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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	pray_v	prayer_n	6,987	5	6.6304	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17084	The gratulation of the mooste famous clerke M. Martin Bucer a man of no lesse learninge and lyterature, then godlye studie and example of lyuing, vnto the churche of Englande for the restitucion of Christes religion. And hys answere vnto the two raylinge epistles of Steue[n], Bisshoppe of Winchester, concerninge the vnmaried state of preestes and cloysterars, wherein is euidently declared, that it is against the lawes of God, and of his churche to require of all suche as be and must be admitted to preesthood, to refrain from holye matrimonie. Translated out of Latin in to Englishe.; Gratulatio ad Ecclesiam Anglicanam. English	Bucer, Martin, 1491-1551.; Hoby, Thomas, Sir, 1530-1566.	1549 (1549)	STC 3963; ESTC S106007	62,277	167

sones kinges which were chefe fauores and no wrisshers of good letters and artes nowe euer sins y e moste prudēt king Sigibertus whiche abowt y e yere of oure lorde D. C.xxx fyrste of al founded adourned not only y e vniuersitie of Cambrig ▪ but also manie other schooles throughe his realme By y e whiche gift of God the moste prudent victorious kinge Henry the viij so excelled that at this daye there is not one realme y t hath more well learned godlye men in authoritie nor none wherin Bisshops excell in so moche doctrine and puritie of life who so euer my Uvinchester hath not yet made subiect to the crosse of Christ his erudition which he hath verie largely receaued of God It is therfor our parte all others that beare feruent loue to Christes kingdom continuallye to praye oure father most feruently through his sonn oure lorde Iesus Christe that it wolde be his pleasure to continewe to brīg to passe with lyke prosperitie this his worke begone emonge yow so luckily the worke of healthe and not of yowrs onlye but of manye of Gods Chyldren throwghe yow the restytututyon I meane of hys Kyngdome And to the●●tent this work 〈◊〉 with more power incre●se y t 〈…〉 〈◊〉 preserue and of 〈…〉 〈…〉 with his giftes both your● 〈◊〉 king and also al his 〈◊〉 faithfull ●●unsaylers and ministers ●n the ●y●●ste and ecclesiaticall adminst a 〈◊〉 The lorde therfor st●re vpe and corroborate with his spirite to praye y t sathe both 〈◊〉 vs and all his ol his mere mercie vowchosafe to geue care vnto oure prayers So ●e it Ye shall also desyre God and oure father through his sonne oure Lorde Iesus christe with feruent desyres for vs ●ermaine● that ●●ing he hath mad vs in this tyme the fyrst to spreade a brode and to restore his kingdome he will not permitt vs throughe oure ingratitude to be the laste in the fruition of the same ben fy●● The Grace of God be with yow all Amen Finis Yowre humble and daylie oratoure in the Lorde Martine Bucer Imprynted ad London by me Richard Iugge dwelling at the nourth dore of Poules Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum solum The restitutiō of Christes doctryne through Englād ij tim iij The trewe and lyuely fayth is well separated from the deade false Of the infinite power of y e cleargye the Byshop of Rome Distinctio .xl. li. Papa The lyfe of thē that put more trust in the Pope then in christ Thankes geuing for the restitutiō of christes kyngdō in Engla●de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Causes why Bu●er differred in answere Wynchesters ca●illations Tractatus de celibatu Buceri ad Latomum Principles wherby the Popish law concerning the abstinēce chastitye of preestes is confuted The demonstration of hys confutation Wynchester bringeth nothing agaynst the foundations of the cause An Argument of hys iuste defence agaynste Wynchester Kinge Henri y e viij his first purpose The cause whye here he maketh answere of the ōmaryed state also 〈…〉 chapters of this present defense answers mat xix i. cor vij Of the proper interpretation of christes sainges all men can not awaye this saīg sauing they to whō c. And he that can take it let hym take it In priore Wyntonien epistola contra Bucerum ca. ij S. Hier. Marke he y t cā and not he that well S. Hila. S. Augustin he is prouoked y t can take it S. Gre. Christ denied y t all men take the worde of chastitie All can not take it Uvynchester taketh it to be spoken vndeterminatly thoughe it be spokē determinatly Bicause y e Apo. wisshed all to be chaste it is not cōcluded y e chastitie is profitable for all Bicause the Apostle said I wolde y t ye all spaeke w t thūgs and prophecieed it foloweth not y t it is good for al to speake with tūges Rom. ix Uvynchesters seconde reason ▪ Iu. i. Epistola Uvin toniensis Ca. 4 Uvynchesters two false principles that God of what thīges he leaveth fre election he geueth also the facultie of the same thīges and excepte he do so he compelleth them God geueth not furthe with the power of thes thīnges wherof he hath made fre election Eph. v. i. Co. xij God wil geue all thynges whiche we aske in the name of hys sonne but by hys name we can aske nothyng perfectlye but suche thynges as belōg to hys glorye God therfore compelleth not to anye kynde of lyfe bycause he callethe theyder and leadeth withe hys gyftes God leaueth vnto his the fre election of many thynges but that he ruleth accordyng to hys arbitryment God draweth hys to hys sonne yet for all y t they come vnto hym of theyr fre wyl S. Austyne cōcernyng the gyft of continence Uvynchesters thyrd reason Uvynchester layth to Bucer that he speketh without scripture yet doth he hymself recite the scriptures whiche he followeth in thys behalfe teacheth not whether thei be well recyted or no. Ioh. viij ij Co. iij. Thys is false yf a man can do any thynge by the gyfte of god that he maye as well not do thesame Uvho so hath any good thynge aboue other y t hath he not but by y e peculier gifte of god wherewith those other are not indued A secte of heretiques Manachei a secte of he retiques wherof the head was called Manes who hym toke vpō christes shape spirite Eusebius ecclesias hist. In hys fyrst Epistle D. i. ij Bucer neuer spake nor writ no suche thynge therfore Uvynchester maketh a lye vpon hym god maketh apointeth his yeuen frō the mothers wombe vnto thos thīgs whervnto he hath destined euery mā Dionisius Bisshope of corinth writ an Epistle to y e Guosians wheryn he admonissheth instanly exhorteth ther Bisshop Pinitus that he will not layd the brethren with the great burthēs of cōpultion to vowe chastitie for so he might chaunce to put y e ī firmite of manie in a hasarde Eusebeus de ecclesias Histo. li. iiij Ca. xiiij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Uvinchesters notable quarelling what y e gift of chastitie is called and of what effect it is Signes of y e gift of chastitie burning is also a token of the vocation to matrymonie of what principles ▪ mā may decerue iudge of y e present disputatiō * And other place of this defense what so euer be of y e gift of chastitie yet y ● this is against y e lawes of god and the churche bycause y e abstinence from holy matrimony is required of al preestes and solytarye parsōs 1. Tim. 3. Act. i. Chastitie yf it be not taken y t thou mayest haue the more leser ●o godlye dedes ministeryes is abominable to God The holy fathers had rather haue had shepeherdes maryed mē geuē to holy thīges then vnmaryed implicated in the cares of y e worlde That whiche shoulde be chiefly saught for in the chastitye of preestes the abstinence frō y e busynes of the worlde is cleane neglected of the Romanes How vacant Wynchester is from the cares of the worlde The old auncient iudged it a mad thynge yf the churches had bē soner ministred by no pastores or els very ill vnmaryed Epiphaniꝰ was in opinyon that wheras wante mete ministers there shoulde maryed mē haue the gouernaūce ouer y e Churches w t good ryghte Epiphanius and Hierom coūt not thē flagitious whiche by no necessitie made maryed men the gouernars ouer the Churches The holy fathers wold at thys day cast forth the vnmaryed y t take the cure euer the churches and wold set maryed men in theyr place The old fathers suffered the churches to be ministred by laye mē and that in theyr presens The old Bysshops receaued both the lay men and also husban● men prefarred thē before them selues to teach y e people when they founde thē more mete thervnto then themselues Eusebius de ecclesiastica histo Li. vi Ca. xv No constrained vowes please God Uvhat vowes are acceptable to God Howe gentlye God y e holye fathers remytted rash vowes Ciprianus Epiphanius It is better in takynge a wyfe after the vowe to fall in to iudgement then in Augustynus de bono viduitatis Ca. v. xx In distinctio● xxiij quedā● xxvij ij Nuptiarum In alte●a epistola cōtra Buccerum Uve admit gladlye anye mete witnesse Uvinchester complaineth y e Bucer keapeth close his writing and yet he setteth it not forth in print hī selfe Uvinchesters wordes owt of hys hād writīge Wintonien adsertor stoicus Uvinchester is an vncertan sceptical coniectu●rar Se how this Bisshope is prepared to speake well The conclusion vpō Wīchesters lye How Uvy●chester burned in oure disputation ▪ Uvynchesters reproches hāg in hym selfe It shold haue bē long ere he wold haue done it him selfe i. Co. vij Uvhat thynges were in cōtrouersye betwext Uvynchester Bucer in ▪ theyr communication together The cōfutation of y e papistes obiectiō y t say euery mā maye wreste writ y e scriptures not regardynge y e old fathers of y e churche to what sēse he thiketh beste Uvynchesters horrible principle y t mans lawes are iustly ponyshed with greater punyshmēt thā Godes whā thei are transgressed Uvynchesters argumēt The father may kepe his doughter agaynste her wyll vnmaryed therfor may rulars lefully ●ōstrain preestes to chastitie S. Ambrose S. Primasius Necessitie for y e wyl of y e mayden He byddeth euery man to take counsail of hys fleshe what he can sustayne The latter interpreters agre also Uvynchester wil haue that the father may tangle hys doughter in y e snare of virginitye Uvinchesters scoffinges Photiꝰ will haue y e giftes vocatiō of God cōsidered Uvinchesters manifest vanitie God maketh stedfaste the condicious of his Psal. 39. Psalm xxxi Ps lxxiij Ps. Cxi ▪ Al necessitie is not agaynste fre wyll but that necessitye only which is of compultion The cōclusyon It is not good for a mā to be alone It is good for a mā not to touch a womā Phil. i As anye thyng is more necessary so is it to y e godly more voluntary Let euery man haue his wyfe Marc. i and .ix Uvynchesters hold affirmans in a doubtful matter i. Cor. v i. Co. xij

hathe no nede to do the contrarye to hys doughters wyll For yf he se the disposition of hys doughter to be so that he muste nedes geue her to mariage he ought not to kepe her a virgin and so compell her to do the contrarye agaynste her inclination and wyl For virginitie is a thynge vuluntarye and not vnuoluntary For yf she be kept a virgyn agaynste her will and enclyneth to the euill parte she excuseth her self and laythe the cause of her fall vpon hym that constrayned her to kepe her virginite This sayth Photius Here I beseche you what one thing of all those thynges whiche I haue written aboute thys place do ye ●ot se expressed Dothe not thys interpreter also euidently witnesse that to haue no nede is as moche as the father is not constrained by his doughter to marye her And that the father oughte to make diligent inquisitiō for those thinges y t are in hys doughter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the disposition of her nature and inclination of her mynde and not agaynst her mynde to kepe her a virgin But when Uvynchester forcaste with hym selfe at the fyrste dashe that I wolde obiecte thys vnto hym preuentynge my obiection writteth that he graunteth howe Photius iudgement is that a man shoulde not kepe his virgin against her will But by what meanes saith he bicause she is not called No not so But bissope what is this to your purpos● Though for all that when Photius commaundethe to consider suche thinges as pertaine to the dowgther the disposition of her nature inclinatiō of her mind trulie he willethe to haue a respecte in the virgin bothe vnto her gyft also vnto her vocation as it is manifeste Inoughe by the forsainges herafter I will make it more plaine But that Uvynchester cōtended in oure cōmunication was this Seinge the father hathe right by this place of Paul to kepe his virgin agaynst her will and to tangle her in the snare of virginitie whiche Paul wolde not do For thes are his wordes in his hande writinge vnto me It is also in the princes hāde to tangle anie of his subiectes whō he will be they neuer so lothe in the snare of chastitie Doth not Photius such and olde and laudable interpreter of Paul in wynchesters opiniō planilie speake againste this fained glose For he sheweth very plainlye how the Apostle teacheth here that the father ought not to kepe his doughter a virgin against her wyll nor to constrain her againste the dissposition of her nature inclination of her will And that virginitie is a thinge voluntarie and not vnuoluntarie And if anie interprise to geue his virgin an occation that she sinne that shal not be imputed vnto her but to him whiche hathe vp compultion constraned her to leade suche a kinde of lyfe It is therfor manifeste that so farr as the gift and vocation extendeth Photius maketh therin against Uvinchester with vs bycause he acknowleged that the holy ghost teached herebye his Apostle how the father ought not to tangle his vnwillynge doughter in the snare of virginitie and that he should measure the steadfastnes of his iudgement concerning the keaping of his doughter by her cōdition will though she be weake of age and kynde And that it can not therfor be concluded by this place of Paul that anie potestate of the worlde hathe anye ryght to tangle anie of his subiectes in the snare of chastitie And fynally that Uvīchester scorneth no lesse his Photius and other moste holye fathers trewe interpreters of the Apostle then vs for so much as he writeth Speake Bucer whens cōmeth steadfastnes sholde he yow beinge the author take counsaile of the mayden whiche is weake both in kinde age And in his hand writinge vnto me The father had nede to be a cunninge phisitian and verye well practysed that sholde fynde by the behauioure of his doughters body maners or wordes som thinge wherby he may stedfastlye determine and apoint in his harte about the keapinge of her a virgin without all ieopardie of fornication But now let vs se whether Photius willeth not that the Apostle commaunded the father to consyder Gods gift and vocation in his doughter for so moch as he graunted that he commaunde the father to beholde and marke suche thinges as belonge to his doughter the disposytion of her nature and inclination of her minde Truly he expounded Paul and was no peliagian as I suppose And so seinge the Apostle in this selfe same chapter maketh it the peculier gift of God certaine vocation to take chastitie or matrimonie vpon one godlye how shold not Photius also acknowledg that the inclination of the doughters nature and intention of her minde to eyther kinde of lyuinge is y e gift of God which he hath geuen to the doughter for her vocation For what hast thow said the Apostle which y u hast not receaued But what nede so moche a do about so vngodly and wrangling schoolyshe brawlynges For whether I beseche yow shold a godly father consyder in his doughter sooner such thinges as are vitions of her selfe and pernicyous layd vnto her by the dyuell or such helthsome thynges as are geuen her of GOD from whom procedethe all good gyft Sholde the Godlye father count it temerious desyre or ●upiditie in his mayden or rather whither as Gods wyll calleth her who le●de●h so his children with his spirite so bringeth to effect in them to wyll to do that that is good that euerye mā may be the more certain of his vocation and others that belong vnto him yf he searche Godlie for it after praier and obserue the tokens and apointmētes of the same And so by this it is manifeste that the interpretation whiche we alleaged vpon this place of Paule And hath no nede is knowen and geuen as the verye proper and peculier interpretatation both by y e Apostles very words and also by the trew author therof the holye ghost and taken of all that interterprete it anye thinge to the purpose both olde and newe Yea and euen of Photius him selfe whom Uvinchester brought against vs with suche a supercelyous and proude preiudice as a witnesse of all the olde antiquitie Therfor let Uvinchester acknowlege him selfe her of to be conuict not onlye of a moste impudent lye seinge he dare write that we are thonlye authores of this interpretation and that it is oure inuention and faiuinge but also to be a detestable babler and railer against the trewthe and the reuerent antiquitie of holye fathers for bycawse thos his scoldinges and raylinges of a foolyshe interpretation colde peruerse not agreable to the Apostles wordes and cleane con●●●●ye to them be longe no lesse to them then to vs who gaue y e selfe same interpretation vpon this place as we do Now therfor let vs se with what argument Uvinchester went about to shew that she's his reproches sticke in this

of Christe and a pure mynde He myght haue expressid this sentēse saithe Uvinchester if he had mynded to teache the same in fewe wordes and mete for the matter he had in hāde Let him therfor shew him selfe what according to oure interpretation is superstuous in them or disagreeth to the matter he intreated vpon Not onlye we perceaue no such thinge but also so manye moste holye fathers and mete interpreters of y e Apostle sawe no such thinge Herof therfor it may be sufficiēlye knowen with what vngodlye malepertnes Uvinchester hath spitefully reproched that this not so moch oure interpretation as all the holye fathers and his Photius is therfor hitherto his own also is verie foolish colde obscure and which maketh the holye ghostes wordes to be frustrated and spokē in vaine and without sense Now let vs throughlye marke whether in thes the Apostles wordes takē after this oure interpretation and the holye fathers there seme to be anye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or owght contrary to it self For that will Uvinchester haue to appeare by thes his two gloses The one is that Paul saith Notwithstanding● if anie haue purposed surelye in his hart but ther can be nothing stedfastly apoīted by the father concerning his doughter Yf he ought to take into his counsayl her waueringe condition and wyl and speciallye seinge we saye that no man at all can at anie tyme knowe for a certaintie whether he him selfe be called to perpetuall chastitie The other is yf the father folowe Gods vocation in his doughter whether he shold apoint to kepe her or to geue her to matrimonye he shold euer haue necessitie of his iudgemēt neuer y ● fre power of hys will so that it sholde neuer be verifyed of him And hath no power when he must of necessitie folowe the vocation of God Unto the first scholishe reason we answere that in verie dede no mā and moche lesse the mayde beinge a virgin can for a suretie know by him self what God hath apointed of him no not so moch as at the tyme presēt moch lesse for the tyme to come or for euer But such as vnfainedly pray vnto god that he wolde vowchesafe to teache thē to knowe and in all pointes to folowe his will and to lead them in his pathes thos doth not the moste bountifull father suffer to stycke in anye doubtfull deliberations but openeth vnto them as the spalmiste declareth and teache them his wayes and pathes For the lorde guideth the gentle in the iudgement and teacheth the meeke his wayes O who is he The mā I saye that feareth the lorde for he wyll teach him the waye whiche he hath chosen But this benefit of God and all other thinges muste be sowght and prayed for with Godlie studye and holy praiers Therfor the Christian father intendinge to prouide for his dowghter whi●he now is not so moche his as Gods firste of all callinge vpon the spirite of Christe by him selfe and his doughter withal his housholde with the wholle churche for out ●ept he estable she y e iudgement of the father what so euer he ordain shalbe variable and vnsteadfaste shall trie owt with most Godlye ernestnes what condition she is of and what is her entēt and what giftes she hath receiuid of God and what not so that herupon God him selfe maye shewe to whether kinde of lyfe he hath called his doughter And when the father prayeth and maketh inquisitiō one this maner to knowe and to accomplishe what so euer God him selfe will haue done with her God oure moste boutifull father will graunt that he shall so determine of his doughter and apoint the thinge whiche like as God hath apointed and ordained it before so must it nedes be to the furtherance honesty both of the father and of his doughter And y t will God hī selfe make so firme and steadfaste y t y e doughter shal serue him in the stedfaste sanctitie of her bodye and sowle albeit she be weake and of an vncertaine purpose of her selfe For y e lordes counsaille endureth for euer establissheth the worke him selfe what so euer he worketh in his that it maye continue for their furtherans to the verie ende And so God will make fyrme and stedfaste holye chastite also in all them whom he hath called therunto so long as it shalbe to their furterance When it beginneth to be to y e cōtrarie it is their dutie to follow God y t calleth them and at his cōmaundement to make a permutatiō of the vnmaried state with holye matrimonye and he wil not any man̄ of vnstedfastes or any other vice especially emonge the children of God For they whom God iustifieth and glorifyeth are wonte to be condemned and to be mocking stockes to the men of this worlde Thes thinges may Uvynchesters holynes and stedfastnes now mocke scorne at his pleasure yet do such as in y t trew obediēce of god studie for trew holynes and stedfastnes place all their tymes and momentes of lyfe in the hande of the Lord vnto hym thei stretche forth theyr ryght hand and permit themselues to the vttermoste to be gouerned in all thynges by hys counsayle and at all tyme and the constance stedfastnes of al theyr counsayles and dedes they demaunde of hym whose commaundementes are al stedfaste sure for euermore Thes thynges therfor who so godly ponder shall knowe sufficientlye y t there is nothynge in oure interpretation vpon thys place of Paul whiche dothe not manifestlye condescend and agre with those the Apostles wordes wherewith he requyreth that the father shoulde appoynte and iudge stedfastlye in his harte about the keapyng of hys doughter But for so muche as Uvynchester now agayne playeth the blynde sophister about the necessitie of the fathers decree because the father after oure interpretatyon whiche requyreth that he folowe the vocation of the Lorde should euermore haue the necessitie of doynge a●d neuer the power ouer his owne wil because the holy father must nedes folowe Gods vocation in hys doughter these thynges ye se your selues howe vnworthy they are that we shoulde speake moche of them For yf the father perceaue that his doughter is called to chastitie hathe he then any necessitie to marye her But fre power he hath to kepe her a virgin On the contrary parte Yf he know she is called to holy wedlock hath he any nede to kepe her a virgyn But he hath fre power to marye her althoughe in verye dede it behoueth and is necessarye so to be seynge it so pleaseth God Uvynchester euer sticketh in that erroure as thoughe all necessitie shold fight with fre wyll because y t necessitie is agaynst the lyberty of the wyl which hath in it any compultion or force but no suche necessitie can happen to them that in trewe faythe folowe Gods worde For lyke as in God and in the blessed with hym vpon this there is great necessitie of ryghte wyl and

vnmaryed after theyr leful age to mary yf it were not for the cause to learne Gods lawe to be gilty of the cryme of bloud sheddinge and of the diminisshyng of the glorye and honour of God emong the people of Israel and therfor vnworthy to be suffered emōg Gods people They made so moche of the offyce of begettynge children emonge the people of Israel The wise men emong the Grecyans agreynge with thes were in opinyon that they which were vnmaryed vnto fyue and thyrthye yeres shold not only be punisshed by the purse but also put to shame that expressidly to thentent no man shold do them y t honoure which is accustomed to be done of y e yonger vnto the elders By thes cawses therfor it is verye lyke that there arose contentions emonge the Corinthians about this matter as they were besydes full of cōtention And for that cawse the wholl churche though mete to demaunde by epistle of the Apostle whether chastitie what chasttite shold be comelye for Christian relygion In dede the Apostle in this place maketh farr greater a do and tarieth lenger in praysing chastitie then matrimony for what shold y e prayse therof nede emōge them whiche were now so feruent in y e studie of chastitie But for somoch as y e Apostle in thes his answeres passed not matrimonye without commendation it semeth he did it rather for this cawse leaste the cōmendation of chastitie which yet came to passe sholde be taken in a backewarde sense of their posteritie then y t the Corinthians had nede at that tyme to be taught y t matrimonie is lefull and holye which were so hardlye persuaded that fornication is vnlefull and against the holynes profession of Christians Make yow iudgement both of the coniecture also of the reasons of y e coniectures of them both yet for all ye see how moche oure coniectures are more probable then Uvinchesters we sticke not vnto them in this cause but vnto thos clere and manifestlye pronunced oracles of God which I haue here to fore recited and wherupon I haue concluded oure demonstrations Thos yf Uvinchester can let him disconfecte bring forth the perfect foundations of his opinion not such not trifling sophistrie and querelinge scholishe reasons But he in both his epistles against me braggethe hī self moste in thos places wherin cōsisteth not the state of the state of the controuersyes betwext vs lettinge stippe like a valiaunt mā thos argumentes wherupō oure doctrine speciallye consysteth and the contrarye therof cleane ouerthrowen How he hath also done in the interpretation of that place in the first epistle to y e Corinthiās the xiiij chap. which we obiected against Latomus other oure aduersaries which go about to addict the faithe of Gods people to the Pope of Rome and his obnoxious coūsailes let other geue iudgement for bicause this saing of the Apostle may be vnderstande by y e other prophetes only though it be no necessitie oure interpretation agre moch more both to Paules wordes to the sentēce also which S. Ambrose in lyke maner taught that by this place it is graunted to all in y e churche to examine suche thinges as were harde of the prophetes to reason therin as S. Ambrose turned this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet doth Uvīchester so scolde and raile against vs bicause we are wont to vnderstande y t of all that here in y e churche as though he had founde y t we wold ouerthrowe some principalle article of oure faithe In y e meane season he maketh not word of the state it selfe of oure controuersy And though we graunt the authoritye of this place to oure aduersaries yet with how many euident and vndoubted testimonies of scrypture haue weshewed that whyche we contende together in this controuersye to say that it behoueth euerie Christian mā to knowe to iudg him self by y e spirite of God what so euer be offerid him in y e steade of Gods worde or precept of whom so euer it be offerid so that euerye man shold be truelye instructed of God vnfainidly beleue not man but God and recken it cursed if an Angell come from heauē and teache y t cōtrary And in euerie point after the same fassion he inuaded vs also about the sacrament of thankes geuing the worshippinge of the same But of thes and other quarellinges of this man I shall in mete place commune at the full and will shewe what open iniurie he doth me in casting in my teethe both y e strife he had with such as are of oure opiniō about this matter also the recantatiō and retractation of the doctrine they at the fyrst defended Though I haue declared vnto the godlie the wholle drift as it is all to gether cōcerning thes maters in my e●arrations retractatiōs vpon the Euangelystes Now sithe I haue gone somthinge farther then the maner of a preface requireth I will ende to confute this mans quarellinges and sophistries will cōmit and leaue all thes thinges to youre and all godlye mens iudgemens And I desyre God the father of oure lord Iesus Christe that he wil vowchsafe to iud●e with his spirite and to illumine with the lyght of his gosspell this mans and all other mens mindes whiche are not so moch aduersaries to vs as to the kingdom of his son that they maye in tyme turninge from the hope they put in thē selues imbrace his son before his anger waxinge hott against them they perish owt of the waye The same sauiour oure good shepherde kepe and preserue cumulate with all his heauenly benediction your most redoubted famous kinge both in godlynes and mightie prowes The most noble victorius Protectour of all his realmes The most godlye and prudēt Archebisshop of Canterburye primate of the churches of Engeland And all the kinges moste honourable counsaill And the ministers of both y e administrations Ecclesyastical and politicall with all the people of Christe wherbye whē youre churches are ous cleane reedified ther may afterwarde some of them be sent to repaire y e churches in manie other natiōs as in times paste when in manie places of fraunce and Germanie Christes religion stode well moste in decaye with y e knowlege of holie scripture of good artes your churches gaue the right reuerende father Beda Alcuinus Claudius Iohan Scotus mē of notable religiō doctrin and befor their tyme Bonifacius manie other verie studious as thos times by the secrete dispensation of God permitted repairers of christes churches That this moste large benefit of God shall through yow passe through manie regions of Europa y e feruent loue and vnfeaseable studie of youre Kynge in this age puissance of royaltie which he beareth towarde Christes pure religion good letters bringeth vnto vs no smale hoope then that singuler and durable beneuolence of God towardes youre realme wherbye he hath vowched safe to geue yow eft