Gratulation, Title page – Dedication
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, vntounto the churche of Englande for the restitucion of Christes religion. And Hys answere vntounto the two raylinge epistles of Steuē, Bisshoppe of Winchester, concerninge the vnmaried state of preestes and cloysterars, wherin 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.
Hebru. xiij.
Wedlocke is to be had in price amonge al men, & is a chamber vndefyled. As for hoore keapers, & adulterers, God wyll iudge them.
To his right worshypfull Brother Syr Philyppe Hobye knight, M. of ye Kinges maiesties ordinaunce, Thomas Hobye wishethe grace and peace throught our lorde Iesus Christe.
EMonge the sundrye and manifolde benifittes, whiche from my tender childhod I hauehave foūde in yow, and receaued at your handes (most especiall good brother) thys is not the leaste: that ye hauehave now af late dayes, of the good zeale ye beare to Gods worde (which at all tymes hath byn moste feruent in you) caused me to be sent not only in to such a regiō where as florissheth Gods worde, all good letters bothe holye and prophane, all honestie, & puritie of lyfe, & men in all artes and sciences moste cunning and experte: But also to such a man who is of no lesse wisdom, knouledge, & godlines, then of fame, reporte & renoune, & by all godly mens iudgementes, one of the perfectest, and greatest Clerkes nowe lyuinge namelye M. Martyne Bu…, in whose daylye conuersation and companye, and by whose wisdome learninge, and documētes, I shoulde receaue and learne, that shoulde belonge not onlie to myne owne fu…herance & profyt, but also to the consolation and comfort of you, & all my frendes, whō hytherto I hauehave founde moste beneficyall towardes me. Sythe therfore it hath thus chaunced by your most godly procurement & prouision, that I should for a season here remaine with this profounde and famous Clerke, ye myght not vnworthelye & in dede, with iuste cause, impute vntounto me, either the vyce of igname, or els obliuion and forgetfulnes of your moste large and ample benefittes, if I should let slippe suche a mete, apt, and necessarye epistle of his, and especiallie beinge writtē and indited to the whole churche, or congregation of Englande, bothe learned & vnlearned, & in the which he expresseth not only the assured and vnfained louelove that he beareth, & at all tymes hathe borne towardes this realme, and rulars and ministers of the same, but also very euidentlye declareth, and with moste manifeste testimonies of scripture, setteth furthe at large suche thinges as maye be to the profitt and furtherance of many, and wherin he hath confuted (not al, for it were in maner an infinite worke to stande aboute all, but) as many sophisticall & wranglinge schoolishe reasons, as are of any probabilitie or likehoode, whiche my lorde of Uvynchester (farre vnsemely for a sober Bisshoppe) hath expressed & set forthe in his two moste cōtumelious & railing epistles agaīst him, winkīg at, & ouerhippīg his wel most innumerable opprobrious wordes, checkes, tauntes, rebukes, quarellinges scoffinges, reuilīges & scoldinges railinges, wherwith they are filled as full, as they may be heaped to gether. In the which are so fewe argumē tes or reasons of any probabilitie: that had not the vrgēt and instant requeste of his frendes, certain of oure coūtray men bien, he wold neuer once hauehave put penn to the paper, nor yet hauehave made anye a do about them, but wolde hauehave left them to the iudgemēt & arbitrimēt of the reader, notwithstanding now of late dayes it chaunced that he gate a litle vacant tyme to do the same (seing he promised it to certaine) from his manifolde impedimentes, & necessarie ecclesiastical busines (wher with we knowe such men are no smale dele let) & to reconcile him selfe (which the Bisshoppe scornfullye, after his olde wōte, casteth in his tethe) to his brother, before he …ay his offringe vponupon the altare. The whiche thoughe it be brefe, and cōpencious & not set forth to the largeste, yet is it verye dilucidious, pithie, & full of argumentes concluded not onlye vponupon ye holy gostes vnfained decrees, apoītmentes and ordinaunces, but also the olde and holye doctores of the church, and for the brefnes of tyme sufficient inough. The which when he had finisshed, I furthe with toke in hande acording to my childishe talent, to translate into our vulgare and cōmune speache, and hauehave sent it vntounto yow to then…ent some well disposed and better learned which purchaunce wyll not bestowe so moch tym as the translation therof requireth, maye yet at the least wyse peruse it acording as he thinketh beste, so that at lengthe it may be worthy to come abroade for the profit and instruction of the ignoraunt, whiche hauehave not receaued the knowledge of the Latin tonge, because it is written to them, as wel as to the other. Wherin I will desyre yow to accept my good wyll, as thought it colde extende farther and do moch better, which yf ye do, it shalbe a great incourage and vrgent cause vntounto me to employ and bestowe the reste of my studie, dilygence and laboure herafter in other affayres, which I truste shalbe no lesse acceptable vntounto yowe, then great furtherance to myne onne profyt & vtilitie. The spirite of treuthe be with yow, who guide yow in all your pathes, acording to his will, and lead yow into all go…tlye knowlege. Amen. At Argentyne, Kalendis Februarij.