POMPEO DE ROVERE

Sheriff of the City of Dordrecht, and Bailiff of South Holland.

MY LORD

CORNELIO VAN TERESTEYN, SON OF LORD ADRIAEN

Ruling Mayor of the city of Dordrecht.

Together with my Lords, the Magistrates, Councilors, Former Councilors, and the Members of the Eight The "Eight" (Luyden vanden Achte) were a specific body of representatives in the city government of Dordrecht who helped oversee municipal affairs., of the City of Dordrecht.

My commanding Lords

In the true Church of Christ / struggling The author uses "strijdende" (militant), referring to the theological concept of the Church Militant—the body of believers on earth who are constantly in spiritual warfare against sin and persecution. here on Earth / one sees among other things: 1. A graceful beauty and form arising from the gifts and presents she has received from her Bridegroom In Christian allegory, the "Bridegroom" is Jesus Christ and the "Bride" is the Church.. 2. That this beauty of hers is often changed / indeed partly stripped away by her enemies. 3. That being surrounded and accompanied by the company and gatherings of unbelievers / she is tormented and troubled by constant alarms and warfare from them. 4. Yet that by the same / no matter how much they strive and endeavor for her total eradication / she nevertheless cannot be entirely overcome.

Just as this is confirmed by the testimonies of Holy Scripture / as well as the experience of various times / so one sees it clearly in the present History of the Church of Christ / among the believers named the Waldensians and Albigensians The Waldensians and Albigensians were medieval Christian groups often persecuted as heretics by the Catholic Church; the author views them here as early Protestant ancestors.. And the same is all distinctly understood in that which the maidens and companions of the Bride / ask as if with an exceeding great wonder in Song of Solomon 6:10 original: Cant. 6. 10., referring to Canticum Canticorum: Who is she that appears