supplications, and made means to emperors and princes, that they might
defend themselves and their fellows in open audience.

But we truly, seeing that so many thousands of our brethren in these last
twenty years have borne witness unto the truth, in the midst of most
painful torments that could be devised; and when princes, desirous to
restrain the Gospel, sought many ways, but prevailed nothing; and that
now almost the whole world doth begin to open their eyes to behold the
light; we take it that our cause hath already been sufficiently declared
and defended, and think it not needful to make many words, seeing the
matter saith enough for itself. For if the popes would, or else if they
could weigh with their own selves the whole matter, and also the
beginnings and proceedings of our religion, how in a manner all their
travail hath come to nought, nobody driving it forward; and how on the
other side, our cause, against the will of emperors from the beginning,
against the wills of so many kings, in spite of the popes, and almost
maugre the head of all men, hath taken increase, and by little and little
spread over into all countries, and is come at length even into kings'
courts and palaces; these same things, methinketh, might be tokens great
enough to them, that God Himself doth strongly fight in our quarrel, and
doth from heaven laugh at their enterprises; and that the force of truth
is such, as neither man's power, nor yet hell-gates are able to root it
out. For they be not all mad at this day, so many free cities, so many
kings, so many princes, which have fallen away from the seat of Rome, and
have rather joined themselves to the Gospel of Christ.

And although the popes had never hitherunto leisure to consider
diligently and earnestly of these matters, or though some other cares do
now let them, and diverse ways pull them, or though they count these to
be but common and trifling studies, and nothing to appertain to the