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These things all considered, and how this
book serveth to all these good ends, and therewithal
remembered how it hath pleased almighty God of his goodness and love,
and to the singular benefit of this his church of England, under the
queen’s most excellent majesty and most honourable
instrument of advancing his religion and glory in her dominions and
of bringing truth and peace to the consciences of her subjects, to ordain
your graces and fatherhoods the chief pastors and governors of his flock
for doctrine and all ecclesiastical duties: the first author of this
book in Latin had very good reason to offer his work unto you, that
as the people of God’s flock in England are under your charge,
so they might receive so great a benefit as this is under your name,
and thereby you our governors on the one part might be the rather moved
to further so good intention, and we all under your governance on the
other part be made more ready to receive it with better assurance of
good allowance, and to thank God, the giver of all good things and guider
of all good doings and purposes, and (as meet is) that we and our posterity,
so long as an English child or other shall in this Catechism learn Christianity,
may keep in thankful remembrance the happiness of these good times,
the blessed memory of her majesty, and the good names of you God’s
good ministers, now chief pastors of this his flock, in whose time (to
your and our comfortable consideration be it spoken) God hath so liberally
spread among us the light of his gospel, and (praised be he, and happy
be ye therefore) hath made you his faithful dispensers of so great a
grace.
The
same reasons that so moved the first author have also moved me to offer
my translation unto you, comprising herein as patrons all the fathers
and lords of the clergy, but specially and by name your graces my lords
the archbishops, to whose provinces the whole realm pertaineth,
and your fatherhood my lord of London, to whose diocese London a light
to the rest of England belongeth, and to whom
myself dwelling within your charge to owe particular duty
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