¶ A thousand bokes had they lever to be put forth agenste their abhominable doynges and doctrine/ then that the scripture shulde come to light. For as long as they may kepe that doune/ they will so darken the ryght way with the miste of their sophistrye/ and so tangle thẽ that ether rebuke or despyse their abhominations with argumentes of philosophye & with wordly symylitudes and apparent reasons of naturall wisdom. And with wrestinge the scripture vnto their awne purpose clene contrarye vnto ye processe/ order and meaninge of the texte/ and so delude them in descantynge vppon it with alligoryes/ and amase thẽ expoundinge it in manye senses before the vnlerned laye people (when it hath but one symple litterall sense whose light the owles cã not abyde) that though thou feale in thyne harte and arte sure how that all is false yt they saye/ yet coudeste thou not solve their sotle rydles.
¶ Which thinge onlye moved me to translate the new testament. Because I had perceaved by experyence/ how that it was impossible to stablysh the laye people in any truth/ excepte ye scripture were playnly layde before their eyes in their mother tonge/ that they might se the processe/ ordre and meaninge of the texte: for els what so ever truth is taught them/ these ennymyes of all truth qwench it ageyne/ partly with the smoke of their bottomlesse pyite wherof thou readest apocalipsis .ix. that is/ with apparent reasons of sophistrye & traditions of their awne makynge/ founded with out grounde of scripture/ and partely in iugglinge with the texte/ expoundinge it in soch a sense as is impossible to gether of the texte/ if thou see the processe ordre and meaninge therof.
¶ And even in the bisshope of londons house I entended to have done it. For when I was so turmoyled in the contre where I was that I coude no lenger there dwell (the processe wherof were to longe here to reherce) I this wyse thought in my silfe/ this I suffre because the prestes of the contre be vnlerned/ as god it knoweth there are a full ignorant sorte which haue sene no more latyn then that they read in their portesses and missales which yet many of them can scacely read (excepte it be Albertus de secretis mulierũ in which yet/ though they be never so soryly lerned/ they pore day and night and make notes therin and all to teach the mydwyves as they say/ and linwod a boke of constitutions to gether tithes/ mortuaryes/ offeringes/ customs/ and other pillage/ which they calle/ not theirs/ but godes parte and the deuty of holye chirch/ to discharge their consciences with all: for they are bound that they shall not dimynysh/ but encreace all thinge vnto the vttmost of their powers) and therfore (because they are thus vnlerned thought I) when they come to gedder to the alehouse/ which is their preachinge place/ they afferme that my sainges are heresy. And besydes yt they adde to of thir awne heddes which I never spake/ as the maner is to prolonge the tale to shorte the tyme with all/ and accuse me secretly to the chauncelare and other the bishopes officers/ And in deade when I cam before the chauncelare/ he thretened me grevously/ and revyled me and rated me as though I had bene a dogge/ and layd to my charge wherof there coude be none accuser brought forth (as their maner is not to bringe forth the accuser) and yet all the prestes of ye contre were yt same daye there. As I this thought the bishope of london came to my remembrance whom Erasmus (whose tonge maketh of litle gnattes greate elephãtes and lifteth vpp aboue the starres whosoever geveth him a litle exhibition) prayseth excedingly amonge other in his annotatyons on the new testament for his great learninge. Then thought I/ if I might come to this mannes service/ I were happye. And so I gate me to london/ & thorow the accoyntaunce of my master came to sir harry gilford the kinges graces controller/ ãd brought him an oration of Isocrates which I had translated out of greke in to English/ and desyred him to speake vnto my lorde of london for me/ which he also did as he shewed me/ ãd willed me to write a pistle to my lorde/ and to goo to him my silf which I also did/ and delivered my pistle to a servant of his awne/ one wyllyam hebilthwayte/ a mã of myne old accoyntaũce. But god which kneweth what is within hypocrites/ sawe that I was begyled/ ãd that that councell was not the nexte way vnto my purpose. And therfore he gate me no favoure in my lordes sight
¶ Wherevppõ my lorde answered me/ his house was full/ he had mo thẽ he coude well finde/ and advised me to seke in london/ wher he sayd I coude not lacke a service/ And so in london I abode almoste an yere/ and marked the course of the worlde/ and herde oure pratars/ I wold say oure preachers how they bosted them selves and their hye authorite/ and beheld the pompe of oure prelates and how besyed they were as they yet are/ to set peace and vnite in the worlde (though it be not possible for them that walke in darkenesse to cõtinue longe in peace/ for they can not but ether stõble or dash them selves at one thinge or a nother that shall clene vnquyer all togedder) & sawe thinges wherof I deferre to speake at this tyme and vnderstode at the laste not only that there was no rowme in my lorde of londons palace to translate the new testament/ but also that there was no place to do it in all englonde/ as experience doth now openly declare.
¶ Vnder what maner therfore shuld I now submitte this boke to be corrected and amended of them/ which can suffer nothinge to be well? Or what protestacyon shuld I make in soch a matter vnto oure prelates those stubburne Nimrothes which so mightely fight agenste god and resiste his holy spirite/ enforceynge with all crafte and sotelte to qwench the light of the everlastinge testament/ promyses/ and apoyntemente made betwene god & vs: and heapinge the firce wrath of god vppon all princes and rulars/ mockinge thẽ with false fayned names of hypocrysye/ and servinge their lustes at all poyntes/ & dispensinge with thẽ even of the very lawes of god/ of which Christe him silf testifieth Mathew .v. yt not so moch as one tittle therof maye perish or be brokẽ. And of which the prophete sayth Psalme .cxix. Thou haste cõmaunded thy lawes to be kepte meod/ yt is in hebrew excedingly/ with all diligẽce/ might & power/ and haue made thẽ so mad with their iugglinge charmes and crafty persuasiõs that they thinke it full satisfaction for all their weked lyvinge/ to tormeẽt soch as tell thẽ trouth/ & to borne the worde of their soules helth & sle whosoever beleve theron.
¶ Not withstõdinge yet I submytte this boke and all other that I haue other made or trãslated/ or shall in tyme to come (if it be goddes will that I shall further laboure in his hervest) vnto all them that submytte thẽ selves vnto the worde of god/ to be corrected of thẽ/ yee and moreover to be disalewed & also burnte/ if it seme worthy when they have examyned it wyth the hebrue/ so that they first put forth of their awne translatinge a nother that is more correcte.
¶ A prologe shewinge the vse of the scripture
THough a man had a precious iuell and a rich/ yet if he wiste not the value therof nor wherfore it served/ he were nother the better nor rycher of a straw. Eyen so though we read the scripture & bable of it never so moch/ yet if we know not the vse of it/ and wherfore it was geven/ and what is theim to be sought/ it profiteth vs nothinge at all. It is not ynough therfore to read and talke of it only/ but we must also desyre god daye and night instantly to open oure eyes/ ãd to make vs vnderstond and feale wherfore the scripture was geuen/ that we maye applye the medicyne of the scripture/ every mã to his awne sores/ inlesse then we entend to be ydle disputers/ and braulers aboute vayne wordes/ ever gnawenge vppon the bitter barcke with out and newer attayninge vnto the swete pith with in/ and persequutinge one an other for defendinge of lewde imaginacions and phantasyes of oure awne invencyon
¶ Paule in ye thyrde of ye secõde epistle to Tymothe sayth/ yt the scripture is good to teache (for yt ought mẽ to teach & not dreames of their awne makĩge/ as ye pope doth) & also to improve/ for ye scripture is ye twichstone yt tryeth all doctrynes/ & by yt we know the false from ye true. And in the .vi. to the ephesians he calleth it the swerd of the spirite/ by cause it killeth hyppocrites and vttereth ãd improveth their false inventyons. And in the .xv. to the Romayns he sayth all that are wryten/ are wryten for oure learninge/ that we thorow pacyence and cõsorte of the scripture myght have hope. That is/ the ensamples that are in the scripture comforte vs in all oure tribulacyons/ and make vs to put oure truste in god/ and pacyently to abyde his leysure. And in the .x. of the firste to the Corinthyans he bringeth in examples of the scripture to feare vs and to bridle the fleshe/ that we caste not the yoke of the lawe of god from of oure neckes/ and fall to lustynge and doinge of evill.