Caiphas beynge bysshope of that yeare, lyke a blynde prophete (not vnderstandyng what he sayd) prophecied, ^note 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, and that it was better therfore to put Christ vnto death, th&abar; to suffre hym for to lyue, and to deceaue the people. ∧c. 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: accordyng to þe; meanynge of the prophecie truely vnderstonde.

Euen after the same maner þe; 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 þe; 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 Iewe and the other a counterfayre 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 th&ebar;, knewe not what they sayd. The trueth of Caiphas prophicie is, that it was necessary for mans saluacyon, that Christ by his death shulde ouercome death, and redeme vs. ^noteAnd the trueth of oure Baalams prophecie is, þt; 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 þe; vnderst&abar;dyng of theyr prophecies: for Caiphas taketh Christ for an heretike, Oure Bala&abar; taketh the worde of Christ for heresie. Caiphas iudgeth it to be a good dede to put Christ vnto death, that he

shulde not deceaue the people. Oure Balaam calleth defendynge of the fayth, the supressyng, kepyng secrete, and burnyng of the worde of fayth: lest the lyght there of shulde vtter his darknes: lest his owne Decretales ∧ Decrees, his owne lawes and constitucions, his owne statutes and inuencions shulde come to none effecte: lest his intollerable exactions and vsurpacions shulde lose theyr strengthe: lest it shulde be knowen what a thefe and murtherer he is in the cause of Christ, and how haynous a traytoure to God and man in defraudynge all Christen kynges ∧ prynces of theyr due obedience: lest we youre graces subiectes shulde haue eyes in the worde of God, at the last to spye out his crafty conueya&ubar;ce and iuglynges: and lest men shulde se, how sore he and his false Apostles haue deceaued all Christendome, specyally youre noble realme of Englonde.

Thus your grace seyth how brotherly the Iewysh bysshoppe and oure Balaam agree together, not onely in myter and ourwarde appearaunce: but as the one persecuted the Lorde Iesus in this owne persone, so doth the other persecute his worde and resysteth his holy ordynaunce in the auctorite of his anoynted kynges. For so moche nowe as the worde of God is the onely trueth that dryueth awaye all lyes, and discloseth all iuglyng and disceate, therfore is oure Balaam of Rome so lothe that the scripture shulde be know&ebar; in the mother tonge: lest yf kynges and prynces (specially aboue all other) were exercysed therin, they shulde reclame and chalenge agayne theyr due auctoritie, which he falsely hath vsurped so many yeres, and so to tye hym shorter: and lest the people beyng taught by the worde of God, shulde fall from þe; false fayned obedi&ebar;ce of hym and his disguysed Apostles, vnto the true obedience commaunded by Gods owne mouthe: as namely, to obey theyr prynce, to obey father and mother. ∧c. and not to speppe ouer father and mothers bely to enter in to his paynted religions, as his ypocrites teache: For he knoweth well ynough, that yf the cleare Sonne of Gods worde come ones to the heate of the daye, it shal dryue away all the foule myst of his deuelysh doctrines. Therfore were it more to the mayntenaunce of Antichristes kyngdome, that the worlde were styll in ignoraunce and blyndnes, and that the scripture shulde neuer come to lyghte. For the scripture (both in the olde testament and in the new) declareth most abo&ubar;tdauntly that the office, auctorite and power geuen of God vnto kynges / is in earth aboue all other powers: let them call th&ebar; selues Popes, Cardynalles, or what so euer they will, ^note the worde of god declareth them (yee and commaundeth them vnder payne of dampnacion) to be obedient vnto the temporall swerde: As in the olde Testament all the Prophetes, Prestes and Leuites were. ^noteAnd in the new Testament Christ ∧ his Apostles both were obedient them selues, and taught obedience of all men vnto theyr prynces &abar;d temporall rulers: which here vnto vs in the worlde present the persone of God, and are called Goddes in the scripture, bycause of the excell&ebar;cy of theyr office. And though there were no mo auctorities but the same, to proue the ⪯eminence of the temporail swerde, yet by this the scripture declareth playnly, that as there is nothyng aboue God, so is there no man aboue the kynge in his realme but that he onely vnder God is the chefe heade of all the c&obar;gregacyon and church of the same. And in token that this is true, there hath ben of olde antiquite (and is yet vnto this daye) a louynge ceremonye vsed in your realme of Englonde, þt; wh&abar; your graces subiectes reade your letters, or begynne to talke or come of your hyghnes, they moue theyr bonettes for a signe ∧ token of reuerence vnto your grace, as to their most soueraigne lorde ∧ heade vnder God. which thyng no man vseth to do to eny bysshoppe. wherby (yf oure vnderstondyng were nat blynded) we myght euydently perceaue, that euen very nature teacheth vs the same, that scripture c&obar;ma&ubar;deth vs: and that lyke as it is agaynst Gods worde that a kynge shulde not be the chefe heade of this people, euen so (I saye) is it agaynst kynde that we shulde knowe any other heade aboue hym vnder God.

And that no prest nor bysshoppe is exempte (nor can be lawfully) from the obedience of his prynce, the scripture is full both of strayte c&obar;maundem&ebar;tes, ∧ practises

of the holyest men. ^note&cross2; Aaron was obedient vnto Moses, and called hym his lorde, though he was his owne brother. Eleasar and Phineas were vnder the obedi&ebar;ce of Iosua. &cross2; Nathan the prophete fell downe to the grounde before kynge Dauid, he had his Prynce in such reuerence (He made not the kynge for to kysse his fote as the bysshoppe of Rome maketh Emperours to do) Notwithstondynge he spared not to rebuke hym, and that ryght sharply whan he fell from the worde of God to adultery and manslaughter. For he was not afrayed to reproue hym of his sinnes, nomore than Helyas the prophete stode in feare to saye vnto kynge Achab: &cross2; It is thou and thy fathers house that trouble Israel, because ye haue forsaken þe; commaundementes of the Lorde, and walke after Baal. And as Iohan Baptyste durst saye vnto kynge Herode: It is not lawful for the to take thy brothers wyfe. But to my purpose I passe ouer innumerable mo ens&abar;ples both of the olde Testament and of the new, for feare lest I be to tedyous vnto your grace. S&ubar;ma, in all godly regimentes of olde tyme the kynge and t&ebar;porall iudge was obeyed of euery man, and was alwaye vnder God the chefe and suppreme heade of the whole congregacyon, and deposed euen prestes whan he sawe an vrgent cause, as Salomon dyd vnto Abiathar. ^notewho coulde than stonde agaynst the godly obedience of his prynce (excepte he wolde be at defyaunce with God and all his holy ordinaunces) that were well acquaynted with the holy scripture, which so earnestly c&obar;mendeth vnto euery one of vs the auctorite and power geuen of God vnto kynges and temporall rulers? ^noteTherfore doth Moses so strately forbyde the Israelites to speake so moche as an euell worde agaynst the prynce of þe; people, moche lesse than to disobeye hym, or to withstonde hym. Doth not Ieremy the prophete and Baruc also exhorte the people in captiuite, to praye for the prosperous welfare of the kynge of Babilon, and to obeye hym, though he was an infidele? In the new Testament wh&abar; oure sauioure Christ (beyng yet fre ∧ Lorde of al kynges ∧ prynces) shewed his obedience in payenge the trybute to oure ensample, &cross2; dyd he not a miracle there in puttynge the pece of money in the fysshes mouth (that Peter myght paye the customer therwith) and all to stablysshe the obedience due vnto prynces? &cross2; Dyd not Ioseph and Mary the mother of our sauiour Christ departe fr&obar; Nazareth vnto Bethle&ebar;, ^note so farre from home, to shewe theyr obedience in payenge the taxe to the prynce? ^noteAnd wolde not oure Sauioure be borne in the same obedience? &cross2; Doth not Paule pronounce hym to resyste God hym selfe, that resysteth the auctorite of his prynce? ^noteAnd (to be shorte) the Apostle Peter dothe not onely stablysshe the obedience vnto prynces and temporall rulers but affirmeth playnly the kynge (and no bysshoppe) to be the chefe heade. Innumerable places mo are there in scripture, which bynde vs to the obedience of oure prynce, and declare vnto vs, that no man is nor can be lawfully excepte from the same: but that all the mynisters of Goddes worde are vnder the t&ebar;porall swerde: ∧ Prynces onely to owe obedience vnto God ∧ his worde.

And where as Anthichrist vnto youre graces tyme dyd thrust his heade into þe; imperiall crowne of your hyghnes (as he doth yet with other noble prynces mo) that lerned he of Sath&abar; the authour of pryde, and therin doth he both agaynst the doctryne ∧ also agaynst þe; ensample of Christe: whiche because his kyngdome was not of this worlde, medled with no temporal matters, as it is euydent both by his wordes and practyse: Luc.xii. Math.xxvi. Ioh.vi. Ioh.xviii. where he þt; hath eyes to se, maye se: ∧ he þt; hath eares to heare, maye heare, þt; Christes admynistracion was nothyng t&ebar;porall, but playne spiritual, as he hym selfe affirmeth ∧ proueth in the fourth chapter of saynt Luke out of the prophete Esay: where all bysshoppes and prestes maye se, how farre theyr byndynge and lowsynge extendeth, and where in theyr office consisteth, namely in preachynge the Gospell. ∧c.

wherfore (most gracyous prynce) there is no tonge I thynke, that can fully expresse and declare the vntollerable iniuries, which haue bene done vnto God, to al prynces and to the comynaities of all christen realmes, sence they which shulde be onely the ministers of Gods worde, became lordes of the worlde, and thrust þe; true

and iust prynces out of theyr rowmes. whose herte wolde not pitie it (yee eu&ebar; with lamentacyon) to remember but onely the vntollerable wronge done by that Antychrist of Rome vnto youre graces most noble predecessoure kynge Iohn? I passe ouer his pestilent pykynge of Peter pens out of youre realme: his stealynge awaye of youre money for pardons: benefices and bysshoprykes: his disceauyng of youre subiectes soules with his deuelyshe doctrynes and sectes of his false religions: his bloudsheddyng of so many of your graces people, for bokes of the scripture, whose herte wolde not be greued (yee and that out of measure) to call to rem&ebar;bra&ubar;ce, how obstinate and disobedient, how presumptuous ∧ stubburne that Antychrist made the bysshoppes of youre realme agaynst your graces noble predecessours in tymes past, as it is manyfest in þe; Chronicles? I trust verely there be no suche now within youre realme: yf there be, let them remembre these wordes of scripture: ^note Presumptuousnes goeth before destrucci&obar;, ∧ after a proude stomacke there foloweth a fall.

what is now the cause of all these vntollerable and nomore to be suffred abhominacions? Truely euen the ingoraunce of the scripture of God. For how had it els ben possyble, that such blyndnes shulde haue come in to þe; worlde, had not þe; lyghte of Gods worde bene extyncte? How coulde men (I saye) haue bene so farre from the true seruyce of God, and from the due obedience of theyr prynce, had not the lawe of God bene clene shut vp, depressed, cast asyde, and put out of remembraunce? As it was afore the tyme of that noble kyng Iosias, and as it hath bene also amonge vs vnto youre graces tyme: by whose most ryghteous admynistracyon (thorowe the mercyfull goodnes of God) it is now founde agayne, ^note &cross2; as it was in the dayes of that most vertuous kynge Iosias. And praysed by the father, the sonne, and the holy goost worlde without ende, which so excellently hath endewed youre Pryncely hert with such feruentnes to his honoure, and to the welth of your louyng subiectes, that I maye ryghtuously (by iust occasyons in youre persone) c&obar;pare youre hyghnes vnto that noble and gracyous kynge, þt; lanterne of lyghte amonge prynces, that feruent protectour and defender of the lawes of God: which c&obar;maunded straytly (as youre grace doth) that the lawe of God shulde be redde and taught vnto all þe; people: set the prestes to theyr office in the worde of god: destroyed Idolatry and false ydols: put downe all euell customes and abusyons: set vp the true honoure of God: applyed all his studye and endeuoure to the ryghtuous admynistracyon of the most vncorrupte lawe of God. ∧c. O what felicite was amonge þe; people of Ierusalem in his dayes? And what prosperous health both of soule ∧ body foloweth the lyke mynistracion in your hyghnes, we begynne now (praysed be God) to haue experience. ^noteFor as false doctryne is the origenall cause of all euell plages and destruccyon, so is þe; true executynge of the lawe of God &abar;d the preachyng of the same, the mother of all godly prosperite. The onely worde of God (I saye) is the cause of all felicite, ^note it bryngeth all goodnes with it, it bryngeth lernynge, it g&ebar;dreth vnderstondynge, it causeth good workes, it maketh chyldren of obedience, breuely, it teacheth all estates theyr office and duety. Seynge then that the scripture of God teacheth vs euery thynge sufficiently, both what we oughte to do, and what we oughte to leaue vndone: whome we are bounde to obey, and whome we shulde not obeye: therfore (I saye) it causeth all prosperite, and setteth euery thyng in frame: and where it is taught and knowen, it lyghteneth all darkenesses, c&obar;forteth all sory hertes, leaueth no poore man vnhelped, suffreth nothynge amysse vnamended, letteth no prynce be disobeyed, permytteth no heresie to be preached: but refourmeth all thinges, am&ebar;deth that is amysse, and setteth euery thynge in order. And why? because it is geuen by the inspiracyon of God, therfore is it euer bryngynge profyte and frute, by teachynge, by improuynge, by amendynge and refourmyng all th&ebar; þt; wyl receaue it, to make them parfecte ∧ mete vnto all good workes. ^note

Considerynge now (most gracyous prynce) the inestimable treasure, frute ∧ prosperite euerlastynge, that God geueth with his worde, and trustynge in his infynite goodnes that he wolde brynge my symple and rude laboure herin to good effecte,

therfore as the holy goost moued other m&ebar; to do the cost herof, so was I boldened in God, to laboure in the same. Agayne, consyderynge youre Imperiall maiestye not onely to be my naturall soueraigne liege Lorde ∧ chefe heade of þe; church of Engl&obar;de, but also the true defender and maynteyner of Gods lawes, I thought it my dutye and to belonge vnto my allegiaunce, whan I had translated this Bible, not onely to dedicate this translacyon vnto youre hyghnesse, but wholy to commytte it vnto the same: to the intent that yf any thynge therin be translated amysse (for in many thynges we fayle, euen whan we thynke to be sure) it may st&obar;de in youre graces handes, to correcte it, to amende it, to improue it, yee ∧ cleane to reiecte it, yf youre godly wysdome shall thynke it necessary. And as I do with all humblenes submitte myne vnderstondynge and my poore translacyon vnto þe; spirite of trueth in your grace, so make I this protestacyon (hauyng God to recorde in my c&obar;science) that I have nether wrested nor altered so moch as one worde for the mayntena&ubar;ce of any maner of secte: but have with a cleare conscience purely ∧ faythfully translated this out of fyue sundry interpreters, hauyng onely the manyfest trueth of the scripture before myne eyes: Trustynge in the goodnes of God, that it shalbe vnto his worshippe: quietnes and tranquilite vnto your hyghnes: a perfecte stablyshment of all Gods ordynaunces within youre graces domynion: a generall comforte to all Christen hertes, and a continuall thankfulnesse both of olde and yonge vnto god, and to youre grace, for beynge oure Moses, and for bringynge vs out of this olde Egypte from the cruell handes of our spirituall Pharao for where were the Iewes (by ten thousande partes) so much bounde vnto kynge Dauid, ^note for subduynge of greate Goliath and all theyr enemyes, as we are to your grace, for delyuerynge vs out of oure olde Babylonycall captiuyte? For þt; which delyueraunce and victory I beseke oure onely medyatoure Iesus Christ, to make soch meanes for vs vnto his heauenly father, þt; we neuer be vnthankfull vnto him ner vnto youre grace: but that we euer increace in the feare of him, in obedience vnto your hyghnesse, in loue vnfayned vnto oure neghbours: and in all vertue that commeth of God. To whom for þe; defendynge of his blessed worde (by your graces most rightfull administracyon) be honoure and thankes, glory and dominyon, worlde without ende, Amen. Youre graces humble subiecte and daylye oratour, Myles Couerdale.

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