Justification Works and How the Foundation of Faith is Overthrown, Title page – To the reader
A LEARNED DISCOVERSE OF IVSTIFICATION, WORKES, and how the foundation of faith is over throwne.
By RICHARD HOOKER, sometimes Fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford.
AT OXFORD, Printed by Joseph Barnes, and are to be sold by John Barnes, dwelling neere Holborne Conduit. 1612.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
WHereas many, desirous of resolutiō in some points handled in this learned Discourse, were earnest to hauehave it copied out: to ease so many labours, it hath beene thought most worthy and very necessarie to bee printed, that not only they might be satisfied, but the whole Church also hereby edified. The rather because it will free the Author from the suspition of some errours, which he hath been thought to hauehave favoured. Who might well hauehave answered with Cremutius in Tacitus, aLib. 4. Ann▪Verbamea arguuntur, adeò factorum innocens sum. Certainely, the event of that time, wherein he lived, shewed that to be true, which the same bLib. 1. Hist.Authour spake of a worse, Cui deerat inimicus, per amicos oppressus; and that there is not cIn vita Agricolae.minus periculum ex magna fama, quàm ex mala. But he hath so quit himselfe, that all may see, how, as it was said of Agricola, Simul suis virtutibus, simul vitijs aliorum in ipsam gloriam praeceps agebatur. Touching whom I will say no more, but that which my Authour said of the same man, Integritatem, &c. in tanto viro referre, iniuria virtutum fuerit. But as of all other his writings, so of this I wil adde that, whichdLib. a. Velleius spake in commendation of Piso, Nemo fuit, qui magis, que agenda erant, curaret, sine vlla ostentatione agendi. So not doubting, Good Christian Reader, of thy assent herein, but wishing thy favourable acceptance of this worke, (which will be an inducement to set forth others of his learned labours) I take my leaue; from Corpus Christi College in Oxford.
Thine in Christ Iesus HENRY IACKSON.