To the Reader,

In consyderacyon that the bokes before are founde in the Hebrue tonge, receaued of all men: ∧ that the other folowyng, whych are called Hagiographa (because they were wont to be reade, not openly and in comen, but as it were in secret and aparte) are nether founde in the Hebrue nor in the Calde: in whych tonges they haue not of longe bene written (in lesse then it were happly the boke of Sapience) wher vpon it were now very harde to repayre ∧ amende them: And that also they are not receaued nor taken as legyttymate ∧ leafull, as well of the Hebrues as of þe; whole Churche, as S. Hierome sheweth: we haue separat them, ∧ sett them asyde, that they may the better be knowen: to thyntent that men maye knowe of whych bokes wytnes ought to be receaued, and of whych not. ^note For the sayde S. Hierome speakynge of the boke of Iudith (which is Hagiogryphe) sayth, þt; the auctorytie therof is not estemed worthy and sufficient to confyrme and stablysh the thynges that lyght in disputacy&obar;. ^note And generally of all þe; bokes called Hagiogrypha, he sayth, that men maye reade them to the edifyinge of the people: but not to confyrme ∧ strengthen the doctrine of the Churche. ^note I leaue oute here the lawe (as they call it) of Canon .c. Sancta Romana .xv. distinc. were he sheweth his iudgement. Lykewyse the Glose of .c. Canones .xvi. distin. which sayth, that men reade th&ebar;, but not in generall: as though he shulde saye, that generally and thorouly they are not alowed. And not wythout a cause: For that they haue bene corrupted and falsyfyed in many places, it appeareth suffyciently by Eusebius in his boke called Hystoria Ecclesiastica: Whych thynge is easye to be knowen euen now a dayes in certen poyntes, namely in the bokes of the Machabees: whose second boke S. Hiero. confesseth that he founde not in the Hebrue, by the meanes wherof it is become vnto vs the more suspect and the lesse receaued. ^note In lyke maner is it of the thyrde and fourthe boke of Esdras, whych S. Hierome protesteth that he wolde not haue translated, esteamyng them for dreames: where as Iosephus yet in his booke of hys Antiquities declareth þe; summe of þe; matter after the maner of a storye, as well of the boke of Machabees as of the .iii. of Esdras: all though he esteame the bokes compyled from the raygne of kynge Artaxerses vnto hys tyme, to be Hagiogrypha. ^{note note note note}

Wherfore then, wh&ebar; thou wylt maynteyne any thynge for certen, rendryng a reason of thy fayth, take heade to proceade therin by þe; lyuynge and pyththye Scriptures, folowynge S. Peter, whych sayeth: He þt; speaketh, let hym speake as thoughe he spake the worde of God. He sayeth the worde of God, as a thynge most true and certen, opened by the Prophetes and Apostles, inspyred wyth the holy goost: of whom we haue wytnesse moare cleare then the daye. ^note Lawers hauynge greate desyre to confyrme and stablysh theyr opynyons by the lawe of man, saye, that they shame to speake wythout lawe: How moch more feare and dreade then ought he to haue, that sayth he is a Chrystian, the whych holdeth not hym selfe, or reasteth not in þe; lawes of the lyuynge God: but in mennes inuencions, iudgynge of all thynges accordinge to them, and leanyng to an vncerten ymagynacyon and phantasye? ^note Let vs therfore that are buylded on the foundacyon of the holy Prophetes and Apostles, and on the head corner stone (on whych they them selues were founded, and whych they preached, that is Iesus Chryst, the sure stone) leaue the thynges that are vncerten to folowe the cert&ebar;: holdynge vs and reastynge vs in them, and fastenyng oure ancre there, as in a sure place. ^note For oure Christen fayth consysteth not in doutefull thynges, but in playne and moost certen assuraunce, and in moost true persuasyon, taken ∧ confyrmed by infallible verite. In whych God graunte vs to walcke perpetuallye, to thyntent that accordynge to it (fulfyllynge his holy wyll in vs, and settynge asyde all inuencyous contrary vnto hym) we maye lyue to hys honour, and to the edyfyinge of hys Churche. So be it.

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