vol. 1, p. 11

Honorable Sr
I have perused the smale treatise which from Yr H{on}or I borrowed, wherein I founde very
many fayre and fragrante floweres, yet intermixte with severall and diverse pinching
thornes, which will sore wounde, if thy be not dexterously handled : a sweete and
delightsome potione, yet mixte with venemous poyson, which will unadvisedly cast
the drincker unto the slumber of deadly sleepe, if the poyson be not separated,
a whoelsome saule, to cure the feastred wooundes of the ulcered soule, yet
sprinckled with poysened dust, which, if it be not blowen of, will canker
the woundes and make them uncurable, finally a pleasante and fayere way to
the lande of promisse, yet obvious to many deepe rivers and pitts, where a man (if
he knowes not [well how] to guide the way,) may be unexpectedy drowned.
The whoele drift and principall end of the Author, as farr as I could gather, [was]
to disswade a certaine frinde of [Disence?] from despayring of gods mercie, notwith-
standing the haynous waight, and multitud of his sinnes: which he intends to
bring to passe by three principall arguments, the first, that he was not the
only mane, whoe was this cruely vexed in conscience, and that he prowes
adducing severall good exemples of holly scripture. the seconde that he was overmatched
in sinnes by many others, as Mary Magdalen, &c. whoe nevertheless obtained pardon.
the thirde, that Christe our Savior has sufficiently and abondantly satisfied for
the sinnes of the electe, soe as they may not, nor cannot despayre, by resone it is
impossible for them, who onste has receaved Christs fayth, to loose it, or to falle
from gods grace onst obtained. The end shurly is very good, for noe sinner
how greewous soever he be, ought to dispaire of gods mercie; and the meance or
arguments ar not unfitt, if some corruptione and venemous matter in them contained,
be wringed out and wipped a way, and if thy be reade and understoode rightly, according
the sounde and whoelsome interpretatione of the holly fathers.

That Yr H{on}or may the better perseave those corruptions heere contained I will
endevour to broche some feaw of many ulcers, out of whose stince and filth
yo may gather the venome of the rest, the bleindness of the leader, and that often
amonge fragrant flowers pierching thornes are found, and that sugred wine
is with bitter gale some tymes mixte, and that we must not followe evry way
which to our selves seemes saffe and pleasant. First therfor pag. 25. and thence
forwarde in some leves he seemes to prowe, that if a man be onste in gods grace he can never
fall unto his disgrace, but is assured firmly of salvation; if heere he understands,
as he seemes to doe, that the electe, or predestinated never sinnes, or never incurres gods
displeasure, he is farre deceaved, as his forefather Calvine was, and gainesays the holly
scripture. For first, if I should demaund of him, whether our first progenitores
Adam and Eva were created in iustice, innocencie, and the fovoure of god, questionless
he will answere, they were, otherwise, he is an Idiote and ignorant of sacred scripture.
If they were created in iustice, and in gods favoure, how came it to passe, that they soe
greevesly, by trespassing his commaundment in Paradice, fell unto his disgrace
and were therfor banished from that place of pleasure, unto this peregrination of
mysery, shurly such a sore penaunce was not inflicted, without incurring a
greate displeasure; Secondly was holy Petter, Prince of the Apostles, one of gods
electe? Why then, how came it to pass, that he denied Christe three tymes or how could
he more incurre his displeasure then by denieing him? or if he did not incurre his
displeasure, what made him weepe soe bitterly, questionless he wept not withoute
cause, neither is there any other cause to be imagined, but that he offended Christe
and incurred his displeasure. Thirdly he awouches himself pag. 133 and thereabouts that
noe man whiles he lyves in this mortall lyfe, can abstaine from sinning, and for exemple
he produceth holly Sainct Paule; if they sinne, shuerly, they offende god, and
incurre his displeasure, for god according the holy scripture Sap. 14. 'hates the