A69646:37
The Judgement of Martin Bucer concerning divorce written to Edward the sixth, in his…The Ivdgement of Martin Bucer concerning divorce written to Edward the sixt, in his…
The Judgement of Martin Bucer concerning divorce written to Edward the sixth, in his second book of the Kingdom of Christ, and now Englished : wherein a late book restoring the doctrine and discipline of divorce is here confirmed and justified by the authority of Martin Bucer to the Parliament of England.The Ivdgement of Martin Bucer concerning divorce written to Edward the sixt, in his second book of the Kingdom of Christ, and now Englisht : wherein a late book restoring the doctrine and discipline of divorce is heer confirm'd and justify'd by the authoritie of Martin Bucer to the Parlament of England.
London: printed by Matthew Simmons, 1644
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
To the PARLIAMENT.
To the PARLAMENT.
THE Book which among other great and high points of reformation, contains as a principal part thereof, this treatise here presented, Supreme Court of Parliament, was by the famous Author Martin Bucer, dedicated to Edward the sixth: whose incomparable youth doubtless bad brought forth to the Church of England such a glorious manhood, bad his life reached it, as would have left in the affairs of religion, nothing without an excellent pattern for us now to follow. But since the secret purpose of divine appointment hath reserved no less perhaps then the just half of such a sacred work to be accomplished in this age, and principally, as we trust, by your successful wisdom and authority, religious Lords and Commons, what wonder if I seek no other, to whose exactest judgement, and review I may commend these last and worthiest labours of this renowned teacher: whom living, all the pious nobility of those reforming times, your truest and best imitated ancestors, reverenced and admired. Nor was be wanting to a recompense as great as was himself; when both at many times before, and especially among his last sighs and prayers testifying his dear and fatherly affection to the Church and Realm of England, he sincerely wished in the hearing of many devout men, that what he had in this his last book 1written to King Edward concerning discipline, might have place in this Kingdom. His hope was then that no calamity, no confusion, or deformity would happen to the Common-wealth; but otherwise he feared, lest in the midst of all this ardency to know God, yet by the neglect of discipline, our good endeavours would not succeed. These remarkable words of so godly and so eminent a man at his death, as they are related by a sufficient and well known witness, who heard them and inserted by Thuanus into his grave and serious history, so ought they to be chiefly considered by that nation for whose sake they were uttered, and more especially by that general Counsel which represents the body of that nation. If therefore the book, or this part thereof, for necessary causes, be now revived and recommended to the use of this undisciplined age, it hence appears that these reasons