine, & for the most part, concise,
pointing at some things in a word,
at some in a parenthesis, which to the industrious
Reader wil be the more aduantageable:
and for the Vses which being
practised, are the praise & life of knowledge
I haue not obserued euery thing,
nor so pressed any thing, but that I leaue
much more to be gathered and obserued,
by such which are accustomed to Meditation.
In a word, that which I iudged
most profitable, I haue performed for
thee.
If thou beest learned, as thou needest
it not, so I humbly intreate thee to know
that I writ it not for thee yet I barre
thee not the reading, but most willingly
submit it to thy censure. If thou blamest
the Phrase and Stile, that it is not fluent
and round, but ragged and harsh: Truly
neither can I commend it. Happily, I
haue striuen, to be plaine, or at least, hauing
no skill in finer cookery, haue drest
it as I was able, after our homely and
country fashion for the stomackes of the
vnlearned, who rellish and like better,
of that which is plaine and easie, then
either learned and deep treatises which
they vnderstand not, or such cooked conceits
where the cost is greater then the
nourishment. Some delight in toyes like
children: I should then thinke very ill
of my selfe, when I should goe about to
please their humour, fitter to be purged
then norished. Some & worthily in regard
of their great acuity & iudgeme~t,
like nothing for themselues but that
which transcendeth common capacities:
I doe not thinke my selfe able to doe that
which might giue them satisfaction.
And, in asmuch as there are three fold
more which haue but meane knowledge,
then which abound, it shall content me,
that euen as Golde is common in Rich
mens pockets, but Siluer is currant
among the common sort; it shall I say
content me, if, while those of deeper
iudgement bee conuersant in the Writings
of the learned, my Labours may
be in the hands of the meaner sort, for
whose sake specially I haue taken this
paines.
For thee therefore which arte but a
beginner I haue laboured. If I may adde
to thy knowledge and affection, and be a
helper of thy Faith and Ioy; giue thou
God the glory: I haue then attained the
end of my labors: Reade once, and reade
againe; it may bee the second reading
wil be more sauory then the first. If thou
profitest herein, according as I haue praied
for thee, I know thou shalt neuer repent
thee. And thus, desiring the helpe
of thy prayers, I commend thee to God,
and to the word of his Grace, wishing
thy farther vp-building in all sauing
knowledge, godlinesse, and established
comfort of conscience, through Iesus
Christ.
Thine in our Christ.
E. P.