Commentary on Acts, Title page – To the reader
THE COMMENTARIES of M. IOHN CALVIN vponupon the Actes of the Apoſtles, Faithfully tranſlated out of Latine into Engliſh for the great profite of our countrie-men, By Chriſtopher Fetherſtone student in Diuinitie.
LONDINI, Impenſis G. Biſhop.
1585.
To the right Honorable the Lorde Henrie, Earle of Huntington, Lord Haſtings, &c. Knight of the moſt honorable order of the Garter, and Lord Preſident of the Queenes Maieſties Counſell eſtabliſhed in the North partes: Chriſtopher Fetherſtone wiſheth increaſe of ſpirituall gifts, long life, and happie daies.
IF that (right Honorable) I ſhoulde prefixe anie long and tedious Preface before this woorke in commendation of your Honor, I ſhould of ſome be ſuſpected of flatterie: If in praiſe of theſe learned Commentaries, it ſhoulde ſeeme a thing ſuperfluous, ſeeing they ſufficiently commende themſelues: If in excuſe of thoſe faultes whiche are by mee in tranſlating hereof cōmitted: ſome cenſuring Cato would condemne mee, becauſe I would take in hand a worke ſo weightie, being not able to be without fault, and by crauing pardon for faultes, lay open my follie. Omitting thefore theſe thinges which might carrie with them ſuch inconueniences, I haſten vntounto that whereof I am chieflie to ſpeake: namely to lay open the cauſes mouing mee to dedicate this my ſimple tranſlation vntounto your Honor. Your deſerts of Gods church, your ſingular zeale, your vnfaigned faith, your ſyncere profeſsion, your eſpeciall care to aduaunce Gods glory, and to roote out papiſtrie, your faithfulneſſe towarde your Prince hauehave been ſuche, that this Realme generally, but my countriemen in the North parts, my natiue ſoyle ſpecially, hauehave & ſhall hauehave great cauſe to prayſe God for you in the day of their viſitation, euen when it ſhall pleaſe God of his great merciemercy to behold them with fauourable countenance, and to take from them in greater meaſure that blindneſſe and ſuperſtition, wherein they had been long time nouſled, and being faſt bred by the bone, is not yet (through want of meanes) gotten out of the fleſh. Seeing all theſe vertues are in you to be found: ſeeing both this church and countrie hauehave found you ſo beneficiall, whom ought not theſe things to prouoke to ſhew all thankfulneſſe toward your honor? Againe, when this hiſtorie of the Acts of the Apoſtles was firſt penned in Gr… by Luke, it was dedicated to noble Theophilus: When M. Caluin did the ſecond time publiſh his Commentaries thereupon in Latine, he preſented them vntounto one who was in minde a noble Theophilus. Leaſt therefore this worke nowe publiſhed in Engliſh, ſhould by dedication bee any whit debaſed, I hauehave made choyſe of your honour, being no leſſe a noble Theophilus than thoſe before mentioned. Another thing which is not ſo much a cauſe as an encouragemēt, is that courteſie which your honor ſheweth to thoſe, which preſent vntounto you any exerciſes of learning howe ſimple ſoeuer they bee; whereof I hauehave had full good experience, euen in my tender yeeres: namely, at ſuch time as I was trained vp in the citie of Carlile, vnderunder that man in his calling painfull, and to the common-wealth profitable, M. Hayes, whom for that dutie which to him I owe, I name. At which time though thoſe exerciſes which vntounto your honour wee then preſented were ſimple, yet were they ſo courteouſly of you receiued, that the remembrance thereof doth euen nowe encourage mee to preſume to offer vntounto you ſome weightier matter. The laſt, but not the leaſt, is, the conſideration of that great & vndeſerued kindneſſe, which all my friendes in generall, but eſpecially, my brother your Honors ſeruant, hauehave found at your hands, which to rip vp at large, would bee too tedious. In their behalf therfore (right Honorable) as alſo in mine owne, as a ſmall teſtimonie of a thankefull heart, I preſent vntounto your honour this worke; ſimple, if you reſpect the tranſlation, but moſte excellent if you conſider the matter. And thus humbly crauing pardon for my boldneſſe, and much more humbly beſeeching the Lorde to bleſſe you in the reading heereof, I conclude, fearing, prolixitie. The Lord of heauen bleſſe you, and graunt that as you hauehave been heeretofore a good Theophilus, ſo you may continue to the glorie of God, the increaſing of his church, and the profite of this common wealth.
From Maighfield in Suſſex this 12. of October. 1585. Your Honors moſt humble and obedient, and in Chriſte at commandement, Chriſtopher Fetherſtone.
The Epiſtle to the Reader.
THou haſt at length (Chriſtian Reader) through the bleſſing of God wherewith he hath bleſſed my labours, thoſe learned Commentaries of M. Caluin vponupon the Acts of the Apoſtles, though ſimplie, yet faithfully turned into Engliſh: & though of manie I was the vnmeetest to attempt this trauell; yet ſuch was the earneſt request of my godlie friendes, that vnleſſe I ſhould hauehave taken it in hand, I ſhould hauehave ſeemed voide of courteſie, and alſo of care to profite God his Church. I will not ſtand to rip vp thoſe commodities, which thou by reading theſe Commentaries maieſt reape, but I leaue them to thine own experience. What my trauell hath been in this worke, thoſe who hauehave indured like toile, can best iudge. And foraſmuch as I know well that after great paines taken, ſome things hauehave eſcaped me, I beſeech thee (gentle reader) condemne me not raſhly, but rather amend them friendlie. If thou ſhalt growe forward in knowledge by reading this worke, then praiſe God, who hath by this meanes made thee profite. God giuegive thee good ſucceſſe in reading, that thereby thou mayeſt both bee better learned and alſo better liued.
Thine in the Lorde, Chriſtopher Fetherſtone.