Stark (2003) describes the bull as "magnificent" and believes the reason that, in his opinion, it has belatedly come to light is due to the neglect of Protestant historians.

The Catholic tradition in Europe looked upon them favorably, but the Protestant historians were more negative.

Protestant historians have regarded the appearance of Luther as the beginning of the third period.

Later historians speculated upon a romantic or sexual relationship between the two (an accusation sometimes raised by Protestant historians in the 17th century) although if there was ever any evidence for this it has not survived.

Historical collections out of several grave Protestant historians concerning the changes of religion and the strange confusions following from thence, 1674.

Henry's role in the Becket controversy was considered relatively praiseworthy by Protestant historians of the period, while his disputes with the French king, Louis, also attracted positive patriotic comment.

The Protestant historian, Henry Pantaleon, said of him:

German Protestant historians have no doubt about the Irish nationality of Clement the Heretic; yet Clement does not sound particularly Hibernian.

His father was a Protestant French historian who had fled Lyon following the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre and his godfather was Theodore Beza.

Most Protestant historians did not date the beginnings of the modern era from the Renaissance, but later, from the beginnings of the Reformation.