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me: but at all times favourable, and gracious: to the great joy and comfort of my true, faithfull, and loyall heart. And (thirdly) Seeing, the works of my hands, and words of my mouth(here before notified, in the Schedule of my books, and writings) may beare lively witneffe of the thoughts of my heart, and inclination of my minde, generally, (as all wife men do know, and Chrift himfelf doth youch,) It might, in manner feem needleffe, thus carefully (though moft briefly and fpeedily) to have warned or confounded the fcornfull, the malicious, the proud, and the rafh in their untrue reports, opinions, and fables of my ftudies, or exercifes Philofophicall: but that, it is of more importance, that the godly, the honeft, the modeft, the difcreet, grave, and charitable Chriflians (English or other,) lovers of Juftice, truth, and good learning, may hereby receive certaine comfort in themfelves (to perceive, that Veritas tandem prævalebit) and fufficiently be weaponed and armed with found truth, to defend me against fuch kind of my adverfaries: hereafter they will begin afresh or hold on obftinately in their former errors, vain imaginations, falfe reports, and moft ungodly flanders of me & my ftudies. Therefore,(to make all this caufe, for ever, before God & man, out of all doubt: ) Seeing, your Lordships good grace, are, as it were, our high Prieft, and chief Ecclefiafticall Minifter, (under our moft dread and Soveraigne Lady Queen Elizabeth) to whofe cenfure and judgement, I fubmit all my ftudies and Exercifes; yea all my Books paft, prefent, and hereafter to be written, by me (of my own skill, judgement, or opinion,) I do, at this prefent time, moft humbly, fincerely, and unfainedly, and in the name of Almighty God, (yea for his honour and glory) requeft, and befeech your Grace, (when, and as conveniently you may, to be well and throughly certified of me, what I am, Intus & in cute: Reverendiffime in Chrifto Pater, & Digniffime Archipraful, cognofce & agnofce vultum tam internum, quàm externum pecoris tui: And wherein I have ufed, do or fhall ufe, pen, fpeech, or converfation, otherwife then as it appertaineth to a faithfull, carefull, fincere, and humble fervant of Ghrit Jefu, That your Grace would vouchfafe to advertiſe me. So, I truft, Ultima refpondebunt primis: in fuch fort, as this Authentick Record in Latine annexed (ad perpetnam rei memoriam) doth teflifie: having never hitherto had occafion to fhew that, in any place of Chriftendome: to teflifie better of me, then they had proofe of me, themfelves, by my converfation among them. (The Almighty, therefore, be highly thanked, praifed, honoured and glorified, for ever and ever, Amen.
But now, in refpect of the generall intent of this briefe difcourfe, I mot humbly, and reverently, exhibit to your Graces view, and p.rufing, the originali monument, and authentick Record, before mentioned, fair writt nin Parchment, with the Seal whole, and perfect, duly appendant: as I have 45. years, and fomewhat longer, preferved it. The true Copy whereof, your Grace doth fee, to be verbatim, as followeth.
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