The Church and Certain Ceremonies, Title page – Dedication
A BRIEFE collection of the Church, and of certayne Ceremonies thereof, gathered by Thomas Sampſon.
LONDON, Printed by H. Middleton, for George Biſhop.
ANNO 1581.
TO THE RIGHT worſhipful Maſter Francis Haſtinges, Sheriffe of Leiceſterſhire.
IN the French hiſtorie, which you did leaue with mee, I did find the whole hiſtorie of the Colloquie had at Poiſsie much more largely written in French, than euer I did ſee it in Latine. At this Colloquie the Cardinal of Loraine, being the chiefe, and capitaine on the part of the Papiſts, made an oratiō more glorious in ſhew, thā ſound in trueth. The which to doe, hee had both the aduiſe, and prompting of the papiſtes aſſēbled vnderunder him; as of that ſubtill Sorboniſt Deſpenſe, & of that little furie Xaintes, with their mates. Thus being vnderpropped, this Cardinall made an oration touching two pointes; The one was of the Church; the other of the Sacrament, which with thē is called the Sacrament of the Altar. This later point by him handled after his ſort, did ſo pleaſe our Papiſtes, that ſome of them did both tranſlate, and publiſhe it in Engliſh, being as it were taken hott out of the Cardinalls mouth. The ſeconde part touching the Church he handled like a Cardinall, painting Rome ſo cunningly as he coulde; vnderpropping it with the holow, and rotten postes of Viſibilitie, of perſonall ſucceſsion, and ordinarie calling, (as they call it,) and ſuch like ſtuffe. And therewith did he driue with might and maine to deface the true Church of Chriſte, into which it hath pleaſed God to call vsus, to whome he hath giuen grace to profeſſe his holy gospell. Our Church hee woulde deface, becauſe wee hauehave not thoſe rotten pillers of viſibilitie, perſonall ſucceſſion, and ordinarie calling, in ſuch ſorte as he claimeth them for Rome. I founde in your booke a verie ſhort, but a pithie anſwere made to this latter part of the Cardinalls oration touching the Church; the which, becauſe I had not read it before, did eaſily holde me in it. I liked it well, and ſo (I thinke) will you. I hauehave not the skill to be a perfect tranſlator out of the French tongue; neither doe I take vppon me ſo to do; But yet I hauehave truely ſet downe in Engliſh the whole matter conteined in the anſwere. That little, which I hauehave added to that which is in the French, is not from the purpoſe, I truſt. This I giuegive to you now, as I did before, A briefe confeſsion of ye chriſtian faith, which I founde in that booke; And one thing more by the grace of God I intend to giuegive hereafter, if I may ſee the other volumes accordinge to your promiſe. This little ſcrappe taken out of the large French booke I ſende to you; not that you neede it, for you doe vnderſtand the French tongue much better than I; but I giuegive it to you, to the ende that it may remaine with you, as a teſtimonie of my dutie of thankefulneſſe to you, for your great good will alwayes borne towards me; & that by theſe Engliſhed ſcraps, you may be prouoked at your leaſure to reade the whole booke your ſelfe; and in the meane time, you may communicate in Engliſhe, ſome part of that good, which is in the French booke, to ſuch as you thinke good. Accept my poore labour in good part, I pray you. I ſhall indeuour to doe more, God of his goodnes ayding me; to whoſe goodnes, and direction I doe commende you.
Yours in Chriſt T. S.