TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE ELIZABET by the grace of God Queene of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defender of the fayth c. I Presented vnto your Highnes most gracious Soueraine the Concent of the holy Storie endeuoryng there to shewe that all the Booke of trueth breathed from one spirite That coulde not be declared vnles the times had a most exact playnnes which I recorded to be certaynly chayned euen from the fall to the Redemption For that I layde downe the pure wordes of the text whereof an angel tolde That from the ende of Iudahs captiuitie 490. yeeres are pared out vnto our Lordes death Against this last part a Learned man of Oxford long disputed not denying the wordes to haue Gods authoritie in them nor yet differing from mee for their beginning and ende but affirming That the Angell meant no certaine tyme. And setting aside the Angels wordes he affirmeth That from Olympiades 560. yeeres precisely may be gathered by the Greeke affayres And going on by the Iewes common weale maketh a partitiō He maketh the Temple a marke most famous the limit of both partes as I had done but not in lyke tyme. From Zorobabel and Iosuahs returne from Babel he maketh yeeres an hundreth and seauen vnto the buylding of the Temple There I say that ancient Ebrewes vniuersally ancient Greekes vniuersally and Latines most generally olde and late keepe them within 32. yeres and that Scripture and lyues of all famous men agree with that After the buylding of the Temple are by him to our Lordes death 453. yeres which I wyll grant him and fiue more In this laboure of his I blame his endeuour of two generall errours That he disanulleth the propriety of the Angels wordes and affirmeth that the returned from Babel lyued 107. yeeres to buylde the Temple He read twelue monethes as his hearers triumphed Some of his Lectures he sent me by which I might iudge what matter could be in the rest I could haue wished that he woulde eyther haue spoken where I myght reply or haue printed his opinions that rumors myght not preuayle aboue iudgement I haue printed many seuerall workes against him The summe of them is this That all his gaynsaying is extreamely erroneous and that he hath not blamed with any colour of sounde learning one worde of my Booke Those small workes of my Defences for our Religion and common trueth oppugned by one pretending peculiar differing from me who for these two poyntes haue all Nations Religions and Studies on my side Them I humbly commende to your Highnes that they may be censured by some Learned countenanced as trueth requireth and considered according to the honour of your gracious gouernement A priuate censure hath passed betwixt vs all ready For my Lord Archbyshop of Canterburies grace was chosen vmpier and examined both sides argumentes I hope I may with modesty pleade his testimony though for my selfe yet in a publique cause where it is good for all to knowe the full strength of the trueth His Grace did wholly approue the Concent for euery whit where his wisedome saw Heathen that deceaued Diuines confuted most plentifully by most ancient Heathen of their owne kinde and vniuersally by all Iewes And touching former Christians folowyng Gentiles on Daniel folowing Iewes in Ezra his Grace saw them holpen from errours by their owne graunt that when the D. and I ioyne issue for the space betwixt the Alter and Temple Prophane heathē haue there no worke but olde Diuines Ebrew Greeke Latine tell him that he went very farr further then they woulde wish him And touching crossing the Angels propriety I can not thinke that Europe beareth one learned Christian or that Iury which trembleth at Gabriels oration hath now one man that holdeth the number vncertaine I thinke his Grace will tell your Highnes so much And your Maiesties signification of your Princely determination woulde more breake young brauing Studentes whom reason in such vnexpected soyles can not bende I greatly reuerence my learned aduersarie and commende him that he woulde not haue all libraries set on flame by fire of iudgement in few wordes without tryall in one twelue monethes fight But I shoulde more commende him now if at the last he woulde tell how playne the Scripture lay alwayes though no heathen before setled Iubilees aright with the Chronicle His fame of Learning and my more confident resistance maketh many thinke that the Scripture is hard where our long labours differ The fault is vntolerable in the one of vs two eyther in him or in mee and the faulty shoulde be forced to yeelde that none thinke amisse of Gods worde I refuse not to abyde all disgrace yf my trauels be not founde true for the story profitable for the quietnes of the state and fit for a Prince reigning in these west endes of the earth the possession of Christ Our Marchantes that passe ouer all Nations can not carry into the East more noble marchandise from the West then skil of teaching Greekes vpon what occasion euer hitherto they missed 1500. yeeres in 4000. and marred all the holy story and lost religion and caused the Christian Arabians to follow and fayle alike And that poynt hath been hence first opened in that lytle worke to your Maiestie and in a further explication of it Likewyse where by the tyme and kinred of Christ they may moue any Iewes there I trust that I may affirme without chalenging more then due that to your Highnes first both poyntes were declared in full and constant Concent What the paynes hath been to contriue vnto agreement so many most intricate pointes as for this harmony of Scripture haue been ioyned from east writers of hard and diuers tongues and subtilties not Ebrew onely but Syriaque and Chaldean in sundry Dialectes from Greekes and Latines of all sortes auoyding the errours of all bringing nothing but matters of difficultie and all iudged faultlesse any may iudge that considereth but the hardnes of the least of these studies seuerally The payne is augmented by the greatnes of the charges not mainteined by great allowance of Diuinity but gotten through Ebrew skill and spent on Diuinity though it be a rule of God and man that none warre on their owne charges Yet duetie bindeth all men to further as they can celestiall knowledge But paynes in this sort loseth much of the due encoragement And some encrease of griese I felt that when I had a meaning to looke to my selfe by other meanes then Diuinity I was requested by one of your Maiesties honorable Counsellers a Diuine to take rather your Highnes preferment the delay whereof hath hindred myne owne course But all this may soone be cured when it is knowen to your gracious care ouer Learning Your Maiesties most humble Subiect Hugh Broughton An Epistle sent vnto the Archb. of C. and D. Elmer then B. of London chosen vmpires touching the D. that read against the Concent of Scripture and the Author of that Concent
MY duetie remembed to your Grace and Lordshyp It is knowen to all the Realme with what vehemencie and care D.R. labored to proue that a Concent of Scripture for certaintie of Chronicle coulde not be made By reason of his former credite he hath drawen many to deny that which they alwayes helde to be against them selues to countenance him and to disgrace mee I thought small skill might serue in an Apologie for all men and was so bolde as to pronounce him more grosely deceyued then euer I knew any man And content coulde I haue been to haue tryed by disputation or by printing not minding to leaue off vntil my booke to her Maiestie which he laboreth wholly to disgrace standeth by open iudgement or falleth to my continuall disgrace and last paynes in studie When he had long read to proue that Mardochai was not of Iechonias captiuitie and had made many commende his cause we both graunt that to ende our strife and they being called to reade the text loathed their owne inconstancie Yet then this was tolde me that some Oxforde men required answere of me Therevpon I wrote to D. Robinson Prouost of the Q. Colledge certaine Theses which might ende the cause requesting his alowance or reiection with this addition that I thought it iniurious that Oxforde men should require me to defende that which they euer helde vnlesse they woulde protest that eyther their mindes were altered or that they were vnable and of D. Reynoldes I wrote that he was extremely culpable in blaming me for differing frō him where none euer was nor wylbe of his iudgement and by his owne wordes he is vtterly condemned Vpon this D. Reynoldes commeth to London to me shewing that he was willing to take any iudge and both we agreed vpon your Grace you my L. B. of London that we might haue the cause fully ended without partialitie to the credite of either clearely to the glory of God and brightnes of his trueth That whether soeuer hereafter should make any stir in the cause he shoulde be openly culpable by all censures My matter is opened in my Booke of Scripture Concent in Gabriels oration Dan. 9. in the Preface and at the yeere of the worlde 3470. My accusation is that D. R. vniustly blamed that as all particulars depending therevpon which tende through the olde Testament yea from Moses to our Lord his ascention To all which courses I blame him as iniurious Imoued him to sende to your Grace and Lordship the booke of his Lectures I trow reason wil moue him to do so much yf he meane to defende him selfe I haue sent herewithall a briefe in Theses and short declarations to giue an insight to the matter a copie whereof I coulde wish D. R. yf he would as I would gladly giue him any thing for a Booke of his whole Lectures against mee If these be not sufficient I am ready by Lecture Disputation or Printing to open any poynt hid in my cause Thus requesting your Graces and Lordships free report to her Maiestie and my L. Treasurer touching my Booke wherefore we striue after your conuenient leasure I humbly commende your Grace and Lordship to the spirite of trueth London Nou. 4. 1591. To the worshypfull and learned the Vicechauncelour and others the gouernours of learning-houses in the Vniuersitie of Oxeforde LFarned Fathers you know that I put foorth sundry defences of my doctrine touching the harmonie of Scripture to cleare my booke which I wrote to her Maiestie that I might proue my selfe not vnaduised in offering that doctrine to her Highnes but carefull of duetie to the Church and state And God is my iudge that I had desire and hope therein to haue aduanced not a litle the knowledge of Christ the peace of the Church and honour of all humane good learning My defenses I hope proue my cause to be sounde And not onely that but a more playne dealing vsed then I haue founde from your Studentes I wyll touch what I wrote and your mens iniuries and require your censure First the treatise of Mardochai wrytten without open noting any perticuler aduersarie proouing all Churches and Synagoges and the natiue iudgement of all playne folke to be of my syde myght haue quietly appeased all stryfe or haue dryuen all you to haue defended your owne cause Moreouer I though I stoode in possession of the ancient opinion and by that onely myght disgrace the replyer consented to abyde arbitrement which commonly would part stakes Besides I chayned holy testimonies for the seruice of Shemesh vnto that blessed seruice of redemption that the cause myght match the Sunnes brightnes in the simplest sight and the speach of euery part appeare of one tenour in phrase that he which wold be tropique in one poynt should be guilty of threatning the lyke to all Some learned strangers thought that paynes the best of mine But some sayd that your D. disdayned to answere that being whole the expresse worde of God Such reuerence holy Euthyphrones gaue Gods worde Besides your D. affyrming that there was not a Chronicle in the Bible disputed vpon Abrabams tymes and the Iudges to proue them vncertayne I marueyled what he should meane to disturbe the trueth in that most famous place where God vpon Terahs death bagan a new accumpt from Christes promise The Sunne differeth not more from the dimmest Starre then that poynt differeth from obscuritie And the ancient Grekes saw it so wonderfull a matter that Moses should tell of Terahs death telling in the eight aboue onely all their yeeres that to hide the wonder they put in eight tymes and he dyed S. Stephen and Philo in Abrahams peregrination might haue tolde your D. that antiquitie therein made no doubt Neyther did euer any Englyshe differ from me for S. Stephens wordes For the Iudges times my Booke woulde haue tolde him by perticuler accomptes where S. Paul bringeth 18. stories to one worde that no Virginalles were better in tune then that harmonie of time though your D. would needes be busie with me for the seauen yeeres of Conquest and the seauen Iubilees to Samuel feauen Seauenties to Nebucadnezars warre the seauenty of Captiuitie and thence the seauen Seauenties But for Abrahams Promise I most labord to reforme him that he might not preuayle to marre the two most heauenly Promises and noblest ioyntes of all the Bible that and the other to Daniel In a disputation vpon Melchizedek I conueyed a redresse of his opinions which because some litle marked afterwardes I graued in brasse by reason of some Pictures a view of the whole Bible freendly amending his breaches of all the buylding This also being vnregarded directly do I reproue your Studentes as denying the Redemption by a strong consequent who holde that it fell not out in the time properly tolde whereas men and Angels wyll holde that otherwise it coulde not be from God and the Iewes seeke no more colorable defence then to proue that the proper time cannot be
beare And this one poynt where al the worlde is on my side Ebrewes al Greekes al Latines al ouerthroweth al his Chronicle and strife and as he ouerturned al religion in framing an vncertayntie for the Angels number So when he feigneth Ezra abnepotem Saraiae he might as wel giue a new Bible from his authority S. Augustine sayd that Ezra was borne in Captiuitie And so he might but begotten before as posthumus And any tyme of the Captiuitie woulde serue my turne But neuer any was towarde his minde VVhen the french heare that al their iudgement is disgraced their commending of Daniels 490. for a rare iewel for the certaine time of our Lord his death likewise for Ezra by one that brocheh a new opinion from his owne authority pretending to confute one man what wyl they say Not Caluin only and other wholly my partners nor Iunius and Scaliger onely his partners once but al the nation is of him confuted and al nations of the earth And I might turne ouer the cause to others whose hand was in it before mine And for my learned friende I must needes confesse this much that when he hath his owne side and al the worlde styl against him and yet hopeth of a victorie he hath a most valint courge But I as one In Homer would wyshe courage not to exceede safety So for Mardochai al Churches and natiue iudgement for Daniel and Ezra euery seueral man is agaynst him Now it wylbe an hard demaunde whether it were better to haue al Vniuersities with Helice and Bura or pestered with Studentes as M. Doctors hearers who triumph that manifolde testimonies of all the worlde brought to prooue the Sunnes seruice recorded vnto the Redemption haue bin confuted among them by their owne authoritie and courage The Sonne neuer sawe the lyke dealyng But tochyng your D. I woulde gladly shew him all reuerence not hynderyng fayth Iniuries of his hearers must be recorded whereof one Bacheler of D. meeting 1589 at Tocester with one H. T. of London and a Minister of Lancashire who founde comfort by my paynes that B. sayd Qur D. R. hath confuted all that Booke yet he could tell no one thing but sayd that he had that booke and coulde vnderstande nothing How diuinely he pleaded ignorance in his owne language and profession I let other iudge yet he would be a Bacheler of diuinitie I wyll ioyne a late like part M. Koph told that of my Apologie all you D D. thought the same How well others know If vntruly you must blame him Two of you one in writing the other in speach sent me tell the contrary that no one argument can be answered If he haue a desire to winn fame for resistyng the hart of Religion Gabriels lampe of all Scripture he must be censured as a Iulian or Lucian But I haue some better hope of goodnes in the man after that your D. publisheth his recantation And I trust he wyll regarde the common trueth Gods honour more then his owne Neuer any so disgraced Gabriel as his lectures do A like part hurtfull not to me but to your Scholers fame I wyl here ioyne At his readinges 1589. vpon my going to Germany by some of your young heades it was blazed ouer all London Omnibus lippis notum tonsoribus that your Doctors learned reading droue me away A Damasell put in Bridewell for refusing our Churches assemblies vpon mention of my iudgement could reply that your D. droue me away Yet I had sent him worde afore by two of New Colledge that if he were not foylde I would neuer more handle penne and a sharper warning by M. Kennel by which he made him make the tyme 490. yeeres iust as I did and dash all his former paynes VVoulde any of you take patiently sch sauage iniuries as to abide opprobrious speches where the confuter proueth good the cause of the confuted An other part no lesse grosse or rather fully the part of a bad man I can not omit A. M. of art of your breede being at London on Thames 1590. in a Bote with one M. A. Cot. and others sayd that I had yeelded vnto your D. for Mardochaj that not he but Kis was the captiued Then one knowing the contrary sayd Are not you ashamed to behe one so that the last weeke openly read with cleere reasons to the contrary Areye past shame I hen sayd the M. of his art You in London speake ill of M. D. R. and why should not we of Oxford speake so of M. B. Yf this must be so I must request all the graue of our nation to admit neuer any Oxford tesimony against mee The lyke part of one speaking to certaine Counsellers when the Court was at Oxford I put in print how one of yours sayd that I was ashamed of my cause and yeelded vnto your D. His eyes might haue tolde him that I wrote otherwyse to all Christians and specially to some Honorable in an other opinion The like part a third man playde An other borne in Hereforde towne of B. N. C. told one thence in Paules that his hart reioyced to see how your D. flouted mee as promising to lende my Rabbines and after for feare breaking promise If your D. did so this much I must tell him That all who know both our studies wil say that I haue spent more yeeres then he hours in the principal Rabbines It may be founde that neuer any Rabbine was of his minde for the cause then in strife of Mardochaj nor against mee He deemed that he had the Chaldy Paraphrast by which he was most notably condemned and thought that he had Aben Ezra but was deceyued By all argumentes that can be brought foorth from any Rabbine vpon Scripture or either Talmuds I trow he shal finde his condemnation sure Iupiter and Mercurj might soner make Amphitryo and Sosia beleeue others to be them selues then he make any from Rabbine recordes belecue Kis not Mardochaj to be of the Captiued Floutyng from your men I can not stay but I can shew to others that they haue no more stay for trueth in these studies for the holy story then Vlysses shyp had stay in a tempest when he knew not where stoode east or west I cannot abyde to sloute and I am sory that your D. woulde be counted pleasaunt that way But for sad trueth the blinde may see all kindes of study turned agaynst him euen such as in which he put al his trust and confidence His fayth stayed vpon Olympiades and by them he woulde gather 560. yeeres precisely But they are turned agaynst him and Phlegon taketh part with my syde in whom yf he rest not then I shew that Thallus Castor Phlegon Timaeus Philistus Xenophon Laertius Africanus Clemens Triclinius Sosigenes Pamphila Apollodorus Plutarch and such differ so exceedingly one from an other and from them selues hundrethes of yeeres for famous matters touching Olympiades that one myght wonder how your D. coulde misse to
see that by them Cyrus myght touch Iudas Machabeus Aggai and Zachary goe afore Daniel and Ezekiel and all heathen antiquities be brought vnto an infinite Chaos Likewyse he myght haue seene how by prophane Greekes the Persians myght be sayd in Clemens to haue reigned 500. yeeres or bare ten yeeres He spent his tyme not in these studies And I commende his courage that durst prouoke one readier of youth in this tongue then in any He lytle looked that 50. of 80. in Eratâ—sthenes accompt cited by M. Ioseph Scal. should be cut off For twixt Cyrus X erxes He lesse loked to haue all the worlde with Iude to proue this Lykewyse thence he marked not that Isocrates maketh Athens principality 25. shorter then Lycurgus doth Wherein I coulde wyshe it to be no more shortened Nor marked how Athenianes Andocides and Aeschines recken for those tymes 30. where Thucidides and Xenophon make but 14. Likewyse Aeschines scholershyp vnder Socrates and his warfare vnder Alcibiades and death after great Alexanders the doubtful poynt recorded from Demetrius Phalereus this wyll make Lysander neare Alexander then Olympiades accompt about 30. yeeres though some Olympiades proue the same for K K. Philip Mausolus The very same is holpen by Plutarch and Vlpian by Lysias for if Lysias were 63. before Athens fall and a pleader for Iphicrates at Philip Macedons tyme the distance can not be about 50. but rather lesse then halfe The Olympique fayth is fayne to deny the orations to be from Lysias as though Plutarch and Vlpian knew not the style of Lysias So yf the Angel had spoke nothyng cunnyng humanistes myght haue seene the same space from heathen Aelianus that maketh Demetrius Phalereus to be seruant to Conon and Timotheus Conons death being neare Lysanders and Phalereus seeing the 70. translaters this also would haue troubled your D. hope of a longer compt then the Angels from Heathen Isocrates agayne woulde resist him that telleth how Lacedemonan ruled Greece not 34. yeeres but ten though he touched not exactly Leuctra fall But Polybius who telleth that by the 12. yeere they were at the losse of it galleth the Olympiques Athenaeus troubleth them somewhat in whom Philip reigneth not 24. yeeres but 20. And Clemes more in whom Alexander by some is 12. yere hygher then by others that is neare Socrates And agayne by Phalereus the same is playne out of Reinecius for if he liuing so long after great Alexander were scholefelow with Alcibiades brother the space betwixt Lysander and Alexander can hardly come neare halfe 70. The whole speaches in the later Attique oratours talke in the same tenour of Conon and the equals as knowen well to some then alyue Thus Grecia is with S. Matthew and S. Luke in their ages and not I but your D. hath the new opinion For ten by him must draw 527. yeeres in their successions the lyke where of since Dauids tyme that is 2500. yeres the Sunne neuer saw I may not blame him agayne for callyng those ten men the glory of all the earth and rare argumentes for this cause Obscura sydera But this I may tell that a diuine M. I. I. bred at Cambridge there in iudgement holden inferiour to none of yours seeing in the countrey your Doctors booke of Lectures was greeued to seetherin for those ten men these wordes Autoris Concentus obscura sydera The man him selfe tolde mee And gaue your diuines this prayse that they were indifferent iudges and sayd that your D. was now out of his studies That all the worlde may see whom rancour blyndeth not But how then wyll he be able to satisfie the Church pretending trueth and antiquity and defence of the setled opinion disturbyng all Englande all Europe and Asia May not I require that he be called to accompt for what one syllable in my Booke for this matter differing from others of our best he blameth me and putteth me to priuate paynes and charges for the desence of the publique trueth If the young student delyght in floutyng let him see whose dealynges deserueth that your Doctors myne or his owne A graue Preacher dwelling betwixt Algate and Bow gaue this censure that your D. and one other D. wryting both contrary to them selues and to the thirde that helde the true beginnyng vpon affection out-off their studie had made many Athiestes The man yf partiality might serue is knowen otherwise bent Many haue sayd since What shall we study the Bible when so great Scholers cannot agree And a Preacher of your breede now teaching in London seeing your D. confuted sayd For two pence halfepeny he woulde be of eyther opinion to such a passe come your Diuines They triumph at the first as hauing caried away Burlyspoyles and ample laude how one is by yours confuted for endeuoring to proue that God draweth vs by the Sunnes Chronicle vnto the Sonnes iustice contriuing all Libraries all playnely to this high poynt When the matter is detected that he confuted the trueth himselfe and all the worlde then a new pestiferous errour is bred that the matters are small though they be the harmony of all Scripture and ioy of Christianity An other B. of D. of yours neare Lon. thanked God that he neuer troubled his head with these matters That is why God vpon Terahs death leaueth to honour man with the Sunnes ourneys and tyeth all to the promyse of Christ and what wisedome Gabriel promised to teach Daniel Belike yong diuines are in deepe mysteries that can dispise such high poyntes But here I must needes pardon your young Students whereas Preachers abroad some not of your breede fall to grosse schisme A certaine learned man was to be preferred vnto a charge one that helde my studies for the trueth of the frame of the Bible not vnprofitable An aged graue Gentleman liked well to collate a place on him Certayne that would be counted Preachers desirous of that which they call reformation aboue al holyer knowledge come to the Gentleman with greater heate then the Terentian Chremes came to Simo charging the Gentleman in his conscience that the shoulde not prefer him for the doctrine which he liked off The gentleman asked an olde great-learned man what he thought of the doctrine and of the man He shewed how grosly the Preachers were deceaued Because of their calling I wyll not lyken them to Alexander the Capper-smith but I am sure that Paul would abandon them Olde M. Iohn More preacher of Norwich lately a neighbour of theirs one in their zeale but seasoned better no colder then they as great a student in the text Hebrew Greke as they knew any he was of an other spirit disdayned not to treade in euery step where these men like Paris of Homer shrunke as if they had troden neare a Serpent I know it to be farre from your D. minde to pricke forwarde rumors in that kind And I thinke that he is resolued how zeale as Iewes proued running afore knowledge is the ruine of
Religion and knoweth tradesinen who be cunninger in the depht of the holy booke then the common sort of teachers whose zeale medleth not beyond their owne boundes I would not be thought to thinke that your D. could fauour such dealings But because they wil needes be shrowding vnder his winges I thought good to warne of that This euil sowen by mistaking your D. is like a Grangraena further growing A Cambridge man that liueth in Essex a Scholmaster and a Preacher meeting with a Gentleman that knew from Genesis to the Apocalyps the frame of the Bible better theÌ„ he was counselled by that Gentleman to make a declaratio of christianity how in al ages it was cleere before he trauelled to stir the simple vncertainly and to make the people know the euerlasting certainty of saluation by Moses the Prophets the Gospel and the Epistles He answered that some bookes of Scripture could neuer yet be vnderstood namely the Reuelation The Gentleman vsing an instance from some for that he sayd that your D. had confuted that paines though he medled not with one worde You may see what harme to himselfe and to the Church is wrought by his reading being mistaken and misreported I could wish that he would eyther reuoke all his gain-sayinges as I charge him that they be all iniurious erronious or print al his lectures which I saw for the one halfe an yeeres reading that all might see what is in controuersy Marke further infection of an other learned man I know not whether he were bred amongst you a certaine Gentleman whom I neuer saw writeth to a friend of his from Dunslei in Staffoideshyre to a Londoner thus Dec. 20. 1592. I hearde not long since a learned man yet ignorant and ouer swift in iudgement disprayse this Booke of Scripture Concent as needelesse and a superfluous worke of whom I demaunded whether he did know it or euer read it His answere was no. How can you giue iudgement then sayd I of that you know not He answered that he heard so Thus leauing the counsell of S. Iohn which biddeth vs try spirites whether they be of God or no such fall into the curse of the Lord that call lyght darknes and darknes lyght that iudge good euyl and euyll good Although he tooke himselfe learned I am sure he was not able of his owne pregnant wit so much as to reade ouer the booke in such order as it requireth without an instructer much lesse then to vnder stande the same and the drift therien The Gentleman that wrote this fauoureth much your studentes and hearing of my iust griefes wrote a request to beare with the losers But when he perceiued the strang dealinges of some from you and sauage barbarousnes he was of that mynde that pitty may not marre the citie VVhat some Doctors of Cambridge thought I recorded One being at London vpon your Doctors first Antilogy being asked of a Londoner what he thought of the Booke which your D. confuted sayd thus The argument is as profitable as could be chosen for this age Then sayd the Londoner yf it be so VVhy did none of you DD. or of the BB. take it in hande Then sayd he The man who tooke it in hande knew by reason of his studies in the tongues longer then any others that he was ablest to performe it Truely I woulde not for any preferment haue troubled her Maiestie with accepting any worke of mine aboue all others in the kinde in yeeres the youngest of dealers in so weighty affaires vnlesse I had thought my houres most of any in that study and my selfe able to keepe our nation from all foyle for accepting my paynes And I know that by that helpe an other may see more into Scripture by a learned guide in few monethes then I coulde before I founde the order in ten yeeres And acertaine Nobleman of my age tolde me that he learned more in two houres by that helpe with open speach vpon it then by all his former paines I hope you wyll beare with me the cause is not now mine owne And I may giue as good leaue to disgrace the cause as the defender Pericles or Nestor would do this vnprouoked Iob. Moses and Paul would in defence speake of them selues And as I made the cause from priuate by arbitrement to be publique so I wyll enterlace here the testimony of a publique person The Archbyshop of Câ—â—terbury his grace you know was by both sides chosen vmpire you may soone know whether he thus censured That neuer any humane paynes was of greater trauell and dexteritie then against 1500. yeeres errours so to cleare the holy story as the booke of Concent hath done Of what spirite then shal we holde Studentes that cannot abide their owne Religion to go cleare forwarde nor the publique testimonie which standeth as the Princes owne I most humbly woulde intreate her Maiestie to commaunde that a publique testimonie which might be knowen ouer the Realme may passe betwixt ys But now I desire your goodnes to giue your testimony eyther in print or as you wil whether I holde not the trueth and haue bin more grosly iniuried then euer any by any of a contrary religion I hope all wyll so conclude who reuerence learning care for trueth honour Scripture and regarde Religion