Exposition of Marys Magnificat, Title page – Dedication
An expoſicion vponupon the ſonge of the bleſſed virgine Mary, called Magnificat.
Where vntounto are▪ added the ſonges of Salue regina, Benedictus and Nūc dimittis.
¶Tranſlated out of latine into Englyſh by Ihon Hollybuſh.
1538.
To the renowned and mooſt noble prince & lorde Ihon Frederyke, duke of Saxony, county of Durynge and marques of Myſen my gracious lorde and defender.
I HaueHave (mooſt doughty prince) receaued your graces letters at the laſt, the whych (accordynge to my deutye) I hauehave humbly taken in my handes, and chearefully and wyth entyer conſyderacyon thoughte vponupon theyr argument and meanynge. But ſeynge I hauehave lōge ſence promyſed vntounto your hyghneſſe the declaracion of the virgins ſonge of prayſe called Magnificat, (frō yt whych purpoſe of myne, the wycked enterpryſes of many myne aduerſaryes hauehave ofte wythdrawē me,) I hauehave thought now at the laſte to anſwer your hyghneſſe letters wyth this treatyſe, (fearynge leſt the farther delaye therof myght be to my reprofe, and that farther ex…uſaciō ſhulde be of no value) that your hyghneſſes noble yonge corage were ſteared to the louelove of ſcripture, & by farther exercyſe in the ſame myght be more feruenter & ſtablyſhed, to the whyche thynge I praye God to ſende his grace & to helpe, for it is greatly neceſſary: ſeynge that in the perſone of ſo great a prince, the whych beynge wythdrawen frō himſelfe, is gouerned by Gods grace, ye ſaluacion of many one cōſyſteth: & agayne ye perdiciō and damnacion of many one yf he beynge permitted to hymſelfe, is gyded with out grace. For though it be ſayd of al mens hartes: that the kynges harte is in ye hande of God, whych can wende it where it pleaſeth hym: yet is it not for nought ſayd of kynges and prynces▪ Where by God wyll beate hys feare in the ſuperiours, that ſo they may learne and be ſure, that they can not once thynke ought in theyr mynde, wythout God do geue it ſeuerally in theyr myndes. The dede of other men doth ether hurte or profit only them, or a fewe beſyde: but princes and ſuperiours only be ſet in that rowme, that they ether profyte or hynder ſo many more, as theyr dominion doth reach farther. For the whych cauſe doth ſcripture call the godly and fearynge God princes, angels of God, yee goddes alſo, as in the .vii. chap. of Exo: I hauehave made the a God ouer Pharao. And in the .xxii. Chapter: Thou ſhalte not ſpeake euell of the Goddes. And agayne, ye wycked & vngodly princes ſhe calleth Lions, Draggōs and furious beaſtes: whom God alſo calleth one of hys .iiii. plages whan he rehearſeth them, namely: peſtilence, derth, warre and furious beaſtes. Becauſe then that the hart of man, beynge naturall, fleſhe and bloude doth preſume eueryevery thynge lyghtely, & coueteth therby dominion, ryches & honoure, he is ſteared out of reaſon by ſuche occaſion to a raſh tranquillite and reſte, ſo that he forgetteth God, and careth nothynge for hys ſubiectes, and vſynge the brydle to hys pleaſure in ſynnynge, he becōmeth a wodde & furious beaſte. It chaunceth alſo, that a prince takynge hys pleaſure only, and vſynge hys affecciōs, by name he is a lorde, but in dede he is a beaſte, ſo that it was well ſayde of Bias one of the ſeuen ſages of Grece: Magiſtratus uirum oſtendit, that is: Authorite or rule of a cōmunalte declareth what a man is. For dominion doth vtter a man what he is, ſeynge alſo that the commune people darre not wythſtande for feare of punyſhment the cōmaundementes of theyr heades, though they were wycked and vngodlye. For thys cauſe ought the ſuperiours greatly to drede God, ſeynge they nede to feare men ſo lytle, and to knowe hym & hys workes perfectly, and wyth greate care and diligence to walke and exercyſe hymſelfe therin, as Paul doth exhorte in the .xii. chapter to the Romaynes, ſayenge: Let hym that ruleth, be diligent.
Moreouer ther is nothynge in all the ſcripture that doth ſo greatly concerne the ſuperiorite, as thys mooſt holy ſonge of the bleſſed virgyne & mother of God, the which ought to be well learned and exercyſed of all them that wyll rule well and be good gouernours. For the mother of God ſyngeth here mooſt pleaſauntly of the feare of God, what LORDE our God be, & what hys workes be in hygh and lowe eſtates. Let other geue ear to theyr paramours, ſyngyng ſome wanton worldly ſonge: but vntounto thys ſo manered virgine becōmeth a prince & lorde to geue eare, yt whych ſyngeth a ſpiritual, chaſt and wholſome ſonge. Nother is it a coſtume reprouable, that in all churches thys ſonge is dayly ſonge at euenſonge, & that wyth a ſundery & honeſt tune (yf ye vnderſtandynge therof were alſo ſo earneſtly declared) Now wolde God ye ſprete of the ſame beawtyfull mother of God were geuen me, whych may ſo pythfully & profytably declare hyr ſonge, that your princely grace, & all we may ſucke therout a healthfull vnderſtandynge, a lawdable lyfe, & after this lyfe, to ſynge the euerlaſtyng Magnificat in the lyfe to come. Amē
¶The ſonge of Mary called Magnificat.
My ſoule magnifyeth the LORDE.
And my ſprete reioyceth in God my Saueoure.
For he hath loked vponupon the lovve degre of hys handmayden.
Beholde, from hence forth ſhal al generacions call me bleſſed.
For he that is myghty hath done great thynges vntounto me, and Holy is hys name.
And hys mercy endureth thorovv out all generaciōs, vponupon them that feare him.
He ſhevveth ſtrength vvyth hys arme, and ſcattereth them that be proude in the imaginacion of theyr harte.
He putteth dovvne the myghty frō the ſeate, and exalteth them of lovve degre.
He fylleth the hungry vvith good thinges, and letteth the rych go empty.
He remēbreth mercy, and helpeth vp hys ſeruaunt Iſrael.
Euen as he promyſed vntounto our fathers, Abraham, and to hys ſede for euer.