The Pageant of Popes, Dedication 2
TO THE MOST VVORthie and learned men maister Simond Sulcer, Henry Bullenger, Iohn Caluin, Philip Melancthon▪ most faithful ministers of Christe, Iohn Bale wisheth grace and euerlastinge peace in Christe IESVS.
ALthoughe I sawe that my former edition of the liues of the Romaine bishops ioyned to my booke called ye Regester of Englishe writers, were safely planted vnderunder the protection of the most noble Electour Lorde Henry Otho Countie Palatine: Yet notwithstandinge I perceiued that this Edition being taken and seperated frō the greater, being drawne into an abridgemente and enriched wyth such additions as are not to be misliked, seing it is not able sufficientlye to beare oute it selfe, neither by his owne force nor the credite of the wryter, it should neede be succoured and maintayned by some other. And therefore I thoughte it good in no wyse to turne it out rashlye, naked, vnarmed and vnprouided of rescue neither into the handes of freinde nor foe. For such a meete Patrone was to be sought for, who by his wit, doctrine and learning, should be able to maintaine a desperate cause, and receiue into his tuition as it were an Orphane counted giltye and condemned by the preiudicate opinion of all men, least it being desolate and berefte of all good mens ayde hauing no tutour left vntounto it, should together with his father hauehave his dying daye. After I had longe debated this with with my selfe and had vewed all men rounde about with an especial and diligent care: you iiii. most excellent prelates of ye Church came first to my remēbrance in whose ayde I might safely repose my selfe that hauehave oftētimes traueiled in this matter, by longe experience hauehave found out and beaten downe the assaultes and strokes of oure aduersaryes. So that the former booke ioyned with our historye sufficiētly fortifyed by the might of the most valiaunt Prince, & this booke beinge perused with my latter diligence trustinge vppon the learning and iudgemente of such men, maye freelye wyth cheerefull countenaunce not be afrayde to shewe it selfe amonge the middest of his ennemyes. Uerelye I am not ignoraunt that anye one of you is man good enoughe to encounter any in this deuine combate. And I freelye confesse that this my litle worke is vnworthy to be dedicated euen vntounto anye one of you: yet notwithstanding I do not consider what you are able to do, but what I ought to do: Nether do I esteeme the price of the gift, but I regard ye most feruent zeale towards you all. And though I imbrace you one after another, yet I desire to pleasure you all wt this onelye gift because I hauehave no other, and to declare ye good will that I beare vntounto you by this onelyonly worke. Last of all whom one Religion, one Fayth, one Lord, one Baptisme do ioyne, what hindreth vsus that one Epistle maye not couple vsus together: wherefore I trust that you wil accept (as you oughte and as you were accustomed) my boldnes and presumption if there be anye, which is sprong through an opinion of your curtesye, & not rysen of any euill will.
But that you maye vnderstande the matter which I request & desire to be defended and cherished, if you seperate your minds for a certaine season, frō your graue studyes & sacred busines, and giuegive diligēt eare to heare that which I hauehave here purposed to declare, the gift which I bestow vponupon you is Papall and Pontificall: And I hauehave declared ye historye from the beginning to the endinge, & shewed their beginnings, the race and the whole Tragedye of their gouernment deuiding ye state of ther liues into three bookes.
The first contayneth the auncient and holy fathers, not decked wt a crogier or a tripled Miter, but such as were dilligent workers in adorninge the Lords Uyneyarde, euen vntounto Siluester from the holye Apostles, which wt the great daunger of their life did faithfully labour in planting and setting forth the worde of God. These maye worthelye be called the starres remayning on the right hand of Christe Apocal. 1.
The second contayneth the Mitred Archbishops & Patriarckes from Siluester the first vntounto Boniface the third, who althoughe they were not the wickedst and corruptest, yet with their traditions and humaine constitutions hauehave made a plaine waye to Antichriste. These be the starres yt fell to the earth Apocal. 6.
The third mentioneth the whole rablement of ye Popes from Boniface the third to Paule the fourth, the which being the Uicar of Sathā is said to hauehave auctoritye as yet at Rome. These were Antichristes not departinge from the steps of their fathers in all kinde of pryde, tyrannye, lying and filthines, these are the starres trulye, as it is described in the 9. Chapter of the Apocalips which fell to the earth. This thirde part is deuided into fiue, neither hauehave we applyed them vnaptlye to the Reuelation of S. Iohn.
Boniface before mentioned shal possesse the first place as he deserued to Ioane the eight an harlot, in the which part there are cōtayned 40. Popes, & called them ye kingdome of the great beast sometime named Sodoma sometime Aegiptus, Apo. 11. From Ioane vntounto Siluester the deuilish Magician yt vowed & gaue himselfe vntounto Sathan that hee might obtaine the Popedome: the kingdome of the greate harlot which sitteth on the beast doth comprehend 40. Popes Apocal. 17. From Siluester which is in the 3. place vntounto Innocentius the fourth, the most wicked ennemye of our Sauiour Christe, who did establishe & fasten the foure orders of the begging monkes which were newlye made, to the intent that they might stoutlye and manfullye fight for the maintayning of the kingdome of Antichrist: signifyeth the kingdome of the Dragon which is the diuill and Sathā Apocal. 20. And in this part were 40. Popes placed. From this Innocentius the second yt dreadfull warriour and the moste cruell destroyer of Christian men, are nombred 40 Popes. And this is the kingdome of the Locustes wh…ch were vnderunder the gouernmente of Abadon the wh…ch signifyeth a destroyer Apocal. 9. Then Iulius in the ende of his raigne throwinge the keyes of S. Peter into ye riuer of Tiber, being girded with a rusty sworde of Paule did fight against the French kinge and other Christians.
And the fift parte contayneth from this Iulius vntounto the ende of the raigne of Paule the fourth 8. Popes, and al the times of their successours vntounto the iudgement of Christe. And the fall of the kingdome of the Pope shalbe withoute power or handes, with the onelyonly word of God and breath of the deuine sp…rite 2. Thessal. 2.
To conclude I hauehave disposed the whole historye in such sort that I hauehave compared all the Romaine bishops to the 4. horses in the Reuelation of S. Iohn. The godlye and auncient fathers to the white horse: The archbishops and the Patriarckes to the red: The Popes & the Antichristes vntounto Siluester the seconde to the blacke, and from him to Iulius the seconde and all his companye of monkes, fryers and massemongers yt which with al their power & strength did defend the Popes kingdome, I hauehave cōpared to ye pale horse. I hauehave propoūded this marke and methode in my booke, in the which I hauehave chalenged nothing to my selfe, but my labour in gathering, describing & destributīg. For I knowe yt a great part of this worke hath bin set forth by others, as by Damasus, Carsulanus, Platina Stella, Vuicelius and others, but oftētimes dissemblingly and obscurelye, somtimes falsly to please mens eares. To conclude, verye manye most dilligent & faithfull wryters of our time: whom when I had perused with continuall reading I gathered togither the dispersed and disagreeing members to one body, that those thinges which were scattered abroade in many places, and were therefore the harder to be founde out of the Readers, might the easier be searched out being gathered together into one booke, and layde out before all mens eyes, the which I rather were performed of any man then of me, and I had rather taken in hand my contry matters then foraine busines, bicause I hauehave spent my time in vayne. But I would not hauehave stirred vp this hudge puddel of the Romaine historie, the which twoe Hercules were not able to clime.
But hearken what occasion inforced me therto, chiefly the exhortatiō of my frends did draw me into this matter, otherwise I refused it, bicause my other worke in the Englishe tongue, being proper only to English men, & knowē to very fewe, did seeme to do small profite to straungers. But this being ioyned to it, might be a publike commoditie, and profitable to the vse of all men, and more prouided for in other matters. After this I went to it with a good courage, and although I did desire that other men whiche were more fit for this matter, and more garnished with eloquence, should take this matter in hād. Yet I thought that an accompt should be made of my talent, and that I had rather to stumble a little then that so great wickednes of Antichriste, so great crueltie and inordinate pleasure more and more breaking out, and filling all thinges with the stinke therof, being omitted of all men, should seeme to be detected to fewe or none.
And if I should seeme to any mā to speake to frely, let him thinke yt it doth not procede of ye heat of affectiō but through the knowledge of my cōsciēce, which do not declare things heard or redde only, but things knowen by experience, who liued. 24. yeares in that secte, and was present among thē being no small souldiour of the Pope: where what is it that I hauehave not seene, what that I hauehave not heard, whiche is vnworthy of Christ, Christians, monkes, and also of mē, from whose superstitions at that time I was not free, but I vtterly abhorred their filthines and mischiefe. Wherefore seing yt I perceiued many thinges whiche did offend, therefore I am nowe compelled to be more diligent in seeking them out, and more sharpe in reprouing them, seeing they do not repent. But sithe these thinges be done & hauehave biene done of this flocke in Italy, Sicil, Spayne, Fraūce, and Englande, who doubteth that sheepe will not followe the shepehearde, or rather hogges their swyneheard, shall we not knowe the father by the childe, or the Lion by his talentes? when prysons be full of mischiefe, shall we thinke that the Romaine court hath none? many things hauehave bene hidden in darkenesse & priuie places, the which the Sunne hath not seene, but tyme the mother of truthe. The monasteries being put down in England, hath learned to speake and to bewraye them▪ As for example, the registers of the kinges visitatiō, or as they call it, the abbrigemēt of things knowen by experience in the very congregation & colleges of the Papistes, the which things I sawe them to my great feare and terrour, but nowe I possesse them, and kepe them to their great ignominie and shame, and hauehave opened a few of them hereafter, in the Epistle to the Reader. If Ezechiel now should pearce through the wall, and should be brought into their entries, halles, and darke chambers, he shoulde not see the Israelites bewayle Thamnum, but gelded mē vnmaried, worthy to be woundred at, for the godly profession, offring their sacrifice to Baalpeor, Bacchus, & Venus. And sithe I knowe these thinges to be certayne and true, should I not ouerthrowe them, should I not make them manifest and openly knowen to all the worlde? Truly they will saye that an Englishe man, whiche is separated from all other nations, dothe certainly knowe what is done at Rome in the secret chambers of the Pope and his Cardinall. Shall not I openlye declare for a truth those thinges whiche are declared in Bookes, and seene wyth the eyes of the wryter, the whiche thinges not the secrete chambers, but the princely court, not the priuie corners, but the open streetes, do euidently shew, but they deny it not, and yet defende it wyth moste wicked Bookes set foorth in their owne tongue, the which Christian shamefastnes forbiddeth me to declare. The truth therfore ought to be expressed, and not couered with visard and disguising, but set foorth in his owne kinde, not darkened with cloke or sayle cloth, but decked finely in his owne collours: for they be grosse thinges and may be groped at with handes. But so great is the blindnesse of man, that at noone daye he can not see, and in the clearest Sunne his eyes be darkened.
This our miserable Realme of Englande may be vntounto vsus a familiar example, for whose sake more willinglye I toke in hande to write this booke, that oure Englishe men may see now at the last what a terrible beast they hauehave receyued into theyr common wealth, what a viper they cherishe in their bosome, whose hissinge before they could not wel abide, do now suffer themselues to be s…ong with their tributes, to be bitten with their leuying and takinge vp of money, & to be entoxicated with their idolatrous poyson. Unto whom so many kinges, so manye noble men, did not once obeye: whom VVickliffe the moste godliest of hys time did openlye shewe in writing to be Antichrist. Whom K. Henry the eyght banished, whom Edward the vi. yt most godlye king cast forth, together with all the reliques and dregs of their religiō. Him Queene Mary receyued being thrust in by Cardinall Poole many men litle regarding it, manye winking at it as though they saw it not: eueryevery man almost allowinge it, or at the least with diuers affections filthily reioysing in it. It greeueth mee for my countrey sake, because they offend God so greatly in forsaking him, and in violatinge the oath which they made before to theyr kinges: so that now they are compelled to obey at ye becke to the newe monstrous & cruell gouernment of most wicked Antichriste, vnderunder whom they hauehave deserued to be oppressed with an idolatrous yoke, to be blinded wyth superstition and deuilish Poperye, and with a smal assault of the ennemyes to be shamefullye ouercome. The which notwithstanding while Gods Religion flourished, and Poperye wythered and was wasted away, was neyther aflicted with the hand of God, neither assaulted with any external power, but if it were assaulted, yet at no time coulde they conquere it. I speake these things (most reuerent fathers) to my greate griefe, and so much the more, because I iudge the contempte of the word of God, and ye gulfe of Romaine filthines to be the cause of the plagues, and that Christ beinge troden downe, we had rather that the Pope (ye witch and Circes of the whole worlde, not the seruaunt of all seruauntes but the Lorde of all Lords, not ye Uicar of Christe but the minister of the deuill) should treade and skip vponupon our shoulders and neckes, then we would embrace & kisse the sweete yoke, the lighte burden and most pleasant crosse of oure Sauiour Iesus Christe. And I require this at your handes (most godlye fathers) that you will thincke this present calamity to be no small cause which stirred me vp to this matter, and I desire for the great mercye of our Sauiour Christe, that you go forwarde in that worke that you hauehave in hand, and that you will make your prayers for England, (that cānot pray for it selfe) that this Pope may be exempted out of the minds of all Christians, Italians, Spaniardes, Frenchmen and Englishmen, thruste out of all kingdomes and Churches, broken in two and vtterlye destroyed. Praye that the blind maye see, the deafe heare, and that those which be in darcknes and in the shadowe of death, maye come to the light and knowledge of the truth. For your prayers shal be of more effect with God, than all the blessinges and cursinges of the detestable Pope.
By these thinges I trust that you vnderstande what I hauehave taken in hande, and for what cause. First the desire of my freindes compelled mee thereunto. Secondly my conscience pricked mee forward hasting hereunto, yt I mighte communicate these thinges which I hauehave both heard and seene in the whole course of my life. Last of all, the lamentable state of Englande called mee hereunto, that for the louelove which I beare to my brethren I would ayde it, and yt the begīning of ye Romaine tyrānye being read & knowne, and the ofspring of all the Popes, they might seeke a newe way and amende their liues. Also to restore the dignitye of the common wealth which was lost, and to the reforminge of the Church, and to the glorye of Iesus Christe the onelyonly gouernour of the earth.
But not wtout great cause do I dedicate this my booke vntounto you which are in this our age ye greatest defendours of the Christian fayth, which also do beare this greuous & odious burden, and for that cause do burne with the same fire of enuye which I do. For truly I speake as I thincke & as I beleiue, & because I beleiue it I cānot hold my peace: If at VVitēberg Luther ye vpholder of ye Christian fayth, at Tigur Zuinglius the inuincible defendour of the pure veritye, and a professour therof vntounto the death, at Basil Occolampadius a lighte and lampe in ye house of God had not opened the liuelye springes of the Scripture, and being opened had not defēded them against the boldnes of the Philistines, if others in those dayes in your places had not sustayned this oure Religion, if you would not hauehave put to your ayde and helping hands, if God had not left the seede of the truth in those Churches wherin you are Presidēts, there had bin no place for Christe on the earth where hee might put his head, ther should hauehave bin no refuge for exiles to flye vntounto, Christian pietye shoulde finde no place in which it might be confirmed & safelye established. And all those things that I hauehave shewed here, were taught me of your pastours and writers. Therefore it is meete that I should render some part thereof with gaine from whence I had it, neyther do I honour & worship onelyonly your Churches as the springes of pure Religion, the which with priuye passages doth flow vntounto all the corners of the earth, & euen to vsus beyonde the Ocean, but all Englishe peregrins are bounde of dutye vntounto you, for your great benefites bestowed vppon them. The which thing I would hauehave shewed at large in the name of all my freindes, if I had not written vntounto you to whom we are of dutye bound: yet trulye to passe all thinges in silence and declare none of them I cannot. Therefore I praye you pardō mee, and let your modestye and gentlenes giuegive place and pardon mine affections, while yt of so many I declare a fewe, to the intent that other men may vnderstand if I had not a iust cause to dedicate this my booke to you before al other. The which thinge while I shewe briefelye as time and order doth require, so I will name eueryevery one of you not respecting your dignitye, but doing after the imbecillitye of memorye, and the perspicuitye of the matter.
Therefore that I maye declare from the beginninge, & ascende from the farthest vntounto the nighest, whereto much duty owe we to VVitenberg that most fayre marchandize of all artes, they euidently declare which go thither either to behold the coūtrey, or to giuegive themselues to studye, with whose notable prayses many being styrred vppe would go thither in great companies, if riches would aboūd as their good will doth to go so longe a iourneye. For when they prayse other learned, not withoute gratefull testifyinge of many benefites towardes them. Than (O Philip) they do declare thy singuler curtesye, maruelous facilitye, and thy good wil alwayes ready to deserue wel of al men. Neither without a cause. For thou prosecutest al mē at home with all kinde of humanitye, and at home with thy preaching & louing letters doest ease the sorrowful & wauering minds. For it is not vnknowen what thou hast done at the councel of VVesalia in the Englishe mens behalfe, who when thou sawest to take paynes for Religion sake, and to be greatly moued wyth the vniust outcryes of men yt helde opinion agaīst thē, thou thoughtest good yt the cause should be heard wythout debate or strife, and not to be put oute with crye & clapping of hands: thou saydst that the men were to be retayned and relieued, and not to be vexed and afflicted with any sharpe iudgement. To this ende thou didst write to the maiestrates of Franckford, so that by thy letters which I chaunced to see, I am certified where thou didst thincke it meete that our men purelye thinkinge of the articles of our Christian fayth, and in diuers cōtrouersyes defending their opinion with feruour of zeale accordinge to their nature, to be taughte and not to be oppressed, to be warned wt talke not troubled with force, sith that doubtfull matters ought to be handled of the aduersaryes parte wyth obscure wordes. Neither do I doubte but that the countryes bordring there about Strasburge, Basil, Arouia, Tigurū Geneua, Emdona, being moued with such a notable testimonye, will receiue vsus more into their fauour.
But leuing VVittenberge, I come to Basile, where I will be more parciall, not bicause I can not prayse him sufficiently inough, but bicause I am one of them which hauehave felt and do daily feele the great beneuolence of the Senate, ministers, and the whole people, least I should not seeme to be so gratefull a prayser as a deceitfull flatterer. Therfore I will saye nothing of thee at this tyme, moste wyse & learned Sulcer, nothinge of M. VVoulfangus VVisenburge, that moste excellent diuine, and worthy gouernour of the vniuersitie, nothing of Martin Borrham, the notable professor of diuinitie, nothing of learned M. Iohn Iunius, my faithfull companion: nothing of Marcus Bersius, Iames Turkenbrot, Conradus Lycosthenes, his deare friende, Huldricus Coccius, Thomas Gyrenfalck, Iohn Ibelhard, Sebastian Lepusculus, Seuerinus Erimontanus, Iohn Maeder, Iohn Brandmiller, and other ministers of Gods word, whose beneuolēce is daily seene. I omitte the griefes which you moste willingly suffered, not without great paines and trauayle. But this onelyonly I will saye, that although the good will of the people and magistrate was sufficiently inflamed, of them selues toward, yet it did seeme to arise and spring for the moste part through your sermons, so that whatsoeuer beneuolence happened vntounto vsus at that tyme, was through your request and impulsion. But here (as I sayde before) I desire breuitie, bicause I am one of them which hauehave experience of you. I will speake more of Tigur and Geneua.
For Tigur alwayes being a safegard to such as flye frō their countreyes, and a moste excellent vniuersitie of learned diuines, and a moste renoumed schole, doth open vntounto me a large fielde, in which this my oration may walke and hauehave his full course.
Whether I hauehave respect vntounto, the common profite of al nations, or that, that is only proper to England, for what a notable oracle there is as it were for all Christendome, what a notable quire of most learned men. For yt I may say nothing of thee O Bullinger, whō so many notable bookes compiled with such singular pietie and manifold learning, with suche varietie of all thinges, and sentences of aunciēt writers decked as it were with starres, doth praise enough to the Catholike church, although I holde my peace. But that I may omitte al the other which were borne and bread at Tygur, As Bibliander and Hippius, whiche knewe all thinges, Radulph Gualther, the eloquent preacher and politik writer Cōradus Gesnerus, a notable library as it were of all disciplines, and my singuler friend, Iosias Simler, and Iohn Vuolphius, most learned men also, & my very friends with many other notable professors of other artes: Good Lorde, what notable olde men were those learned straungers, M. Peter Martyr, and Barnardine Ochinus, whiche you receiued into your citie? One of the whiche if some other congregatiō should hauehave, they should seeme to be blessed, and enriched with a great treasure and ornamēt. Happy was Englande when she possessed them, miserable whē she lost them: of this congregation sithe thou art president most learned Bullinger, I hauehave iustly chosen thee to be my patrone, with whose authoritie the Romaine court may be weakened, and my discription be established. Who if thou wouldest call into the fielde, these noble captaines, stoute souldious with their furnished bandes, with a reasonable power thou shalt ouercome, at the first one onset the whole troupes and bondes of the Papistes. But I will omitte these thinges, as common and knowen to all men, what he hath done to our Englishe men at Tigur, seeing that is proper to my purpose, and not the other, I will here leue that, and touch this but briefly. For when I was with you and had tasted thy hospitalitie O Bullīger, & the humanitie of others, I vnderstode the great good will you did beare to our coūtremen which were with you. That worthy man Iohn Parckhurst, and worthy of a better fortune, did declare to me howe much bounde he was to thee, to M. Gualter, and to the whole citie. It was tolde me also of thē which were at Basill with me, of thy care and fatherly affection toward them, whyle they liued with you together in one house, euen vnderunder the shadowe of your citie, being defended from all persecution, with the great cōsent and louelove of your citizēs. Also the incredible liberalitie of your magistrates, the which frely gaue vntounto them corne and wine sufficient to susteine .xiii. or .xiiii. men, and when they refused to take it, they were sory that they hadde not oportunitie to pleasure them.
But nowe I haste to Geneua, of which if I should make any long oratiō, when I had saide all, I should seeme scarce to hauehave declared halfe that whiche might be saide. In the which I greatly marueile at the notable prouidence of our God, which so stirred vp the mindes of the citizens and magistrates, that they were not afrayde to receiue so many thousand straungers into the suburbes of one citie. Againe, did so turne the heartes of the straungers, that although they were more in nūber, & the superiours, yet woulde submitte them selues vnderunder their power, as though they were the inferiours, in so muche that they did not acknowledge them selues to be Lordes and citizens, but priuate men and straungers. Let other men fayne other miracles, but Geneua seemeth to me to be the wonderfull miracle of the whole worlde: so many from all countries come thether, as it were vntounto a sanctuary, not to gather riches but to liue in pouertie: not to be satisfied, but to be hungry, not to liue pleasauntly, but to liue miserably, not to saue their goodes, but to leese them. Many marchantes do rushe thether for gaynes, souldiours for spoyles, all for their owne profitte. But it seemeth to be a monsterous and a wonderfull miracle, that men should flye to scarcenes from plenteousnes, to trauaile frō ease, from plenteousnes of ryches, to miserable pouertie, Lutetia, London, Franckfort, are newe markets for marchandize, vntounto the which men come, not for gaine, not for marchandise, not for tauerning, to chaūge heauenly thinges wt earthly things, yt in steede of humane treasures, they may gather heauenly treasures in heauen. We hauehave read that consuls hauehave bin taken from the plough to beare rule, but from florishinge fortune, from great riches and dignities to the plough, to great labours and trauayle, frō an horse to an asse weeting and knowing it, is it not a great marueile? Is it not wonderfull that Spanyardes, Italians, Scottes, Englishemen, Frenchemen, Germaines, disagreeing in manners, speache and apparell, sheepe and wolues, bulles and beares, being coupled with the onelyonly yoke of Christe, should liue so louingly and friendly, and that Monkes, Laymen, and Nunnes, disagreeing both in life and secte should dwell together, like a spirituall and Christian congregation? vsing one order, one cloyster, and like ceremonies. Is it not wonderfull that so many stoute enemies hanging ouer them, and looking still to deuoure them, as Sathan and the Pope their moste bitter enemies, they should not onelyonly be safe, but also liue so long time in quietnes? Thankes be therfore vntounto God, because he hath appointed the pastour of his scattered and dispersed flocke, the captaine of ye vanished, to be ye chiefe of ye miserable people, with whose counsell gouernment & wisdome, so great a congregation of people, being not only diuerse, but contrary one to another, hath bene nourished together vnderunder one bande of louelove, so that nowe nothing is more louing thē those enemies, nothing more like, then their vnlikenes, no body more happy, then these miserable men. I thanke thee in this my writing in the name of them all, because when they would purely honoure God in their owne countrey, & can not, it may be lawefull for them to come to the churche and celebrate the congregation, in the which they may frely call vponupon their God, sincerely administer the Sacramentes, and may fulfill other rites as they were citizens, with the priuiledge, and highe fauour of the magistrates. Happy is that people who enioyeth these thinges, and hauehave so worthy a bishop, which gathereth together ye dispersed, comforteth the broken in heart, fauoureth exiles, and confirmeth the weake with example and doctrine.
But perchaunce I may seeme, to hauehave sayde to much to you and to you all, most gentle fathers, who are troubled with grauer matters, and hauehave no leysure to reade your prayses. And indued with suche modestie, that you will scarse attende vntounto it. But beare with me while I doe but my dutie, for I prayse not you but the giftes of God that are of you, and commende the happy state of your churches vntounto the faythful, yt they may learne to giuegive thankes and to imitate you. I would hauehave showen the causes why I inscribed to your name the Papall historie of new Rome, partly to hauehave declared my louelove towardes you, for your benefites bestowed vponupon England & other countreis. Partly that the learning which you hauehave spread abroade in these days, may be defended with your ayde. Our Lorde Iesus Christe, the prince of sheepeheardes, the maister of al truthe, the enemy of Antechriste, strengthen and confirme you, and all your fellowe ministers, with the power of the holy ghoste, and preserue you in long health, to the comfort and ioye of the Christian flocke, to the ouerthrowing of Antichriste, and the amplifying of his name. Amen.
Iohn Bale