FROM the seas of ELISA, souerain lady, & from the city built by the sonne of the Bretan Helena, there came to your highnes King dome, an epistle from a Lerned Ebrew, full of Eloquence, & rabbi (que) skill: iudged to conteyne sparkes of matter, which with due nourishment might geue occasion to kindle far off the light of the Gospell, winninge such fauour of migthy states that it might turne to the comon good of Christendome. This Iew se­meth by his epistle to be of great autority, not only amonge Iewes, which are in Constantina the chiefest of the world, that he carying them after him, the rest over the east will soner folow: but also with the greatest there: of whose affection nothing may be spoken, vntill it please him self to open his mynde. He writeth in the tongue that was first vsed in the world: in which all the holy prophetes bookes are written: and all diuinity graduates must know, or bethought to see with other mens eyes: & by English vniuersities they are bound to know: ne ther may plead ignoran­ce: but as they are highest in your maiesties praeferment, so the care to awnswer toucheth them principally. His epistle penned with exquisite care sheweth in his first entrance, skill putting all to the tryall, ether to overmatch Christianes by Iudaisme, for all theyr groūdes, yf they graunt his, & passe thē ouer as not dashing all faith: or, yf by modesty & dexterity he be taught, how both Talmudes wilfully disturbe the Bible, that the Light of Christ should not shine to them being in Satans darkenes: he cannot by Lerning lenger resist: but by all Turkes iudgement, vpon his owne groundes of Scriptures auctority, he shalbe vtterly over­throwen. After his begininge, he continueth sundry poinctes in Lerned reuerence: First commending, matters of England: next, requesting some petitiones of instruction. Our diuinity is in his spech highly estemed: as standing vpon the clear power of Gods hand: & removing weedes: such as I think he blameth in Grekes. For as the Iewes, so they, haue overwhelmed all the Scripture, as with netles: which being vncutdowne, the thrueth cannoth be sene. Then he thinketh that N. hath great occasion to reioyce for a greate nomber that he hath broght on to the knowlegde of God: [Page] from which help he also the Iew him self stretched out his hand: & caught an Omer full: while he standeth behind the wall: looking through the lattice, & knocking at the gates of vnderstanding. After this he slideth vnto commendation of your highnes Li­gier, at the city of Constantine, for his great care to settle him in Christianity, And after this praeparation he floweth most plenti­fully into your maiesties commendation: that by your speciall tendering haue diuines so ready in the Golden candelstick of the Law for the generalles to bring them vnto few heades: & for the particulares, the bowles, Knoppes, & flowres. Others he com­mendeth, as may appeare in his Epistle: and after, he cometh to his requestes: wherin first he sheweth a fervent desire, & most harty affection to haue N. sent to teach all the synagoges in Con­stantina, promising that he shalbe receaued as an Angel. But first he wold haue the sum of all the Scripture plentifully handled: & endeth his Epistle with à Lerned sonnet. This Letter was brought vnto my Lordes grace, to croyden: where he should be best at leasure. But his grace seing an English Endorcement, and saing that he could rede no further, bade the bringers send it to me. Others also counted ready in the tongue of diuinity, could or wold say litle to it. Here vpon it returned towardes the east, not with small hazard: yet▪ by Gods goodnes, it came safe to me to Basil. I durst not returne the Letter: being of so weighty impor­tance, to abide new daunger. But I printed an awnswer to my Lor­des grace: shewing the principall effect: thinking that his gr. wold haue sent for an whole copy or haue written: that in this so weighty bysines, to doe good to all the world, no shadow of negli­gence or delay should appeare. But because that is not done, I haue printed the whole Epistle vnto your M. whom the care should chiefly touch: & will shew, according to my leasure more then others had hereyn, my poore opinion of proceding: yf your highnes geue me leaue. My care is the greater: for his G. dealin­ges in as great matters about the Bible, Labored in, ten whole yeres, vpon your M. word: & crossed after all that labour, & char­ges of so great time, by his Graces will & autority. I shewed his G. how, vpon Dan. 11. 38. vnskilfulnes, allowed by his skill, betrayd Gods name, & whole religion, to Satan. Yet there, three Greke translationes, yf they had bene knowen in England, might haue geuen light vnto à sure trueth: besides the most stedfast certenty of the Ebrew terme: So Polychronius the Greke, might for all Daniel. Then his G. yelded: with high Promises. Since a new diffe­rēce as great fell. That, this Iew may end: whose Epistle foloweth.

[Page] THvs your M. seeth the Epistle: desired of many sent to Eng­lād: thēce to Basil: of one made many: that all may see it. The awnswerer should be, my L. G. for Lerned fame & auctori­ty. A Greater cause his G. never dealt in: then to open all te bible, both Testamentes in Ebrew. And yf his G. knoweth nought in Ebrew: Greke will doe as well, for Byzantium: and better for Eng­land: to calme waues blowē of late, to the ruine of all religiō, & ler­ning, which this Epistle to the Iew will quiet: & brede a windeless Cymatolegen. His G. knoweth who stirred a dissention: for the principal article of the Crede: for Christ his passion, wether his soule went from his body. The Greke tongue, in spech to this Iew will cut off all cōtrouersy: as Lerned linguistes & the sure in Scri­pture groundes know that all was euer plain to the Simplest. The Euangelistes told that Christ his soule should goe presently from his body to his kingdome, to Paradise, to the hand of God; euen through the veile of his flesh into heauen. This the Euangelistes taught: and no one syllable in te Prophetes euer taught otherwi­se. Now the prophetes phrase of all soules departing this life is: a descendinge to Sheol, or [...] And in spech of full death amonge such as held the soules immortality in an other world: with the bodies death, they mentioned the soules descent to scheol, & [...], Inferos, Hell So Homer V. 3. for thousandes: so Demosthenes for 4000. slain at one fight by K. Philip. yet they held them to be in happy case: & with theyr Goddes. So the Crede is penned by a phrase vnwrestable: plain to all Iewes & Gentiles: till the Barba­rous wold Lerne Diuinity, as from Dauus in the market, against religion & all Lerning. This all his G. may cure saffely by writing in Greke, wher none may say that Christ descended to Gehen­nuo: & wher [...], to him & all good, is Paradise. So his Graces [...], wold win him Eternal fame. And I trust your M. will not appoint a meaner then his G. to this charge But, I must leaue that, to your Maiesties wisdome. yet I hope, all in a case of so weighty importance, may doe well, when occasion forceth them to deale, then to speak in humble care, somwhat touching te weight of Lerned busines: wherin they haue best occasion to see the right: and what should be done. Thus I wish your M. all good medi­tationes, and one that conteyneth all: how God sitteth on à fiery throne, & that all men must [...]. where [...] that there not Gehenna but paradise may be your blessed rest.