John 3:30
Preliminaries
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Lapide applies the Baptist's words to Van der Burch's rising ecclesiastical career and his own diminishing role
"But what Saint John the Baptist said of Christ — 'He must increase, but I must decrease' — this I long foresaw concerning your Most Illustrious Lordship and myself"