Unto the moſt victorious Prynce
and oure moſt gracyous ſoueraigne Lorde, kynge Henry the
kynge of Englonde and of Fraunce, lorde of Irlonde. &c.
Defendour of the Fayth, and vnder God
the chefe and ſuppreme
heade of the
Church of Englonde.
- ¶ The ryght & iuſt adminiſtracyon of the lawes that God gaue vnto Moſes and vnto Joſua: the teſtimonye of faythfulnes that God gaue of Dauid: the plenteous abundaunce of wyſdome that God gaue vnto Salomon: the lucky and proſperous age with the multiplicacyon of ſede whiche God gaue vnto Abraham and Sara his wyfe, be geuē vnto you moſt gracyous Prynce, with your deareſt iuſt wyfe, and moſt vertuous Prynceſſe, Quene Anne, Amen.
Aiphas beynge byſſhope of that yeare, lyke a blynde prophete(not vnderſtandyng what he ſayd) prophecied, that it was better to put Chriſt vnto death, then that all the people ſhulde peryſſhe: he meanyng, that Chriſt was an heretike, a deceauer of the people, & a deſtroyer of the lawe, & that it was better therfore to put Chriſt vnto death, thā to ſuffre hym for to lyue, and to deceaue the people, &c.[1] Where in very dede Chriſt was the true prophete, the true Meſſias, and the onely true Sauiour of the worlde, ſent of his heauenly father to ſuffre the moſte cruell, moſt ſhamefull, and moſt neceſſary death for our redempcyon: according to ye meanynge of the prophecie truely vnderſtonde.
Euen after the ſame maner ye blynde byſſhoppe of Rome,(that blynde Baalam I ſaye) not vnderſtondynge what he dyd, gaue vnto your grace this tytle: Defendour of the fayth, onely bycauſe your hyghnes ſuffred your byſſhoppes to burne Gods worde the rote of fayth, and to perſecute the louers and myniſters of ye ſame. Where in very dede the blynde byſſhoppe(though he knewe not what he dyd) prophecied, that by the ryghteous admyniſtracyon and contynuall diligence of youre grace, the fayth ſhulde ſo be defended, that Gods worde the mother of Fayth with the frutes therof, ſhulde haue his fre courſe thorowe out all Chriſtendome, but ſpecyally in your realme.
Yf your hyghneſſe now of your pryncely benignite wyll pardon me to compare theſe two byſſhoppes(I meane byſſhoppe Caiphas and the byſſhoppe of Rome) & theyr prophecies together, I doute not but we ſhal fynde them agree lyke brethren, though the one be a Jewe and the other a counterfayte Chriſtian. Fyrſt, Caiphas prophecied that it was better to put Chriſt vnto death, then that the people ſhulde peryſſhe. The byſſhoppe of Rome alſo, not knowynge what he prophecied, gaue youre grace this tytle: Defendour of the fayth. The trueth of both theſe prophecies is of the holy gooſt(as was Baalams prophecie) though they that ſpake thē, knewe not what they ſayd. The trueth of Caiphas prophecie is, that it was neceſſary for mans ſaluacyon, that Chriſt by his death ſhulde ouercome death, and redeme vs.[2] And the trueth of oure Baalams prophecie is, yt your grace in very dede ſhulde defende the Fayth, Yee euen the true fayth of Chriſt, no dreames, no fables, no hereſie, no papiſticall inuencions, but the vncorrupte fayth of Gods moſt holy worde, which to ſet forth prayſed be the goodnes of God, and increace youre gracyous purpoſe) your hyghnes with youre moſt honorable councell, applyeth all his ſtudye and endeuoure.
Theſe two blynde byſſhopes now agree in ye vnderſtādyng of theyr prophecies: for Caiphas taketh Chriſt for an heretike, Oure Balaā taketh the worde of Chriſt for hereſie. Caiphas iudgeth it to be a good dede to put Chriſt vnto death, that he
