to the maintenance of one man; where our prince’s ambassadors were contemned; where not one of our divines could be heard, and where parts-taking and ambition was openly and earnestly procured and wrought; but, as the holy fathers in former time, and as our predecessors have commonly done, we have restored our churches by a provincial convocation, and have clean shaken off, as our duty was, the yoke and tyranny of the bishop of Rome, to whom we were not bound; who also had no manner of thing like, neither to Christ, nor to Peter, nor to an Apostle, nor yet like to any bishop at all.  Finally, we say, that we agree amongst ourselves touching the whole judgment and chief substance of Christian religion, and with one mouth, and with one spirit, do worship God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wherefore, O Christian and godly reader, forasmuch as thou seest the reasons and causes, both why we have restored religion, and why we have forsaken these men, thou oughtest not to marvel, though we have chosen to obey our Master Christ, rather than men.  Paul hath given us warning how we should not suffer ourselves to be carried away with such sundry learnings, and to fly their companies, in especial, which would sow debate and variances, clean contrary to the doctrine which they had received of Christ and the Apostles.  Long since have these men’s crafts and treacheries decayed, and vanished, and fled away at the sight and light of the Gospel, even as the owl doth at the sun-rising.  And albeit their trumpery be built up, and reared as high as the sky, yea even, in a moment, and as it were of the own self, falleth it down again to the ground and cometh to nought.  For you must not think that all these things have come to pass rashly, or at adventure; it hath been God’s pleasure, that, against all men’s wills well nigh, the Gospel of Jesu Christ should be spread abroad throughout the whole world at these days.  And, therefore, men, following God’s biddings, have of their own free will resorted unto the doctrine of Jesus Christ.  And for our parts, truly we have sought hereby, neither glory, nor wealth, nor pleasure, nor ease.  For there is plenty of all these things with our adversaries.  And when we were of their side, we enjoyed such worldly commodities much more liberally and bountifully than we do now.  Neither do we eschew concord and peace, but to have peace with man we will not be at war with God.  The name of peace is a sweet and pleasant thing, saith Hilarius; but yet beware, saith he, “peace is one thing, and bondage is another.”  For if it should so be, as they seek to have it, that Christ should be commanded to keep silence, that the truth of the Gospel should be betrayed, that horrible errors should be cloaked, that Christian men’s eyes should be bleared, and that they might be suffered to conspire openly against God; this were not a peace, but a most ungodly covenant of servitude.  There is a peace, saith Nazianzen, that is unprofitable;