Sermons of M. John Calvin upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the GalatiansSermons of M. Iohn Caluine vpon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Galathians

TO THE RIGHT honourable Sir William Cecil knight, Baron of Burghley, Lord high Treasurer of England, Master of the Queens Majesties Courts of Wards and Liveries, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, and one of her highness most honourable privy Counsel, continuance of health, with prosperity and increase of honour.

TO THE RIGHT HONOrable Sir William Cecill knight, Baron of Burleygh, Lord high Treasurer of England, Mayster of the Queenes Maiesties Courtes of Wardes and Liueries, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, and one of hir highnesse most honorable priuie Counsell, continuance of health, with prosperitie and increace of honour.

Your Lordships great goodness diverse times showed towards me, abiding still fresh in my remembrance, to my no small comfort, calleth upon me continually to show some token of thankfulness for the same. For needs I must confess that it hath uttered it self many and sundry ways, and that, (if I may with your Lordships good leave say as I think,) not without a certain friendly or rather fatherly care of my welldoing, specially in that long continued suit of mine in the Exchequer, where your just favour (I mean in respect of the just case, and not of any desert of mine) procuring me credit and help to the furtherance of my matter, hath bin the very maintenance and safety of my right, which else had bin trodden under foot by the over mightiness of mine adversaries. And here it behoveth me also too acknowledge, the upright administration of Justice extended with favour in that so intricate case, both by the Judges and Chancellor, and by all other the Queens majesties officers of that Court. For ⟨image 3⟩after many hearings of the matter with great patience and circumspection, and with showing of such records for both parts, as were known or thought to make for the manifesting of the case: at length when the matter could not grow too speedy end by reason of certain difficulties and incidents falling thereinto: about the first entrance of your honour into the office of high Treasurer, it was by consent of the Court put in compromise to such persons as both parties are very well contented with. By means whereof being discharged of my former continual cares, travels, expenses and troubles, I had the freer liberty to follow this mine accustomed exercise of translating, which me thought was too me a singular benefit. And my rehearsing of these things is not to diminish the thank which I owe to your honour, by interlacing of other mens doings: but to show to how many I am beholden through your goodness, and that I am loth to be unmindful of my duty towards you or them, so far as opportunity may well serve to witness the same. Now then, to the ient I might the better accomplish this my desire towards your honour, I bethought me of the counsel of the wise Philosopher Seneca in his books of Benefiting, the effect whereof consisteth chiefly in these three points: