the prophet I recited the text euin now that the people must requyre the law and the meaning therof at the mouth of the prist Mala. ii but then is it not for euery one to take it himselfe to controlle descaunt at his own pleasure The .xvii probation Can the vnlearned only with the english bible and with reading only the english translatiō discerne or know how Christes wordes be trewe that he came to fulfylle the lawe Math. v. and not to breake it and how many maner of wayes that is trewe and yet how he is the ende of the lawe Agayn can he perceyue therby how the old testament and the new are both one in substaunce Vetus lex occultatio nouae nona reuelatio veteris Aug. and yet diuerse in perfectiō and in imperfection what nedeth the olde styll to remayne yea or what neded the newe to be geuen seyng Christe answered to the lawyer askinge howe to come to heauen Luc. ◠In the lawe what readest thou Loue thy lord God c. Moreouer can he see in his english booke how the gospel is easy and lyght for so Christ calleth it and that thold was ouer hard and importable as it is in thactes the .xv. seyng that in thold only manslaughter was forbyd here to be angry is is condemned there loue thy frende here loue thyne enemy there eye for eye here yf thou hast a boffet on th one side turne thother there commytte no adultery here yt thou beholdest a woman vnchastly thou art an adulterer there thou shalt not be forsworne here thou shalte not sweare at al there for stealyng other mens goodes thou must restore fourefold here for not geuyng thyne owne thou mayst be dampned Can ye with thenglish bible tell these and many moo as hard thynges as these be I am sure ye can not And therfore if ye might be suffered whiche God forbyde styll to wade in thenglish translation ye muste nedes styl walke from blindnes to blindnes The .xviii. probation In the Law and the Prophetes o how many hard thynges be cōteined yea what part of scripture is so lyghte that a godly learned man dare take in hand fully to discusse expound and declare by his owne witte yf he doe not see nor neuer haue sene anye doctor or expositoure theron And yet shall scripture be suffered to continew in thenglish tongue for all men to expounde at theyr pleasure The .xix. probation What thinges haue we gotten by the scriptures beyng in englysh these yeares past seruauntes stubbourne frowarde and disobediēt to theyr masters and mastres fleshly liberty contempt of all godly order losse of deuotion and godlynes prayer and fastyng set at nought and vnbrydled boldnesse to all mischefe See then whether it be high tyme to take it awaye agayne Suffer the sword of the spirit to continew no longer in the mad mans hande Hebre. iiii The .xx. probation Who is hable to tell at the fyrst sight how many hūdreth fautes be euyn in they re best transiation yf there were any good and yet shall they be suffered styll to continewe shall they styll poyson moo lyke as doo a thousande damnable englysh bokes sette furth within these .xxij. yeares Lord delyuer vs from theim al and that with all spede I take God to record yf I may speake only of one faute in the translation and touche no moo my herte dyd euer abhorre to here this word dominus whiche most comonly doth include noster to be translated the Lorde where as it ought to be trāslated our Lord the very latyn phrase so declaryng as appeareth sufficiently by that one exāple of the comike where one sayth to Pamphilus Pater est what man that hath a iudgement in the latyn tonge can denie this word Pater here in this place to include tuus so to be translated in to Englyshe thy father is not the same iudgement to be geuen of S. Iohans sayeng to Peter Iohan the .xxj. Dominus est It is oure Lorde our Maister where as they haue falsely translated it as in many other places calling him the Lord And lykewise in the salutatiō of our Lady Haile Mary full of grace dominus tecum doth not here this worde dominus include noster wouldest thou make tharchaungell lyke a deuyll to calle hym the lorde he is the lord to the deuyl but to vs he is our most mercifull Lorde and so to be called Our father which art in heauē halowed be thy name c. And S. Thomas cryed my Lorde my God Agayn seing God is Lorde of Abraham Lorde of Isaac and Lorde of Iacob would then Abraham Isaac or Iacob call hym the Lord no trulye but my Lorde or oure Lord. This I speake not now so much for the translatiō seing it swarmeth as full of faultes as leaues I wil not say lines as I doe for that I would wish that the comen speache amonge people sprōg of custom through the fond translation I thanke the Lord the Lorde be praysed the Lorde knoweth with all suche phrases might be left and that the people might be taughte to call hym our Lord I thanke our Lord our Lord be praysed our Lorde knoweth c. The xxi probation The holy martyr and chiefe byshoppe S. Clement writynge to S. Iames Thapostle wylleth the worde of God not to be read after euerye mans toye in his brayne seinge manye places of scripture sayeth he without the leadinge of the holye ghost maye be wrasted and taken after euerye mans leude mynde and fonde iudgement whiche thinge hath been put in practise of late and not as the spirite of God dyd meane Oportet ab eo intelligētiā discere scripturarū qui eā á maioribus secūdū veritatem sibi traditā seruat Haec diuus Clemens lib. x. recog Idem quoque docēt Iren. Tertull Athan. et Epiphan But sayeth he we must euer learne the true meaninge of scripture of hym whiche doeth obserue it as he hath accordinge to trueth receyued it of the elders Hereby we maye perceyue that we muste euer take the meanynge of scripture at his hande that went before in the trueth of Christes vniuersal church But how can it then be in the Englysh tonge for al mē to read take as they haue done at their pleasure thei haue made scripture no scripture by false recitynge by false wrastyng and tournyng For as Martiall◠sayeth Quem recitas meus est o Philentine libellus At male cum recitas incipit esse tuus O my frende the boke that thou recitest is myne but when thou makest false recitall then thou makest it thine owne booke and none of myne O lorde in howe many places maye scriptuce by the wicked be tourned into sundrie facions as God knoweth it hath been euen after the oracle of Apollo Aio te aeacida Romanos vincere posse Is it thē to be continued in thenglish tonge The xxij probation If scripture in the vulgar tongue had been
expositions together Hereby plainly appereth that with the Englishe Bible alone though it were trewly translated man coulde not be brought fully into the trew meaninge of Gods word But we se and wel perceyue that thousandes haue ben brought from the trew meaning of goddes worde throughe the Englishe Byble therefore awaye with it It hathe kilde to many soules alredy GOD best knoweth whom I beseche sende a spedy redresse The .vi. Chapitre Scripture ought not to be in the vulgare tonge that al men without restraynt may rede it Fyfty probations of this assertion The first Probation I Neuer heard nor red that GOD would hys people to haue the booke amonge themselues to towse or type at their pleasure God gaue the booke to Hieremye and bad him rede to the people that whyche he had written Hier. xxxvi Esay viii GOD bad Esai take the Booke to him for the same purpose Yea and it was not without great mysterie that God bad Ezechiell fyrst eate the Booke Ezech. iii. and then rede it in thaudience of all the people Dan. xiii Agayne Moyses gaue the booke to the Leuites to kepe and rede to the people iiii Re. xvii and in kinge Iosaphattes time the Priestes and Leuites did read the booke and teche the people like as did also afterwarde Elchias the Priest Sapha the Scribe Esdras did sundry times take the booke read it to the people iiii Re. xxii ii pa. xxxliii ii Esd viii and .xiii. iii. Esd ix Bar. i. Hier. xxxvi they diligentlye hearinge him And Baruch the Prophet redde the booke to the kinge and to the people they geuing eare vnto him Luc. iiii Yea Christ our maister toke the booke of the Prophet for this cause and red and expounded to the people his doing herein was for our example Wherby we may easely lerne that all people should not haue the Scryptures in their owne handlinges at their pleasure as they haue had these dosen yeres past to their vtter spirituall destruction The seconde Probation God sente Ionas to preache to Niniue Ion. i. iii. he sente not a booke writtē to euery one of the Niniuites to reade them selues God sayde by Hieremy speakynge of the time of the Gospell that the time should come he wold write his law in thartes of his people Hier. xxxi So that the writtinge of tholde law in tables of stone signifieng the stony hartes of the Iewes is not to be reioysed at but rather to be lamēted to be ashamed of knowinge that Scrypture was only wryttē for sinne els neuer had ben written but only in the heart of mā It was three thousande yeres after the creation of the world before the olde lawe was written and yet then only writtē for wickednes and synne It was also a longe space after the ascension before the new Testament was written some parte at one tyme and some at an other and yet euery parte only writen for synne and scisme so that the simple ignoraunt people this wel considered ought not to be so desyrous of the scripture written as they ought to be desyrous to heare the trew meanyng of scripture for that onlye is the scripture and the gospell of Christe For sayth S. Hierom. Euangelium non est in scriptura sed in sensu non in superficie sed in medulla non in sermonum folijs sed in radice rationis The gospell is not in the wryting but in the sense it is not in the outwarde apperaunce but in the inward meanyng it is not in the leaues of the bokes but in the ghostly vnderstandynge Christ neuer bad goe write his gospell or holye worde but badde preache it Then yf thou hast an humble heart and canst but reade the englysh Bible thinke thou must haue it taught thee and not to take it thy selfe Saye as the Eunuche dyd to Philip Actes viii howe can I vnderstand it except I be taught Christe did preache ofte to the people Math. iiii v but he wrote not to them at all and he sent his disciples and bad them preache to the people his ghospel Mark .i. Luc. viii Math. x. and .xxviii. Mar. vi iii.xvi Luc. ix xxiiii Luc. xii and then they went and preached but he bad them not write at all That whiche ye haue hearde sayeth he in secrete places shal be preached on the toppes of the houses he said not it shal be written in youre churches as it hathe been Iewishly vsed on late here in Englande nor written in Bybles to be read of euerye one in hys mother tongue and set vp for that purpose in euerye churche Peter sayeth the holye fathers did speake Gods worde by the holye ghost ii Pet. i. he telleth nothinge of writyng it Math. xxvi Christe where he spake of the memorial of Mary Magdalene saide whersoeuer this ghospell shal be preached c. He sayde not whersoeuer this Ghospell shal be written Mark .i. Luc. iii. Iohn Baptist preached muche but where did he either write or commaund to be written Mat. xxiiii Christe ofte promised that hys Ghospell shoulde bee preached in all the worlde Mar. vi Luc. x. And therfore sent fourth bothe the apostles and the lxxij disciples and all godly preachers euer since so that none canne preache except he be sent Rom. x. But in no place we rede that he bad go write his ghospel I can not then but meruayl that men to their owne confusion are so desierous to haue the scripture in their mother tongue O howe oft speaketh Paule and S. Peter also of preachinge the ghospell Rom. x.xv. In the Epistle to the Romaynes in either Epistle to the Corinthians i. cor ix xv ii Cor. i. xi Gal. i. iiii.v Ephes ii Phillip i. Col. i. i. Thes ii i. Tim. ii iii ii Tim. iiii Act. ix xv.xx i. Pet. iii iiii Act. vix xv Luc. x. Math. vii Luc. xi Actes x. Actes xix to the Galathians to the Ephesians to the Philippians to the Colossiās to the Thessalonians to Tymothe and in Thartes And S. Peter also bothe in his first Epistle also thrise in thactes Besides this Martha is praysed in the Ghospell for hearyng Christes worde taughte and Christ in his sermō in the moūt saieth he that heareth my word and doeth it not he that readeth it or writeth it shal be like ned to the wise man buildynge vpon the rocke c. And agayne blessed be they that heare gods worde and kepe it and as it is in the Actes when Peter preached the holy ghost fell vpon al that heard him yea and they of Asia were praised for hearynge Gods word But wher I pray you haue you of writynge it for all men to read Howe be it the onelye drifte as I thynke of all suche as obstinatly sticke to haue the scripture in writing in the vulgar tongue is therby to be Iudges of the sense of scripture them selues contrarye to
inestimable treasur foūd and hid in the fylde that was bought Math. vii and of the precious stones not to be cast before swyne nor the holy vnto dogges c. What doeth all thys but plainelye forbydeth thee Byble in Englishe or the mysteries therof to be set abrode The xxx probation Lyke as GOD appointed tholde lawe to bee written in stone tables or boke so did he appoint as Hieremie witnesseth the new to be writen only in the heart of man Hier. xxxi Why should the writing in bookes then be so highlye regardyd But this carnall this fleshly regardyng by no meanes can be so well extenuate or rather quyte taken awaye as by taking the scripture fourth of the vulgar tonge and fourth of thandling of the lewde ignoraunt The xxxi probation God appointed the Gospell onelye to be writen in the hert of man And therfore the Apostels did fulfyll theyr office concerning this matter in that thei only wrote theyr epistles to the people being absent but euer taught by mouthe theym that were present as appeareth to the Corinthians where Paule saith othere thinges i. Cor. xi when I come and am present I wyl order And S. Iohn sayde Epistle .ii. I had mani thiges to write which I wil not write but tel you and teache you mouth to mouth The same teachinges then and many other haue bene receiued in the Church euin as it were by hande and so continued styll and shall doo tholye ghost teaching frome tyme to tyme as Christe promised if the Bible were ones taken forthe of the ignorauntes iudgementes The xxxij probation i. Timoth. i. Paule writeth to Timothe rebukynge many whiche then woulde presume to be doctours and teachers not mete for that office but how many thousādes be in Englād English teachers now yea rather seducers and only sowers of heresies through the englysh translacion muche worse and more ignoraunt then they of whō Paule then spake The xxxiij probacion Yf it be laufull for all to haue the handeling of scripture then made not tholy ghost a iuste diuision of giftes appointing but som doctours and teachers and thother to be taught Yea and Christ cald in vain the Apostles and theyr successours the salt of th earth the light of the world if euery one that wyll shal haue that office as no doubte they haue had this longe tyme and wyll haue styl if it shoulde continue in English which GOD forbyde The .xxxiiij probacion Gregorius Nazianzen saieth Oportet paulatim infirmis fidelibus ea que perfectiora sunt aperire c. Greg. Nazian concione de spiritu sancto We must by lytle and litle open the secretes of scripture to the infirme christians How can it be suffred thenne to be in englysh for euery one too open it to him selfe The xxxv probation Paule would all to be taught the scripture and therfore he wrote his epistles to al but not all to descant vpon them For then he would not haue saide i. cor xiiii if any be thought to be a prophet let him know what I write vnto you c. The .xxxvii. probacion Moises did committe the boke only to the pristes not to the people Deut. xxxi And the priest was euer made iudge in hard causes of the scripture Deut. xvii But our men wil be iudges them selues where lerned they that euen of the deuil the autour of arrogancy God said in Deut. he that will not obey in this to the preiste Deut. xvii shall suffer death But what obedyence woulde the englishe readers geue to the preist yea to the highest Priest of all in earth vnder Christ The xxxvij probation S. Basil biddeth be circumspect that ye blabbe not out the holy mysteries nor suffer them to be defiled with prophane eyes but ye shall rather bee afrayed to handle them yea ye shall reuerence the hydde mysteries of God with spirituall and not corporall beholdynges and kepe them not touched nor to be handled of the rude ignoraunt and common people What can be more playne then this againste the Byble in the vulgar tongue The xxxviij probation O howe manye scrupules and doubtes haue spronge in manye mens heades whiche neither they nor their fathers euer imagined before through the scripture in Englishe How many alterations scismes and deuisions amonge the simple haue rysen yea betwene man and wyfe maister and seruant How manye women heretikes haue taken vpon them thoffice of teachinge hereby in these yeres paste Women heretikes and all contrarye to Paules doctrine The xxxix probation Amonge other one of the greatest inconueniences that hath these wretched yeres sprōg by hauing the Byble in english is this that many yea very manye God best knoweth haue presumptuouslye taken vpon them beinge yet moste vnmete thervnto thoffice of doctours and teachers in corners and conuenticles beinge not sent but arrogantly and presumptuouslye saying God did send them and they woulde seke for none other sending howe be it they did not marke the plague of Osias kyng of Iuda for vsurping thoffice of the priest whervnto he was not called They did not marke howe Christ being very man did chose the xij Math. x Luc. x. Apostles and lxxij disciples and sent thē furth where ye see bothe the outwarde chosynge and outwarde sendyng Actes i. Mathias was outwardlye by men chosen to succede Iudas and so were the seuen deacons outwardlye called Actes vi and thactes the xv it hathe pleased tholye ghost and vs c. Beholde here bothe the inward and outward sending And the holye ghost sayde Actes xiii seperate me Paule and Barnabas they put theyr handes on them and sente them furthe Here ye see outwarde sendynge Yea and Paule sayeth Rom x. howe shall they preache except they be sent Nowe yf we shoulde take onely inwarde sendinge without the outwarde then the Churche coulde neuer bee certayne who were sent and who were not Agayne Christ appoynted certayne Apostles doctours and teachers c. Whiche order saith Paule Ephes iiii shall continue in the church for euer But thē it must nedes be that the churche shal stil appoynt them as they did then c. Moreouer he that shall be called to the office of a priest or byshop must haue a good report of them whiche are without i. Timo. iii. Marke here the outwarde sending And S. Augustine sayth ▪ if because Thappostles were taught of god Aug. in prolo li. de doct Chri. none own ought to bee outwardelye called or taughte then sayeth he lette none reade the gospel nor none heare sermons Paule had tholye ghost and yet he went not to preache tyl Ananias had layde his handes vpon him Actes ix ▪ He was sent sayth he to man to receiue the sacramentes and to be ioyned to the church Neuertheles all might be done and wrought onely inwardlye by thangell or spirite of God but then shoulde neuer be any certayntie
Therfore God hathe ordeined that like as in temporal gouernauÌ„ce none is made ruler but beynge outwardly sent and appointed by men euen so in the spirituall functiones Wherfore nowe to conclude seing the only remedy to redresse this damnable errour of theym whiche teache secretly and doâ— much hurt in corners through the english translation is to take it awaye for by other meanes it wil not be stopped it can not be permitted that the Bible shoulde continue in english Here in this I might haue had iust occasion to speake against preachers which hadde authoritie wickedly geuen to preache and did comenly preach vnderstandinge not the latine tonge as it was saide but were called some from one occupation and some from another and some frome plaieng the vices parte in enterludes but I wil not medle with this matter The xl probation Hierom. in Ezech. 44. S. Hierom saith Alta profunda dei mysteria non sunt monstranda vulgo nec proferenda ad populum ne si maiora se audierint maiestatem scientiae ferre non possint quasisolido suffocentur cibo qui adhuc lacte infantiae nutriendisunt The depe and profounde mysteries of God are not to be shewed to the common people nor to be vttred to theÌ„ lest they hearinge greater thinges then they can beare be not hable to atteyne to the knowledge therof and be as it were choked with harde meate whiche yet oughte to haue been fed but with milke of infancie The .xli probation It helpeth well and is a good probation against the english Bibles that Christe euer vsed paraboles to the rude vnlearned sorte yea and that the wordes of the gospell do testifie that ofte when he spake they vnderstode hym not Nihil inquit horum intellexerunt but yet he saide to his disciples and theyr successours Vobis datum est nosse mysteria It belongeth to you to knowe the mysteries Yea and whan he would teache theym high secretes he ascended into the mount from the comen people wherof Esai hadde spoken Esay vi Ye shall heare with youre eares and not vnderstand c. In expounding which place S. Hierom doeth vtterly dryue awaye the comen people from medling or handlyng the mysteries of scripture Agayne doeth not Christe showe in the Gospell Luc. xii that he is a good stewarde which geueth in measure to the seruauntes they re meate in dewe season what a wicked stewarde were he then whiche withoute all measure or discretion obseruing no order regarding no mans person or bloode wold set on the table before all men indifferently were he Lord or lorell master or seruaunt all kyndes of disshes at ones bothe grosse and fyne The .xlij probation Chrisosostom vpon Chrisost lib. iiij de sacerdotio Intende lectioni i. Ti. iiij sheweth thoffice of Bisshops to be to studye the scripture thoffice of the laitie to know the scripture by they re teaching and preaching sufficient for theyr saluation The .xliij probation S. Augustin sheweth certen places of scripture to be for pregnaunt August episâ— Volusiam wittes and certen for the rude dolardes But how then can the scripture be in thenglish tongue for all indifferentlye to reade The xliiij probation O how many Englyshe readers doe take hurte of the Prophetes and canticles not knowwing the mysteries nor when it is a trope not knowyng when it is to be taken to the lettere and when the letter doth kylle The .xlv. probation Gregorius Nazianzen saieth I is conuenit de rebus diuinis disserere lib. i. suae theol â–ª qui contemplandi acumine coeteris antecellunt c. It is mete for theym too intrete of Gods mysteries whiche doe excede and passe other in excellencie of gyfte c But then it shall not be lawfull for euery one to haue it in the vulgare tonge The xlvi probation S. Hierom saith that the Iewes dydde not permitte any to reade the beginning of Genesis In proaemiâ— Eâ—echielis nor the canticles neyther the beginning nor the ende of Ezechiell before .xxx. yeares And the Romayns suffered none to rede the bokes of Sibylla but onlye the tenne commissioners named decemviri Fenestella lib i. capi xiii and before theym the .ij. commissioners named duumviri So muche reuereÌ„ce they gaue to theyr boke And shall we christians suffer the hyghe mysteries to be miserably tormoyled of all handes But ye wyl say S. Hierom and Chrisostom also in certein places seme to allow the laitie vnto reading of scriptures And. S. Hierom did translate scripture vnto the Dalmatians Truth is many thiÌ„ges for a time haue ben permitted of deuotion but after seing the successe nought they haue been taken awaye After the beginninge maydes wiues boyes and men kept vigils together aboute martyrs tumbes and Vigilantius for reprouing it was sharply taunted of S. Hierom yet afterward for inconuenieÌ„ces it was taken away Euseb lib vi cap. xxxiij And at the beginninge the bodie of Christ was geuen to the laytie in their handes to carye home c. But thorough witchecraftes and other abuses coÌ„mitted that custome was taken awaye Likewyse the laytie receyued once vnder bothe kindes whiche custome throughe offenses and perils that chaunced and that might chaunce still is iustly prohibited and taken awaye vtterlye And likewise answere is to be geuen to all them that make these forsayde obiectioÌ„s to haue the scriptures in englishe The .xlvii. probation If that which Eusebius doth testifie in his time to be trewe had been nowe verified in these our daies we neded not then to be so ferd of hauinge scripture in euery mans hand Libro eccl cap. xvi His wordes be these Imperiti obseruant ne disputare audeant de ijs quae ignorant et de illis testimoniuÌ„ perhibere quae nesciunt The vnlearned euer obserue this that they dare not once dispute or reason of those thinges that thei be ignoraunt of nor beare testimonie of those thinges whiche they know not But alas nowe the more ignoraunt the more obstinate in madde boldnesse so that by no meanes thenglish translation maye be suffered The .xlviij. probation â–ª Scripturarum intelligentiam non ex propria praesumptione sed ex maioruÌ„ scriptis autoritate sequebaÌ„tur quos et ipsos ex apostolica successioÌ„e intelligendi regulaÌ„ suscepisse constabat Haec Eusebi lib. xi Eccl. cap. ix The example of Grego Nazian and Basil be to faythfull christians a sufficient rule to folow which if we do we wyl say awaye with thenglishe Bibles away they can not be abiden For the readers therof passe of no expositions of the fathers but onlye stycke to theyr owne bare taking of scripture as thei phancye it and as they please where as these .ii. holy doctours studied scripture together not presumptuously folowing their owne imaginatioÌ„ but folowing the doctrine and authoritie of the elders whom they knew to haue receyued the vnderstaÌ„ding of scripture euyn by succession from the Apostels The xlix probation
Luc. xix bringyng for him the testimony of Esaie and seing also we haue in scripture so manye notable examples concernynge the same purpose Luc. ii Anna the prophetisse coÌ„tinued day and night in the temple in fastynge and prayer Luc. xxiiii the Apostles after Christes ascension remayned styll in the temple in laudyng and blessyng God Peter and Iohn went vp in to the temple at the ninth houre of prayer Actes iii. Salomon besought GOD to graunt the petition of all that prayed in the temple iii. Re. viii and Daniel beinge a prisoner in Babilon Dan. vi euer loked toward the temple when he prayed vppon his knees thryse in the daye This suerly doth proue that the chief intent of coÌ„ming to the churche ought to be to praye But all this tyme which now thankes be to God is past hauynge the diuine seruice in Englishe was an extreme enemie to all godly prayer and deuotion For then men phansied so to heare what was redde striuing ofte thervppon in simple iudgemente that feruente prayer whiche ought to be was smally regarded And here now for this time I make an end besechig al godlye people as for Momus his iudgement I passe not of well to accepte this my labour seing that herein is nothinge spoken but that whiche hath bene taught for treuthe and beleued of al men in all places and at al times since the primatiue church seing also that herein we leane onely to the generalytie of all christendome to the antiquitie of the elders whiche haue receiued it as it were by hande euyn tyll this day and to the consent and agrement of all the holy fathers Whose wittes were as muche as our new mens theyr diligeÌ„ce as great theyr lerning greater theyr studye more feruent they re deuotion hotter theyr nombre more theyr continuaunce longer they alway taken for catholikes but thother euer for heretikes alwaye laboring and studiyng that might be whollye to the profyt of the churche of Iesus Christe To whome with the father and the holye ghost be all honoure and glorye for euer and euer AMEN Memorâ—â—e nouissima Eccl. vii in aeternum non peccabis I. S. A PRAYER IESV God and man we beseche thy Maiestie Of mesureles mercie tender our miserie Hast to helpe that helpe hast in thy hande Ne cesse with thy 〈…〉 repaire this Ilande Suffer not Satan and his cursed progenie To bewitche thy people with scisme and heresie And strengtheÌ„ vs O God of power puisaunce Neuer to quaile throughe thy gracious gouernauÌ„ce Dede and worde in vs so proportion Infinitly that we acknowledge thy heaueÌ„ly wisdoÌ„ Snared we were and nigh snatched to confusion Scisme and heresie preuailing in this region Haue thankes and praise for our restitution As we may and can we must and wyll willingly Vvaking and sleping exalte thy Maiestie Thy mercie for our selues as we aske and haue Haue like mercie we humblie crie and craue On Philip and Mary graunt theÌ„ of thy mercie Reigne peace and power in longe life felicitie Autoris nomen libri noÌ„ scribitur huius Vt placido vultu quisque probaret opus Plus circa nomeÌ„quam veruÌ„ plebs stomochatur I is adhibens solum qui placuere fidem ¶ Fautes escaped the printer in many of the bokes Leafe Syde Lyne A.v. ij .iiii. reade ofte hurteth C.viii. i. in the margeÌ„t math .ix D.v. i. xvii rede Actes E. iii i. xv put oute E. iiii ii in the margeÌ„t Iac. iiii H. vii i. in the margent writte Iren. lib. tertio capit iiii I.i. i. i. rede and it is I.i. ii v. rede that which hath I. ii ii xviii reade doe apereth I. vi i. xx rede Altercations I. vi ii xxii rede sending Howe I. vii ii xxii rede none now