Unto the Kynges hyghneſſe.
fecte, therfore as the holy gooſt moued other mē 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 ye church of Englōde, 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 ſtōde in youre graces handes, to correcte it, to amende it, to improue it, yee & cleane to reiect it, yf youre godly wyſdome ſhall thynke it neceſſary. And as I do with all humblenes ſubmitte myne vnderſtondynge and my poore tranſlacyon vnto ye ſpirite of trueth in your grace, ſo make I this proteſtacyon(hauyng God to recorde in my cōſcience) that I haue nether wreſted nor altered ſo moch as one worde for the mayntenaūce of any maner of ſecte: but haue with a cleare conſeience 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 hyggnes: 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 Jewes(by ten thouſande partes) ſo moch bounde vnto Kynge Dauid, for ſubduynge of greate Goliath and all theyr enemyes, as we are to your grace, for delyuerynge vs out of oure olde Babylonycall captiuyte.[1] For ye which delyueraunce and victory I beſeke oure onely medyatoure Jeſus Chriſt, to make ſoch meanes for vs vnto his heauenly father, yt we neuer be vnthankfull vnto him
ner vnto youre grace: but that we euer increace in the feare of him, in obe-
dience vnto your hyghneſſe, in loue vnfayned vnto oure negh
bours: and in all vertue that commeth of God. To
whom for ye defendynge of his bleſſed wor
de(by your graces moſt right-
full adminiſtracyon)
be honoure
and
thankes, glory
and dominyon, worlde
without ende,
Amen.
| youre graces humble ſub- iecte and daylye oratour, Myles Couerdale.
+ iiii. |
- ↑ 1. Reg. 17. g.
